A recently released adaptation of one of famed horror author King's books and short stories have captured the minds of millions of readers, and unsurprisingly, a lot of these tales have been adapted to the screen. In fact, some of them have been adapted more than once. However, despite King's sterling reputation, not all of his adaptations have been wild successes.
Among King's catalog of over 70 novels and 200 short stories, some titles stand out more than others. For example, books like Misery, The Shining, and The Green Mile are likely familiar to most audiences. This is because these King stories were adapted into incredible movie adaptations, becoming so well-received that they were nominated for the highest accolades in Hollywood. That is where King's 25-year-long streak comes in. It has been 25 years since a Stephen King adaptation was nominated for an Academy Award, and his new film may finally change that.
The Life Of Chuck's Early Success Makes It A Potential Oscar Contender
What Is The Life Of Chuck About
The latest movie to Stephen King's long roster of movie adaptations is The Life of Chuck. The film recently premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival to notable success. Not only did the film win the festival's People's Choice Award, but it also received glowing reviews from critics. The movie currently holds an 88% on Rotten Tomatoes. This auspicious start means that The Life of Chuck could be in the running for an Oscar this year. If its theatrical release continues to be this successful financially and critically, the movie will only be closer to Hollywood's greatest accolade.
The 2025 Oscars will occur on March 2, 2025.
The Life of Chuck is a King novella published in his 2020 collection, If It Bleeds. The story follows a regular man named Chuck Krantz from his death to his childhood. The Life of Chuck's cast includes stars like Tom Hiddleston, Mark Hamill, Karen Gillan, Jacob Tremblay, and Mia Sara. Notably, the movie was written and directed by Mike Flanagan, who has earned significant fame in recent years for his Netflix series The Haunting of Hill House, Midnight Mass, and The Fall of the House of Usher. With such an array of talent, The Life of Chuck's current success (and potential Oscars glory) makes even more sense.
The Life Of Chuck Could Be The First Oscar-Nominated Stephen King Movie In 25 Years
What King Stories Have Been Nominated For Oscars
Considering The Life of Chuck's early praise, the movie could become the first King adaptation in 25 years to be nominated for an Academy Award. King's repertoire of movie adaptations is quite long, but only five of his movies have ever been nominated. Even more surprising than that, only one of the films has actually won. The five King movies that have been Oscar-nominated include 1976's Carrie, 1986's Stand By Me, 1990's Misery, 1994's The Shawshank Redemption, and 1999's The Green Mile. Kathy Bates won the Oscar for Best Actress for her portrayal of Annie Wilkes in Misery – a notable highlight.
Every Stephen King Movie Nominated For An Academy Award |
What Categories They Were Nominated For |
|---|---|
Carrie (1976) |
Best Actress (Sissy Spacek), Best ing Actress (Piper Laurie) |
Stand By Me (1986) |
Best Adapted Screenplay |
Misery (1990) |
Best Actress (Kathy Bates), |
The Shawshank Redemption (1994) |
Best Picture, Best Actor (Morgan Freeman), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, and Best Original Score |
The Green Mile (1999) |
Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Actor in a ing Role (Michael Clarke Duncan), Best Sound, and Best Picture |
If The Life of Chuck is nominated for an Academy Award, that would be a major achievement for Stephen King. In many ways, King is already prolific and successful enough that he doesn't necessarily need more accolades, especially in the movie department. However, it would be very satisfying to see his dry streak come to an end, especially with a story that he wrote so recently. Though his classics are amazing, King's newer work also deserves some praise. In this way, The Life of Chuck could create a well-deserved King renaissance.
The Life Of Chuck Winning An Oscar Would Be An Even Bigger Deal
What Are The Odds Of The Life Of Chuck Winning
The only thing better than The Life of Chuck being nominated for an Oscar is if the movie wins one. As previously mentioned, King's movie adaptations have only ever won a single Oscar, which was by Kathy Bates for Misery. Arguably, King's movies deserve much more praise than a single golden statue. They have become staples of the horror genre, and many are considered the best movies of all time (such as The Shining and The Shawshank Redemption). In this way, The Life of Chuck could receive the acclaim that countless King movies in the past deserved but never got.
With films like Dune: Part Two, Gladiator 2, and Saturday Night, the movie will definitely have to do something special to stand out among the rest.
The odds of The Life of Chuck winning an Oscar are obviously unclear at the moment. Only a lucky few have actually seen the movie, therefore there's no telling how it compares to other recent releases. However, it is definitely safe to say that The Life of Chuck will have big competition in the Oscars 2025 race. With films like Dune: Part Two, Gladiator 2, and Saturday Night, the movie will definitely have to do something special to stand out among the rest. Regardless, it would be great to see Stephen King honored in this way after so much time.
The Life of Chuck
- Release Date
- May 30, 2025
- Runtime
- 110 minutes
- Director
- Mike Flanagan
- Writers
- Stephen King
- Producers
- D. Scott Lumpkin, Elan Gale, Trevor Macy, Molly C. Quinn, Melinda Nishioka
Cast
Charles 'Chuck' Krantz
Matthew LillardGus
The Life of Chuck is a narrative exploring the life of Chuck Krantz, presented in reverse chronological order. The film begins with Chuck's end, gradually revealing his earlier experiences and the events that shaped his journey, offering a unique perspective on his lifetime.
