Stephen King Says This Adaptation Surpasses His Book in Every Way

Stephen King has always been vocal about how he feels when filmmakers adapt his work. He often praises directors who stay true to the story while adding style and clarity, such as Frank Darabont’s versions of The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile.

On the other hand, King has been openly critical of Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining, even though many consider it a classic of the horror genre. King believed Kubrick changed the core of Jack Torrance’s character, turning him from a troubled but fundamentally decent man into a straightforward villain.

“Jack was always a good person who was slowly corrupted,” King explained. He felt Kubrick focused too much on human evil instead of the supernatural elements he intended, which altered the story’s tragedy. This disagreement highlights the contrast between King’s straightforward, character-focused writing and Kubrick’s more abstract, conceptual filmmaking.

King is known for being very protective of his stories, and he has strict ideas about what counts as a faithful adaptation. He even admits that his own attempt at directing, Maximum Overdrive, was a failure.

Ironically, the very first film adaptation of his work is one he praises the most. Brian De Palma’s 1976 version of Carrie was a major success, and King believes it set the bar for all adaptations to come.

“Brian De Palma’s Carrie was terrific,” he said. “He handled the material deftly and artistically and got a fine performance out of Sissy Spacek.” Spacek’s portrayal of the tormented teen remains iconic and earned her an Academy Award nomination.

King has gone even further, “It’s a really good horror/suspense film,” he told Movieline. “Much better than the book.” King has largely ignored the remakes and TV versions of Carrie over the years, insisting that De Palma’s vision is the definitive one.

Even after fifty years, De Palma’s Carrie remains a benchmark for Stephen King adaptations. Meanwhile, new King projects continue to keep audiences engaged. The film adaptation of The Long Walk, released on Starz in January, has been a hit. On television, HBO’s It: Welcome to Derry wrapped a successful first season and will see a physical media release this May.

Director Mike Flanagan, who recently directed The Life of Chuck, is preparing a new reimagining of Carrie expected later this year. Meanwhile, Brian De Palma himself is returning to directing with a true-crime thriller called Sweet Vengeance, which he will shoot this summer in Portugal.

King’s long history of praising and critiquing adaptations shows how seriously he takes his work. When done right, as with De Palma’s Carrie, his stories can become even more powerful on screen than on the page.

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