They don't call Stephen King the Master of Horror for nothing, with the multi-award-winning acclaimed author giving us some of the most terrifying tales across generations. From killer alien clowns to obsessed stalkers, supernatural cars, haunted houses, and so much more, King's thrilling tales and chilling characters have given us sleepless nights and a whole winding list of new fears unlocked. His reign of terror hasn't been confined to the pages of his numerous best-selling books, as King's work has been adapted to the big screen time and time again in classics such as Carrie, It, Cujo, The Shining, and so much more.
Most recently, his 1975 novel Salem's Lot was adapted into a feature film now streaming on Max after being made into a Tobe Hooper TV miniseries in 1979, a Castle Rock episode in 2018, and a loose prequel set up in TV series Chapelwaite. With the latest Salem's Lot venture now streaming on Max and Oz Perkins' upcoming adaptation of King's short story The Monkey, set to hit screens in early 2025, we couldn't help but consider what other titles from King's library should make the jump to the screen. Here are five wishlist suggestions of incredible Stephen King stories that could be the next box office hit.
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The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon
A film adaptation of this 1999 King novel was announced in 2019, but we're yet to see any developments that have us hopeful it will be coming to the big screen any time soon. The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon follows protagonist Trisha McFarland, who hikes the Appalachian trail alongside her quarreling brother, Pete, and mother, Quilla. Trisha becomes lost in the woods after separating from Pete and her mother. She ventures deeper and deeper into the forest and tries to find her way back. To pass the time, she uses her Walkman to listen to Boston Red Sox games and imagines her hero, Tom Gordon, is right alongside her. But as night falls, Trisha realizes she is not alone, and a mysterious being is watching her.
Getting lost in the woods has been a staple of genre films for decades, and it's no surprise when the situation can quickly become fatal. Twinned with its supernatural elements and child protagonist, The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon has all the ingredients to be a smash-hit horror film. Unfortunately, this novel has a tumultuous history when it comes to adaptation. Horror maestro George A. Romero was originally attached to write and direct The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, but production stalled following his death in 2005. Fourteen years later, hopes were revived, with Romero's production company still attached and his wife Chris signing on as producer. In 2020, We Need To Talk About Kevin's Lynne Ramsay was announced as director, but there have been no additional updates since then.
The Regulators
The Regulators supposedly began life as a screenplay under the moniker The Shotgunners, but a feature adaptation has never hit cinemas. Released under King's pseudonym, Richard Bachman, the 1996 novel was released at the same time as Desperation, billed as parallel universes relative to one another in which the characters and events of each novel exist in the same world. The Regulators sees a quiet, suburban street in Wentworth, Ohio, thrown into pandemonium after a mysterious stranger in a red van shoots a paperboy. When author Johnny Marinville attempts to call for help, a mysterious force cuts off his phone call as more vans descend on the street. The vehicles contain shotgun-wielding antagonists known as “regulators,” who terrorize and kill off the residents, guided by an evil creature.
Along with Desperation, The Regulators would make a mind-bending miniseries or epic film adaptation thanks to its bewildering premise, terrifying sense of claustrophobia and helplessness, and horrific sci-fi themes. King has said that prior to his passing in 1984, The Wild Bunch and Straw Dogs creator Sam Peckinpah read the original screenplay and made suggestions – so a screen adaptation of The Regulators has been on the table for some time. Bohemia Group obtained the rights to the novel in 2022 and has lined up George Cowan to write the script alongside Justin Ross as a producer. Desperation was released as a TV film in 2006 directed by frequent King collaborator Mick Garris, starring Ron Perlman, Tom Skerritt, Steven Weber and Annabeth Gish.
Duma Key
King's 2008 novel Duma Key reached number one on the New York Times Best Seller list – but could it also top the box office? Building contractor Edgar Freemantle is at the center of the sinister tale. He discovers an aptitude for painting after he narrowly survives a workplace accident. Following his long recovery and bitter divorce, he relocates to a remote island in the Florida Keys named Duma Key to start a new life, where he becomes obsessed with his artwork, which begins to capture his psychic visions.
With more twists and turns than a rollercoaster and an inner mystery to rival some of the greatest big-screen epics, Duma Key has the makings of an instant classic film or binge-worthy TV series. It has a rich array of eccentric characters with interesting backstories that weave into the protagonist's life. Edgar himself serves as one of King's most interesting characters, and with the right actor at the helm, he could become a horror icon. A film adaptation of Duma Key was reportedly in development, but production has since stalled on the mysterious project. Here's hoping it gets up and running again soon.
From A Buick 8
If you loved Christine, From A Buick 8 would make the perfect back-to-back read or an intense double feature. It is the second novel about a supernatural car written by King (not a sentence you read every day) and was originally released in 2002 to rave reviews from critics and fans alike. In King's own words, it analyzes our obsession with deadly things and our need for answers even when there are none, which could make it a fascinating thrill ride of a film. From A Buick 8 is told through the recollections of Pennsylvania State Police's Troop D after they meet Ned Wilcox, the son of Troop D member Curtis Wilcox who was killed by a drunk driver. After Troop D takes a liking to Ned, they tell him about the mysterious Buick 8 – a car that doesn't seem to be of this world.
Written after his near-fatal 1999 car accident, King's From A Buick 8 is a captivating exploration of death, loyalty, and the unknown, giving readers the elements of Christine they loved and an almighty inter-dimensional twist that would rival even Stranger Things. For decades, there has been talk of a film adaptation, and in 2018, we received the most promising update yet. Orphan: First Kill and The Boy director William Brent Bell signed to pen the script with Ashok Amritraj producing. Unfortunately, the project ground to a halt, which is a shame as Bell shared with FANGORIA the interesting direction he wanted to take the story: “My take followed a female, someone who grew up there and came back to that town to investigate the death of her father, the character who dies at the beginning of the story. By learning about who her father is, she becomes indoctrinated into the story and then, ultimately, the barn or the shed that has this car in it.”
Revival
Last, but by no means least, we have King's terrifying 2014 novel Revival which sparked fear among some readers upon its release being dubbed the most “terrifying thing they had read.” It's easy to see why. Its chilling narrative tells the story of rock musician Jamie Morton, who strikes up a relationship with Reverend Charles Jacobs and his family. When Jacobs' wife and child are killed in a car crash, he denounces God and is banished from the church and town. Years later, Jamie, now a successful musician, has become addicted to drugs, and he runs into Jacobs performing an astonishing sideshow act with electricity, which has implications the men cannot possibly imagine.
What lengths would you go to to heal those you love? Revival asks plenty of difficult questions about life and love through its troubled characters and their actions, which would make for a grief-riddled, emotional ride in a film. What's more, the Lovecraftian creatures of the afterlife known as The Null, discovered by Jacobs, would make for pure nightmare fuel on the big screen (just imagine those ants in IMAX). If the themes of grief, religion, and death immediately made you think of horror icon Mike Flanagan as the man for the job, you'd be spot-on. In 2020, Deadline confirmed that the director was set to adapt Revival alongside Intrepid Pictures. However, in the same year, he confirmed that the adaptation was no longer in development.
