19 Best Stephen King Movie Adaptations in Honor of 'The Long Walk'
With 'The Long Walk' opening in select theaters on September 12th, Moviefone is counting down the top 19 Stephen King Movie Adaptations of all time!
(L to R) Joshua Odjick as Parker, Jordan Gonzalez as Harkness, David Jonsson as McVries, Cooper Hoffman as Garraty, and Charlie Plummer as Barkovitch in 'The Long Walk'. Photo Credit: Murray Close/Lionsgate.
Stephen King is the king of Hollywood!
The famous author has had over 50 of his novels and short stories made into popular movies such as 'Carrie', 'The Shining', 'Stand by Me', 'The Running Man', 'Misery', 'The Shawshank Redemption', and 'The Green Mile'.
The latest adaptation of one of King's novels, 'The Long Walk', which he wrote when he was only 19 and was directed by Francis Lawrence, is scheduled for release in theaters on September 12th.
The Long Walk
In honor of the new film, and August 19th being "King Day", Moviefone is counting down the 19 best Stephen King movie adaptations of all time!
Let's begin!
19. 'The Dark Tower' (2017)
Idris Elba in 'The Dark Tower'. Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.
A boy (Tom Taylor) haunted by visions of a parallel world aids its disillusioned guardian in preventing the destruction of the nexus of universes known as the Dark Tower.
The Dark Tower
18. 'Dreamcatcher' (2003)
Four boyhood pals (Thomas Jane, Damian Lewis, Timothy Olyphant and Jason Lee) perform a heroic act and are changed by the powers they gain in return. Years later, on a hunting trip in the Maine woods, they're overtaken by a vicious blizzard that harbors an ominous presence. Challenged to stop an alien force, the friends must first prevent the slaughter of innocent civilians by a military vigilante (Morgan Freeman)... and then overcome a threat to the bond that unites the four of them.
Dreamcatcher
17. 'Salem's Lot' (2024)
Author Ben Mears (Lewis Pullman) returns to his childhood home of Jerusalem's Lot only to discover his hometown is being preyed upon by a bloodthirsty vampire.
Salem's Lot
16. 'It Chapter Two' (2019)
27 years after overcoming the malevolent supernatural entity Pennywise (Bill Skarsgård), the former members of the Losers' Club, who have grown up and moved away from Derry, are brought back together by a devastating phone call.
It Chapter Two
15. 'Doctor Sleep' (2019)
Ewan McGregor in 'Doctor Sleep'. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
Still scarred by the trauma he endured as a child at the Overlook Hotel, Dan Torrance (Ewan McGregor) faces the ghosts of the past when he meets Abra (Kyleigh Curran), a courageous teen who desperately needs his help -- and who possesses a powerful extrasensory ability called the "shine".
Doctor Sleep
14. 'Apt Pupil' (1998)
One day in 1984, Todd Bowden (Brad Renfro), a brilliant high school boy fascinated by the history of Nazism, stumbles across an old man whose appearance resembles that of Kurt Dussander (Ian McKellen), a wanted Nazi war criminal. A month later, Todd decides to knock on his door.
Apt Pupil
13. 'Cujo' (1983)
A friendly St. Bernard named "Cujo" contracts rabies and conducts a reign of terror on a small American town.
Cujo
12. 'Firestarter' (1984)
Charlene "Charlie" McGee (Drew Barrymore) has the amazing ability to start fires with just a glance. Can her psychic power and the love of her father (David Keith) save her from the threatening government agency which wants to destroy her?
Firestarter
11. 'Pet Sematary' (1989)
After the Creed family's cat is accidentally killed, a friendly neighbor advises its burial in a mysterious nearby cemetery.
Pet Sematary
10. 'The Life of Chuck' (2025)
(L to R) Annalise Basso and Tom Hiddleston in 'The Life of Chuck'. Photo: Neon.
In this extraordinary story of an ordinary man, Charles 'Chuck' Krantz (Tom Hiddleston) experiences the wonder of love, the heartbreak of loss, and the multitudes contained in all of us.
The Life of Chuck
9. 'The Monkey' (2025)
When twin brothers (Both played by Theo James) find a mysterious wind-up monkey, a series of outrageous deaths tear their family apart. Twenty-five years later, the monkey begins a new killing spree forcing the estranged brothers to confront the cursed toy.
The Monkey
8. 'It' (2017)
In a small town in Maine, seven children known as The Losers Club come face to face with life problems, bullies and a monster that takes the shape of a clown called Pennywise.
It
7. 'Carrie' (1976)
Withdrawn and sensitive teen Carrie White (Sissy Spacek) faces taunting from classmates at school and abuse from her fanatically pious mother (Piper Laurie). When strange occurrences start happening around Carrie, she begins to suspect that she has supernatural powers.
Carrie
6. 'Misery' (1990)
After an accident, acclaimed novelist Paul Sheldon (James Caan) is rescued by a nurse (Kathy Bates) who claims to be his biggest fan. Her obsession takes a dark turn when she holds him captive in her remote Colorado home and forces him to write back to life the popular literary character he killed off.
Misery
5. 'The Running Man' (1987)
Arnold Schwarzenegger as Captain Benjamin "Ben" Richards in 'The Running Man.' Photo: Tri-Star Pictures.
By 2017, the global economy has collapsed and U.S. society has become a totalitarian police state, censoring all cultural activity. The government pacifies the populace by broadcasting a number of game shows in which convicted criminals fight for their lives, including the gladiator-style 'The Running Man', hosted by the ruthless Damon Killian (Richard Dawson), where “runners” attempt to evade “stalkers” and certain death for a chance to be pardoned and set free.
The Running Man
4. 'The Green Mile' (1999)
A supernatural tale set on death row in a Southern prison, where gentle giant John Coffey (Michael Clarke Duncan) possesses the mysterious power to heal people's ailments. When the cell block's head guard, Paul Edgecomb (Tom Hanks), recognizes Coffey's miraculous gift, he tries desperately to help stave off the condemned man's execution.
The Green Mile
3. 'Stand by Me' (1986)
After learning that a boy their age has been accidentally killed near their rural homes, four Oregon boys decide to go see the body. On the way, Gordie (Wil Wheaton), Vern (Jerry O'Connell), Chris (River Phenix) and Teddy (Corey Feldman) encounter a mean junk man and a marsh full of leeches, as they also learn more about one another and their very different home lives. Just a lark at first, the boys' adventure evolves into a defining event in their lives.
Stand by Me
2. 'The Shining' (1980)
Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) accepts a caretaker job at the Overlook Hotel, where he, along with his wife Wendy (Shelley Duvall) and their son Danny (Danny Lloyd), must live isolated from the rest of the world for the winter. But they aren't prepared for the madness that lurks within.
The Shining
1. 'The Shawshank Redemption' (1994)
(L to R) Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman in 'The Shawshank Redemption'. Photo: Columbia Pictures.
Imprisoned in the 1940s for the double murder of his wife and her lover, upstanding banker Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) begins a new life at the Shawshank prison, where he puts his accounting skills to work for an amoral warden. During his long stretch in prison, Dufresne comes to be admired by the other inmates -- including an older prisoner named Red (Morgan Freeman) -- for his integrity and unquenchable sense of hope.
The Shawshank Redemption
