Stephen King’s imaginative stories have been adapted for the screen hundreds of times, with some proving financially disastrous. The “master of the macabre,” King’s dark sensibility and tireless work ethic have seen him produce 65 novels, five works of non-fiction and more than 200 short stories, many of which have proven bestsellers. This vast body of work has seen frequent adaptations, ranging from major studio productions to self-funded indie projects. In all, the author holds some form of writing credit on more than 300 productions.

The vivid characterization and striking imagery found in King’s work cohere to make the author’s writing feel deeply cinematic. It’s no wonder, then, that so many have attempted to adapt his work. However, the author’s popularity and even the resonance of his work don’t necessarily guarantee commercial success. While many great works of cinema have been produced on the back of King’s writing, several flops have likewise spawned from attempts to bring the author’s writing to the big screen.

1 The Dark Tower (2017)

Based on the multi-novel Stephen King fantasy series, this blockbuster was intended to launch a new action-fantasy franchise for Sony. However, the film underperformed drastically, taking home $113 million on a $66 million production budget. Depending on the marketing budget, The Dark Tower may have turned a slim profit, but it certainly didn’t earn enough to a franchise. Some of the movie’s commercial disappointment can be attributed to extremely negative word of mouth, which saw the critically panned Dark Tower drop from number one on its opening weekend to number four the weekend after. The film currently sits at just 15 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.

2 The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

The Shawshank Redemption is widely considered not just the best Stephen King movie but one of the best movies ever made. Famously, the film, which is based on a Stephen King novella, is ranked number 1 on IMDb’s top 250. Despite its glowing contemporary reputation, The Shawshank Redemption bombed in its initial theatrical run, only making $16 million on a $25 million budget. However, after the film was nominated for several Oscars, the studio decided to give The Shawshank Redemption another chance, re-releasing it in the U.S. in tandem with a wider overseas release, which earned the film another $57 million and made it a bona fide hit.

3 Needful Things (1993)

Adapted from the Stephen King novel of the same name, Needful Things follows a small town’s slow descent into chaos following the appearance of a shop that offers its customers their deepest desire. Despite a strong cast, led by Ed Harris as the town sheriff and Max Von Sydow as the shopkeeper who is revealed to be the devil in disguise, the film impressed neither audiences nor critics. While the production budget isn’t public knowledge, Needful Things was a summer release from a major studio, meaning its costs almost certainly exceed the $15 million it pulled in.

4 Silver Bullet (1985)

Silver Bullet’s tale of a small town terrorized by a werewolf is adapted from the Stephen King novella Cycle of The Werewolf. The film saw mixed reviews upon release, mainly critiquing the unimaginative scares and poor werewolf design. However, the cast is often cited as a bright spot for Silver Bullet, which stars a young Corey Haim alongside Garey Busey, who ad-libbed a good deal of his lines (vis Looper). While the movie has become a minor cult classic over the years, its theatrical run saw it earn only $12 million on a $7 million budget.

5 Apt Pupil (1998)

Apt Pupil, adapted from the King novella of the same name, is now considered one of Stephen King’s most underrated films. The film follows a psychopathic teenager who blackmails his neighbor, a former Nazi in hiding, into regaling him with reenactments and stories from the death camps. The screenplay was written without securing the rights from King, but the author, upon reading the script, agreed to lease the movie rights for only $1 and a percentage of future profits (via Cinemablend). Unfortunately, the final film saw no profits, making only $8.9 million on a $14 million budget.

6 Graveyard Shift (1990)

Adapted from Stephen King’s short story of the same name, Graveyard Shift takes place in a textile mill that houses a mutated rat monster in its basement. The film is bad, and it seems Paramount knew it at the time of release, choosing to forgo an advanced press screening of the film in an apparent attempt to keep the film from being savaged by critics before opening weekend. Despite this, the film was a critical and commercial disaster, earning only $11 million on a $10 million production budget and a rare 0 percent critics’ score on Stephen King hates the adaptation, calling it “a quick exploitation picture.”

7 Cell (2016)

In Cell, a mysterious radio signal turns the world’s cell phone s into vicious killers. The film is based on the Stephen King novel of the same name and stars John Cusack and Samuel L Jackson, who had previously co-starred in what is widely considered one of the best Stephen King adaptations, 1408. While reviews praise both actors for a valiant effort to elevate the source material, Cell was widely panned for its lackluster script, which transforms King’s novel into a generic zombie flick. While Cell’s budget is unknown, the film’s box office earnings of just $1 million likely don’t even cover the salaries of the two lead actors.

8 The Dark Half (1993)

The Dark Half, a film directed by horror legend George A. Romero and based on a Stephen King novel, should have been a match made in heaven. The film centers on an author whose literary alter ego begins to take on a demented mind of his own. However, the film saw an extremely troubled production, plagued by studio interference, a difficult lead actor and an uncooperative cinematographer (via Bomb Report). Moreover, The Dark Half’s studio, Orion, filed for bankruptcy shortly after the film completed shooting, resulting in a two-year delay, followed by a lackluster release. Ultimately, the film pulled in only $10 million on its $15 million budget.

9 Maximum Overdrive (1986)

Maximum Overdrive is one of Stephen King’s most notorious missteps. The film is King’s first and last director’s credit, with a screenplay written by King, loosely adapted from his own short story, “Trucks.” The film follows a group of people forced to hide at a truck stop when a ing comet turns all machines, including trucks, into sentient killing machines. The manic film saw overwhelmingly negative reviews as well as two Razzie nominations. While it bombed dramatically at the box office, making only $7 million on a $10 million budget, the work is now considered a cult classic.

10 Dreamcatcher (2003)

Dreamcatcher, based on the Stephen King novel of the same name, is stacked with both on and off-camera talent. The cast includes Morgan Freeman, Damian Lewis and Timothy Olyphant. It’s written by legendary Hollywood screenwriters Henry Goldman and Lawrence Kasdan and also boasts Kasdan’s experienced hand as director. However, none of these talented craftsmen could successfully rein in the madness of King’s story, which follows a group of telepathic friends whose annual getaway is interrupted by an invasion of anus-dwelling aliens. Audiences and critics simply had no appetite for the creature feature, which earned $75 million against its $68 million budget.

Sources: Rotten Tomatoes, IMDb, Looper, Cinemablend, Bomb Report