Stephen King Names His Favourite Adaptation: “As Good as the Best”
Stephen King once revealed that his personal favorite screen adaptation of his work isn’t one of his blockbuster miniseries like It, but rather the 1999 television miniseries Storm of the Century.
Surprisingly, this series wasn’t even based on one of his novels. King wrote it directly for television, creating an original screenplay that aired over several nights on ABC.
King praised the miniseries, calling it, “as good as the best of the novels.” He told Tony Magistrale, the author of Hollywood’s Stephen King, that the production achieved exactly what he wanted. “The Storm of the Century is fairly hard-edged for television,” King said.
“It’s not like any other miniseries that you’ll see on any of the other networks – you know, the happy-time, everything-works-out-happily-in-the-end program. It’s very realistic. And everyone who was involved with that show – from my screenplay, to the director, to the set designer, to the producer – we all did Rose Red, and Rose Red is just not as good.” He said.
Directed by Craig R. Baxley, the miniseries follows a small town terrorized by a mysterious stranger during a massive winter storm.
King highlighted the strong performances, especially Colm Feore’s, and credited the team for bringing his vision to life. The screenplay itself was even published as a book before the miniseries aired.
Storm of the Century received positive reviews from critics and holds an 82% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Its dark and chilling story, paired with moral complexity, has made it a standout in King’s adaptations.
The miniseries has also influenced modern horror, with director Mike Flanagan citing it as a major inspiration for his Netflix series Midnight Mass.
King’s choice reminds fans that sometimes the most memorable adaptations aren’t the most famous. Storm of the Century remains a testament to his ability to craft compelling horror stories directly for the screen.
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