While the master of horror has seen many of his books adapted for the screen, the highest-grossing Stephen King movies show just how popular his stories have been. After becoming one of the most prolific American authors with a number of bestsellers, such as The Dead Zone and Salem's Lot, King's books started becoming regular adaptations for Hollywood, starting with 1976's Carrie. Since then, King has seen dozens of his novels turned into films, with some standout titles becoming massive hits.
There are certainly some King movies that were clear hits with audiences, but fans might be surprised at some of the big titles left off the list of highest-grossing Stephen King adaptations. Horror masterpieces like The Shining may have iconic status, but their box office doesn't match other hits. Likewise, despite being regarded as one of the greatest movies of all time, The Shawshank Redemption was a box office bomb. The films that did bring audiences to the theaters showcase King's engrossing storytelling, intense thrills, and some reminders that he is more than just a horror author.
10 Doctor Sleep (2019)
Worldwide Box Office: $72.4 Million
Doctor Sleep
- Release Date
- October 30, 2019
- Runtime
- 153 minutes
- Director
- Mike Flanagan
WHERE TO WATCH
- Writers
- Mike Flanagan
- Prequel(s)
- The Shining
Stephen King might not have liked Stanley Kubrick's take on The Shining very much, but he was much more ive of Mike Flanagan's adaptation of The Shining's sequel story Doctor Sleep. Ewan McGregor stars as adult Danny Torrance, who uses his special "shining" abilities to help a young girl who is being targeted by a supernatural cult that is hunting her.
Earning $72.4 million at the worldwide box office (via Box Office Mojo), Doctor Sleep benefited from its connection to the iconic movie despite the fact that it was very much telling its own tale. McGregor also made for a big star who is not typically seen headlining horror movies, while Flanagan had already established himself as a horror filmmaker to trust.
9 Dreamcatcher (2003)
Worldwide Box Office: $75.7 Million
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Dreamcatcher
- Release Date
- March 21, 2003
- Runtime
- 134 minutes
- Director
- Lawrence Kasdan
- Writers
- Lawrence Kasdan, William Goldman
Cast
Donnie Wahlberg
Timothy Olyphant
Even some of the highest-grossing Stephen King movies are not necessarily successes. Dreamcatcher was an adaptation of one of King's books with a lot of talent behind it, including legendary director Lawrence Kasdan and a strong cast that included Morgan Freeman, Thomas Jane, and Jason Lee. It follows four childhood friends who reunited in a cabin getaway as adults, only to find themselves in the middle of an alien invasion.
Dreamcatcher managed to get some traction early on its release thanks to the heavily d inclusion of King as well as some effective marketing that didn't reveal too much. However, once people saw the movie and the reviews started to come, the negative reaction to Dreamcatcher caused it to stall at the box office. Unfortunately, it's $75.7 million gross barely covered the movie's production budget (via Box Office Mojo), causing it to be a major flop.
8 Carrie (2013)
Worldwide Box Office: $84.8 Million
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Carrie
- Release Date
- October 18, 2013
- Runtime
- 1h 40m
- Director
- Kimberly Peirce
Cast
Chloe Grace Moretz
WHERE TO WATCH
- Writers
- Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa
- Sequel(s)
- The Rage: Carrie 2
- Franchise(s)
- Carrie
As a sign of how long Stephen King has been a figure in pop culture, a number of his previous book adaptations have received remakes of their own. Carrie was the first of King's adaptations and is still regarded as one of the best King movies. Nearly 40 years later, the iconic horror story received an update, starring Chloë Grace Moretz as Carrie White, a timid and outcast high school student constantly being bullied by her classmates and abused by her overbearing mother, only to discover her powerful telekinetic abilities.
The remake also appealed to the teen horror community more than many of King's movies.
Carrie capitalized on the opening during the Halloween season in 2013, earning a stronger-than-expected opening weekend. The remake also appealed to the teen horror community more than many of King's movies. However, the film also suffered from negative comparisons to the original as well as a PG-13 rating that many felt watered the movie down. The mixed factors resulted in a solid $84.8 million gross (via Box Office Mojo),
7 Secret Window (2004)
Worldwide Box Office: $92.9 Million
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Secret Window
- Release Date
- March 12, 2004
- Director
- David Koepp
- Writers
- Stephen King, David Koepp
WHERE TO WATCH
There have been several thrillers from Stephen King's work that draw from his own life and place a writer as the protagonist. Such is the case with Secret Window, a thriller that stars Johnny Depp as a writer going through a painful divorce who travels to a secluded cabin to write. However, while isolated from the world, he is visited by a stranger (John Turturro) who accuses the writer of stealing his idea for one of his books.
Despite the fact that the original King novella, Secret Window, Secret Garden, is not well known, Secret Window was able to gross $92.9 million (via Box Office Mojo). A lot of that is likely due to the star power of Depp at the time. This was one of the actor's first roles following the massive and critical success of Pirates of the Caribbean, which launched him as one of Hollywood's most popular leading men.
6 Pet Semetary (2019)
Worldwide Box Office: $113.1 Million
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Pet Semetary
- Release Date
- April 5, 2019
- Director
- Kevin Kolsch, Dennis Widmyer
- Writers
- Stephen King, Matt Greenberg, Jeff Buhler
Cast
Jason Clarke
Pet Semetary is often regarded as one of the scariest of Stephen King's novels, so it is not surprising that Hollywood would seek to update the 1989 film. The remake arrived 30 years after the cult classic original, with Jason Clarke starring as a man who moves into a new home with his family, only for tragedy to strike. Upon learning about a supernatural cemetery nearby, he attempts to use its powers to make his family whole again, unaware of the horror he is unleashing.
