Content Warning: This article contains descriptions of graphic violence and sexual assault.
Stephen King's massive body of work is ripe with adaptable stories. However, just because a narrative would make for a solid film doesn't mean that everything should be included.
Like the orgy scene in It, there are some plot developments in King novels that should never make their way to the screen. In some instances this is because the two forms of media are very different: novels allow more grotesque imagery and unsavory themes than the cinematic landscape.
Carrie's Enthusiasm — Carrie (1976 / 2013)
Even in Brian De Palma's version, Carrie is one of the scariest human villains in Stephen King's stories. In the book, however, she earns that title and then some. In De Palma's take, Sissy Spacek's Carrie is solely the beat-upon outcast. And as cruel as men are to her, the women are substantially worse.
This isn't different from the book, but Carrie's attitude during her slaughter is. In the book, Carrie is outright enjoying what she's doing, whereas in the movie there's a mixture of vacancy and defeat. It alters the character in a way that's more cinematically digestible, and it's a fine change to the arc.
The Pregnancy Subplot — Carrie (1976 / 2013)
Stephen King's most rewatchable movies because it cuts gristle from the bone. For instance, this is seen in Sue Snell and her pregnancy and subsequent miscarriage.
The 2013 remake incorporated Snell's pregnancy, but it left out her miscarriage. It's a dark moment, considering the father of the child is now dead by the hand of the very girl Snell tried to help. As far as Stephen King's endings go, the darker the better, but that also means a lot of his best endings are not adaptable.
Jack Torrance's Original Death — The Shining (1980)
The Shining is a notoriously altered variation of King's original work. It stands on its own, which means it also lost some aspects that made King's book what it was.
Essentially, the book's core identity was stripped in favor of a slightly more straightforward take, which eliminates Jack Torrance's self-mutilation. He goes through an internal battle towards the end of the novel, struggling to refrain from smashing Danny's head in with a roque mallet. Instead, he turns it on himself and that's when things get really gruesome. In Stanley Kubrick's film, Torrance undergoes no such character evolution and it never gets that graphic.
Tad Dies In The Book — Cujo (1983)
Cujo, the movie, has a fairly Hollywood ending, with a bow tied tightly and everyone walks home with minimal scarring. King's book, however, takes a darker route. In the movie, it looks like the little boy, Tad, is going to die from heatstroke. Yet, in the knick of time, he is saved.
The source material has him die, and it stands to reason no inevitable remake of Cujo will include the prolonged death of a child.
The Red-Eyed Monster — Children Of The Corn (1984)
Children of the Corn, the movie, ends with Burt and Vicky leaving the child-run town alive and well. In Stephen King's short story, though, Vicky is brutally murdered by the children, with her eyes removed and replaced with corn husks.
It's revolting, but it's not as unadaptable as what happens to Burt. The story says that a red-eyed monster emerges from the walk of corn stalks and grabs him, which is certainly a scene that wouldn't have worked with the tone of the film.
Vern And Teddy — Stand By Me (1986)
Two of Stephen King's best non-horror characters suffered a horrid fate in the author's original short story In Rob Reiner's movie, the boys essentially have their adventure and go their separate ways. None of their lives, outside Gordie, become anything special, but the book took things down an even more nihilistic road.
In the book, Teddy Duchamp (Corey Feldman in the film) and Vern (Jerry O'Connell) die from a house fire and car accident, respectively.
Gage Taunting Jud — Pet Sematary (1989)
Mary Lambert's adaptation of Pet Sematary was a fun, modestly-budgeted horror movie that stuck fairly close to the book. However, it essentially makes Gage merely a zombified child once he returns.
In the book, Gage is possessed, and he vocalizes the proof when he kills Jud Crandall. Like Pazuzu's taunting in The Exorcist, Gage torments Jud with personalized attacks. Then, like in both film adaptations, Gage slits Crandall's heel. But there's something about Gage telling Jud how his wife was a cheater, which is information he couldn't possibly possess if he wasn't a possessed, dead child.
The Lawnmower Woman — Misery (1990)
As one of the Misery gets a lot of things right. In fact, there are some aspects that are perhaps done better than the author himself did.
However, a horrifically memorable scene was omitted, and for good reason. At one point in the book, Annie Wilkes runs a lawnmower over a police officer. In the film, she shoots him from the bottom of a staircase with a shotgun. It's a jarring moment in the movie, but a shotgun blast from a distance is nothing compared to the grizzly nature of the former scene.
Trashcan Man — The Stand (1994)
The Stand is an epic of a book as is, but there's actually an even longer edition, like a director's cut. But the regular version may be preferable because the uncut edition has a particularly awful scene.
Like in It, The Stand contains a scene that depicts sexual assault. In the latter case, it involves the Kid and the Trashcan Man. The two men share some drinks over the course of the night and fall into bed. Unfortunately, things soon turn dark as the Kid takes advantage of the Trashcan Man.
Gill-Man — It (2017)
Eddie Corcoran isn't in It very much, at least as far as the book is concerned, but he makes a strong impression. It's just not in a very pleasant way. King's book, and the films it inspired, show Pennywise adopting different forms to terrorize his targets. For Corcoran, it's the Gill-man from The Creature from the Black Lagoon.
However, what's described in the novel is far more gruesome than what's shown in those three Universal Monsters films. In the book, the Gill-man grabs Corcoran by the head and yanks it from his body. It's disgusting and far from filmable, especially given the rights issue with using the Gill-man.
