IT Chapter 2 is the second movie of 2019 to be based on the work by legendary author Stephen King, but it won't be the last. For decades, King's novels have been the focus of dozens and dozens of movies, TV shows, and miniseries, and that trend shows no signs of slowing down in the coming years.
King's first novel to get the movie adaptation treatment was Carrie back in 1976. It was an absolute hit was horror fans, and filmmakers stuck to King's prolific body of work for new projects. Next up was The Shining in 1980, followed by heavy hitters like Creepshow, Cujo, and Children of the Corn. There were also TV projects such as Salem's Lot, IT, and The Stand. These adaptations continued for the next three decades and counting.
Andy Muschietti's Stephen King movies coming after IT Chapter 2.
In The Tall Grass - October 4, 2019
The 2012 novella from King and his son, In the Tall Grass was announced in May 2018. Vincenzo Natali (Splice) signed on to direct the film shortly after the project was greenlit by the streaming service. Actor James Marsden was originally attached to the lead role but due to scheduling conflicts, Patrick Wilson was then cast. He will be ed by Laysla De Oliveira, Harrison Gilbertson, Avery Whitted, and Rachel Wilson.
In the Tall Grass follows a pair of siblings that hear a young boy crying for help in a large field of grass. They enter the field to find the boy but they soon find that there is no way out. The horror tale was originally written as a two-part series for Esquire magazine but it has since been adapted to e-book and audiobook form. Before the film's Netflix release, it will have its world premiere at Fantastic Fest in September 2019.
Doctor Sleep - November 8, 2019
Doctor Sleep will serve as a direct adaptation but Flanagan promised that it would exist in the same universe that Stanley Kubrick created with The Shining movie. The cast of the sequel includes Ewan McGregor, Rebecca Ferguson, Kyliegh Curran, Carl Lumbly, Alex Essoe, Cliff Curtis, and Jacob Tremblay.
Doctor Sleep centers on Dan Torrance, now an adult that still suffers from the trauma that he experienced as a child at the Overlook Hotel. He tries to live a peaceful life but his life is turned upside down when he meets a teenage girl who shares the same psychic powers. The girl finds Dan in the hopes that he will help her with Rose the Hat and The True Knot, a group that preys on people with powers to gain immortality. Doctor Sleep opens October 30 worldwide and November 8 in the United States.
Mile 81 - TBA
King's 2011 novella Mile 81 will be heading to the screen with production planned for fall 2019. The announcement came in February 2019, revealing that Alistair Legrand is set to direct the supernatural thriller. The movie will also be produced by Ross M. Dinerstein, who previously worked on the Netflix adaptation of King's 1922. The story about a sinister station wagon was later featured in the 2015 short story collection, The Bazaar of Bad Dreams. Casting for the feature film is currently underway.
Salem's Lot - TBA
In April, New Line Cinema announced their plans to adapt King's 1975 novel, James Wan (Aquaman) signed on to produce the feature film. As of now, there's no word on who will direct or star in the movie. The horror novel followed a writer named Ben Mears who traveled back to his hometown of Jerusalem's Lot (known as Salem's Lot for short) and found that everyone who once knew turned into a vampire. Salem's Lot was the focus of a TV movie in 1979 and a miniseries in 2004.
The Long Walk - TBA
King released The Long Walk was set in a dystopian future ruled by a totalitarian dictator. The story centered on an annual walking contest where participants could be shot dead if they don't keep up their speed. George A. Romero had an interest in adapting the novel in the late '80s but it never came into fruition. In April 2018, New Line Cinema officially announced their plans to adapt the story into a movie. In late May 2019, André Øvredal signed on as director.
Rest Stop - TBA
In April 2019, Legendary Pictures announced their intent to adapt King's 2003 short story, Rest Stop. The tale, written for an issue of Esquire, focused on a man who intervened during a domestic dispute at a rest stop. Alex Perry Ross (Her Smell) has been confirmed to write and direct the feature film. Ross is expected to keep his script close to the source material by featuring a cat-and-mouse thriller. It was also revealed that some of the characters could be gender-swapped.
The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon - TBA
George A. Romero was reportedly planning on developing a movie based on King's 1999 novel, The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon film.
Stephen King Movies In Early Development
Firestarter - King's popular 1980 novel, Firestarter, is set to get another big-screen adaptation. The novel was previously adapted for a film in 1984. Drew Barrymore notably starred as the young girl with pyrokinetic abilities. The remake is coming from Universal and Blumhouse with Faith Akin set to direct. There have been no further details since the June 2018 announcement.
The Tommyknockers - King's 1987 sci-fi novel, The Tommyknockers, wasn't the author's favorite but it will indeed by the basis for yet another adaptation. The story about an alien spacecraft and mass hysteria was first made into a TV miniseries in 1993, starring Jimmy Smits and Marg Helgenberger. In March 2018, it was announced that James Wan and Roy Lee plan to produce the movie.
From a Buick 8 - King's 2002 horror novel, From a Buick 8, was first rumored to be made into a movie in 2005 through George A. Romero. Tobe Hooper then took over as director but the development stalled in 2009 due to financial issues. In 2018, it was announced that the movie adaptation was back on track with William Brent Bell set to write and direct.
Drunken Fireworks - The short story featured in King's collection, The Bazaar of Bad Dreams, was set to become a film as stated by an announcement during June 2016. Drunken Fireworks focused on a clue-collar mechanic and a retired mob boss after they face off in a Fourth of July fireworks competition. James Franco was announced to star in the film and there was interest from the actor to direct as well. The script was reportedly being written by Matt Rager but no updates have been released in the last few years.
Stephen King Miniseries In Development
Season 2 of Castle Rock premieres on October 23, 2019, and it will feature Lizzy Caplan as a younger version of Annie Wilkes, the character from Misery.
third season of Mr. Mercedes is set to begin in mid-September 2019. The crime drama is based on King's trilogy, Mr. Mercedes, Finders Keepers, and End of Watch. The story follows Bill Hodges, a retired detective, on the hunt of a killer that took the lives of sixteen people. Mr. Mercedes stars Brendan Gleeson. Harry Treadaway, Jharrel Jerome, and Holland Taylor.
Lisey’s Story - King's 2006 novel, Lisey's Story, will be the basis of a miniseries on Apple TV+. The psychological horror tells the story of the widow of a famous author. The woman, Lisey, struggles to adapt to her everyday life while also sharing details into her dead husband's past. Julianne Moore will portray the role of Lisey and the TV series will be directed by Josh Boone.
The Outsider - The Outsider is one of King's more recent novels getting the screen adaptation. It will be the focus of an HBO miniseries starring Jason Bateman. The actor will portray a popular teacher accused of murdering and mutilating the body of a young boy. As the detective in the case follows the incident, he learns that something much more sinister was responsible.
The Dark Tower, received a film adaptation in 2017 with Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey. It wasn't received well by viewers and critics but that didn't slow down interest in future projects based on the series. In 2018, it was announced that Amazon was developing a show based on the books and it would serve as a reboot. Sam Strike and Jasper Pääkkönen were cast in the leads and the cast also includes Michael Rooker, Jerome Flynn, and Joana Ribeiro.
The Stand - King's 1978 post-apocalyptic horror will be remade into a miniseries for CBS All Access in the near future. The novel featured a world that was almost entirely wiped out due to a strain of influenza. There was talk about adapting the novel into a feature film for decades before it was turned into a miniseries in 1994. King rewrote the end of the novel for the show. The Stand will star James Marsden, Amber Heard, Odessa Young, and Henry Zaga.