The movie was met with a somewhat mixed reception from fans and critics, with the general consensus being that it fell short of the original. However, the increased interest in horror at the time, as well as some effective, creepy trailers, helped to make Pet Semetary a modest success, earning $113.1 million (via Box Office Mojo).
5 The Dark Tower (2017)
Worldwide Box Office: $113.2 Million
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The Dark Tower
- Release Date
- August 4, 2017
- Runtime
- 95 Minutes
- Director
- Nikolaj Arcel
WHERE TO WATCH
- Writers
- Anders Thomas Jensen, Jeff Pinkner, Nikolaj Arcel, Akiva Goldsman
- Franchise(s)
- The Dark Tower
One of the most beloved Stephen King books finally got its big screen adaptation, with decidedly mixed results. The Dark Tower was intended to be the first installment in the King series and stars Idris Elba as a gunslinger from an alternate universe who guards over a tower that can be used by the powerful and sinister Man in Black (Matthew McConaughey) to open the gates of Hell.
The negative reviews and disappointment among fans were big factors in ensuring it wasn't a bigger hit.
The excitement over seeing the adaptation finally happening helped get The Dark Tower to a $113.2 million worldwide gross (via the The Dark Tower TV series as finally doing justice to the books.
4 1408 (2007)
Worldwide Box Office: $132.9 Million
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1408
- Release Date
- June 22, 2007
- Runtime
- 112 Minutes
- Director
- Mikael Håfström
Cast
John CusackMike Enslin
Gerald Olin
WHERE TO WATCH
- Writers
- Matt Greenberg, Larry Karaszewski, Scott Alexander
While The Shining misses out on being one of Stephen King's highest-grossing movies, another King film about a haunted hotel did manage to crack the top 10. 1408 is based on a short story from King and stars John Cusack as an author who travels around the country debunking supposedly supernatural locations. However, when he checks into a notorious room in a New York City hotel, he begins to believe that there might be some truth to the ghost stories.
Despite opening in the busy summer months, 1408 was a surprise success, bringing in $132.9 million at the worldwide box office (via 1408's twist ending also earned strong reactions and word-of-mouth among audiences.
3 The Green Mile (1999)
Worldwide Box Office: $286.8 Million
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The Green Mile
- Release Date
- December 10, 1999
- Runtime
- 189 Minutes
- Director
- Frank Darabont
WHERE TO WATCH
- Writers
- Stephen King, Frank Darabont
While The Shawshank Redemption failed at the box office when it was released, the legacy that it subsequently built likely contributed to the box office success of The Green Mile. Shawshank director Frank Darabont not only returned to direct another Stephen King adaptation, but it was also another period piece set in a prison. Tom Hanks stars as a prison guard overseeing death row inmates awaiting their execution when his life is changed by a gentle giant named John Coffey (Michael Clarke Duncan) with extraordinary abilities.
The Green Mile was released in December of 1999 and quickly earned Oscar buzz and huge acclaim, leading to its worldwide gross of $286.8 million (via Box Office Mojo). Of course, it also didn't hurt that the movie boasted Hanks in the lead role, who was possibly the biggest star in Hollywood at the time.
2 It Chapter Two (2019)
Worldwide Box Office: $473.1 Million
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It Chapter Two
- Release Date
- September 6, 2019
- Runtime
- 169 minutes
- Director
- Andres Muschietti
Cast
Isaiah Mustafa
WHERE TO WATCH
- Writers
- Gary Dauberman
- Prequel(s)
- It
- Franchise(s)
- IT
The first part of the It story had already proven to be a massive blockbuster hit two years prior, setting It: Chapter Two up for sure success. Taking place nearly 30 years after the first part of the story, the sequel catches up with the Losers Club, a group of outcasts from the town of Derry who previously battled and defeated the evil Pennywise. However, with the dark force returning as promised, the adults are now forced to return to their hometown and face their greatest fears.
The anticipation of the conclusion of the story bolstered the box office, as did bigger stars in the lead roles...
It: Chapter Two earned $473.1 million at the global box office (via Box Office Mojo), and while that was enough to make it the second-highest-grossing Stephen King movie of all time, it is also seen as something of a disappointment, earning far below the first movie. The anticipation of the conclusion of the story bolstered the box office, as did bigger stars in the lead roles, like James McAvoy, Jessica Chastain, and Bill Hader. However, fans also seemed to prefer the kid-centric story, while the reviews for It: Chapter Two were much more mixed.
1 It (2017)
Worldwide Box Office: $702.8 Million
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It
- Release Date
- September 8, 2017
- Runtime
- 135 Minutes
- Director
- Andy Muschietti
Cast
Jaeden Martell
WHERE TO WATCH
- Writers
- Chase Palmer, Cary Joji Fukunaga, Gary Dauberman, Stephen King
- Franchise(s)
- IT
The first chapter in the ambitious two-part adaptation of It is the highest-grossing Stephen King movie by a wide margin, and it will be hard for any other release to top it anytime soon. It begins the story of the Losers Club growing up in their small town of Derry as they deal with being targeted by the evil entity known as Pennywise, who begins to close in on the young heroes. It earned $702.8 million at the worldwide box office (via the highest-grossing horror movie of all time.
Pennywise had already been an iconic villain in pop culture, so seeing him brought to the big screen in such a terrifying way was a draw for audiences even if they were unfamiliar with King's novel. The movie also mirrored the recent success of Stranger Things with its horror tale revolving around young kids in the 1980s, giving it a nostalgic feel.
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