Stephen King’s Untold Stories: Which Books Are Still Unadapted?

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Among authors, apart from William Shakespeare, none is more frequently transformed for both big and small screens than Stephen King. His works, rich in character development and always delivering chills and thrills, make him one of the most adaptable writers. Unsurprisingly, his horror novels are often chosen to become movies or miniseries, but he also excels at creating dramas (like The Shawshank Redemption and Hearts in Atlantis) and thrillers (11/22/63 and Mr. Mercedes) for the screen. Given this, it’s interesting to wonder which of his books have not yet been adapted.

The ones we’re focusing on are those that stand alone as individual works, excluding short stories found in anthologies like “Night Shift,” “Skeleton Crew,” and “Four Past Midnight.” It’s important to note that this selection is limited to singular works. Also worth mentioning is the fact that there have been many adaptations of Stephen King’s works in various stages of production recently, with updates expected either in 2024 or 2025 regarding the progress of these projects. Notably, books such as “The Long Walk” and “From a Buick 8,” which already have adaptations in development, were not considered for this discussion.

1) Rage

King initially adopted the pseudonym Richard Bachman at an early stage in his career, though not for too long (a total of seven times). He used this alias when the novel wasn’t typically linked to him or his popular horror genre, which he is known for. The first instance was for his fourth novel, titled “Rage“. The second time was for his sixth novel, “The Long Walk“. Interestingly, the 1979 Bachman novel is soon to be adapted, but not “Rage“. This novel would likely be a catastrophe, much like “Maximum Overdrive“, but for a different reason. It’s no longer available for purchase due to its content about a school shooting. King himself has rightfully chosen to withdraw it from circulation.

2) Roadwork

As a passionate cinephile, I’ve always held a deep admiration for Stephen King’s works, and his third novel under the pseudonym Richard Bachman, “Roadwork,” is no exception. This gripping story revolves around a man whose life spirals out of control when his son passes away, his marriage disintegrates, and he learns that both his home and workplace will be demolished to make way for a highway. In 2019, there were whispers of an adaptation by the talented Andy Muschietti, famed for his work on “It,” but since then, it seems the project has hit a roadblock, with no visible progress made.

3) The Talisman / Black House

Stephen King’s fantasy novels outside of “The Dark Tower” series have struggled to find successful adaptations. For example, “The Talisman” (1984) and its sequel “Black House” (2001), both co-written with the late Peter Straub. However, a third and final novel in the series, which King is writing alone, is upcoming, so there might be renewed interest in bringing it to life sooner rather than later. It’s not unprecedented that conversations about “The Talisman” have taken place, as it was adapted into a short film and a graphic novel in 2008, and discussions about a Netflix series were held in 2021.

4) The Eyes of the Dragon

Published in the same year as “The Talisman”, “The Eyes of the Dragon” is another captivating fantasy novel by Stephen King that has yet to be adapted. It’s intriguing given that it introduces a character named Flagg, who is known as the embodiment of evil from “The Stand” and the “Dark Tower” series. Over the years, there have been discussions about adapting “The Eyes of the Dragon”, initially as an animated film in the early 2000s, then as a Syfy series in 2012, and most recently as a Hulu show in 2019. However, none of these adaptations have come to life, with the Hulu series being canceled early on due to financial constraints.

5) Insomnia

1992 saw a break from Stephen King’s works with the releases of “Gerald’s Game” and “Dolores Claiborne.” The following year was devoid of any King novels. He returned in 1994 with “Insomnia,” a novel he himself described as “stiff” and “trying-too-hard.” Similar to a novel released the next year, it combines horror and fantasy elements. Like many of his other fantasy works, neither “Insomnia” nor its subsequent film adaptation or television series has ever been discussed seriously. However, this is not the case for “Rose Madder,” which…

6) Rose Madder

Similar to “Insomnia”, “Rose Madder” is not one of Stephen King’s most lighthearted novels. It might struggle to capture audience attention if made into a film (it could potentially work better as a TV series). However, unlike “Insomnia”, there have been talks about adapting “Rose Madder”. Specifically, HBO Pictures considered it in the mid-’90s. Unfortunately, this project never came to fruition, and a revised attempt in 2011 also failed to materialize.

7) The Regulators

Although technically classified as an adaptation of “Desperation” (a Stephen King novel), “The Regulators” has not undergone a full-fledged adaptation in reality. Despite discussions about adapting it directly, first in 2014 and then again in 2022, no concrete steps have been taken to bring the project to life. Interestingly, two of King’s novels written under the pseudonym Bachman, “The Running Man” and “Thinner,” which fall between “Roadwork” and “The Regulators,” have been successfully adapted into films.

8) The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon

In “The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon,” Stephen King continues his knack for using children as protagonists, a style that has proven effective in novels like “It” and “Stand by Me.” This 1999 novel, bordering on a novella, is no exception. It’s a gripping, quick-paced psychological horror story that could make for an engaging movie or series. Indeed, there was initial interest in adapting it into a film back in the mid-2000s, with George A. Romero attached as both writer and director. However, the project stalled in 2005, and no further updates were heard until 2019 – two years after Romero’s passing. His production company remained involved, with his wife, Chris Romero, serving as producer. The only other significant news came in 2020 when Lynne Ramsay was announced as the director. Yet, five years is a considerable amount of time, suggesting that the film might be on ice now.

9) Blaze

The novel titled “Blaze” was actually written before Richard Bachman’s debut novel, “Carrie,” and it was published as his final work under that name. He discovered the manuscript in his attic, which is why it came out later. It’s a story about a mentally challenged swindler who kidnaps a wealthy man’s baby as a tribute to his late criminal partner. To my knowledge, an adaptation of “Blaze” has never been mentioned or discussed.

10) Duma Key

Generally, King’s works are known for starting strong, then taking a turn for the worse in their final act. However, in “Duma Key,” it’s the third act that stands out as its peak. Despite some initial discussions, no significant adaptations of this novel have materialized to date.

11) Joyland

A less celebrated Stephen King novel titled “Joyland” was actually his second hard-boiled crime story following “The Colorado Kid”, published in 2005. Much like its predecessor, this novel moved at a brisk pace. However, unlike “The Colorado Kid,” which received a loose adaptation on Syfy, “Joyland” has yet to be adapted for the big screen. In 2018, Freeform was working on a series based on it, but development only progressed as far as an initial treatment for a pilot script. When it comes to adapting his crime work, King seems to have had more success with his “Bill Hodges Trilogy” and the critically acclaimed “Mr. Mercedes” series.

12) Revival

Regarding the novel “Revival,” despite its 400-page length, it’s quite an engaging read for fans who appreciate subtle nods to classic horror reminiscent of H.P. Lovecraft. Initially, there were plans for a movie adaptation in 2016, with Russell Crowe set to star, but discussions stalled. In 2020, Stephen King’s frequent screenplay adapter, Mike Flanagan, was deeply involved in the film’s development, even drafting a screenplay. However, by the end of that year, Flanagan announced that the adaptation was no longer progressing. Given the recent success of Flanagan’s “The Life of Chuck,” there’s renewed hope that “Revival” might find new life on the big screen in the future.

13) Gwendy’s Button Box

In an unusual turn for Stephen King, the Gwendy Trilogy stood out because he didn’t author the second book himself. The initial novel, “Gwendy’s Button Box” (2017), was jointly penned with Richard Chizmar, who later wrote “Gwendy’s Magic Feather” (2019) on his own. After that, they teamed up again for the third installment, “Gwendy’s Final Task,” which was published in 2022. As of now, there haven’t been any talks about a film or TV adaptation for this trilogy.

14) Sleeping Beauties

Written together with his son Owen, “Sleeping Beauties” offers a dark, imaginative take on the horror classic “A Nightmare on Elm Street.” While the reviews were somewhat divided, they were generally favorable, igniting curiosity for an AMC television series. However, as of 2019, nothing substantial has materialized from this idea.

15) Elevation

In a more whimsical tone akin to “The Green Mile,” Stephen King’s “Elevation” is a delightful read. While it shares some similarities with “Thinner” in terms of a protagonist losing weight inexplicably, the story here centers more around the man’s peculiar floating phenomenon rather than a curse. Notably, director and producer Jack Bender (of “The Sopranos” and “Game of Thrones”) has expressed interest in adapting this novel, but no concrete plans have been announced as of now.

16) Later

As a movie enthusiast, I can’t help but express my excitement about Stephen King’s latest work, “Later,” published under Hard Case Crime. It’s as robust and captivating as his previous works, “The Colorado Kid” and “Joyland.” Just like the latter, it hasn’t been transformed into a film or series yet, which is truly unfortunate because I believe it would make an exceptional miniseries.

17) Holly

The main character of Holly, named Holly Gibney, appeared in “Mr. Mercedes”, but a film or series based on her solo novel hasn’t been released yet. However, the book came out in 2023, and similar to “Elevation”, Jack Bender mentioned he was working on an adaptation that same year. So it appears this project is in progress, even though no official announcement has been made about it.

You can stream plenty of Stephen King adaptations online.

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2025-05-26 02:12