Upcoming Stephen King Adaptations We're Most Excited To See (And One We're Nervous About)

While some of Stephen King's impressive novels haven't been turned into movies or TV shows, it's definitely a fairly small list. The first Carrie film was released only two years after the book (which was King's debut) came out, and since then, most of his stories about ghosts, vampires, clowns, and deadly contests have been adapted for the screen. Fans hear about new adaptations regularly, and it's always thrilling to imagine what they could be like.

King's 2025 adaptations have been impressive, especially Mike Flanagan's The Life of Chuck. While the movie sadly drew low box office numbers, the moving story is worth seeking out. Although most of the author's upcoming TV shows and movies based on his work look great, there's one that is a bit concerning.

IT: Welcome To Derry Brings Horror Fans Back To Maine

Pennywise Is Always An Entertaining Villain

Pennywise the Dancing Clown gets his origin story with the upcoming HBO Max adaptation IT: Welcome to Derry. The upcoming prequel series has reportedly been renewed for a second season, which is great news since the show doesn't premiere until October 2025. Recent updates on the project suggest that the episodes are absolutely terrifying, and that's exciting to hear, especially when some horror prequels are so forgettable.

If you're creeped out by Pennywise and want to see how he started terrorizing people in Derry, Maine, and if you've read IT, then you'll likely be impressed by this adaptation. The show is adapted from King's IT interludes , which is fascinating.

Mike Flanagan Is Taking On The Dark Tower

You'll Still Have To Wait A While To See This Epic Masterpiece On The Small Screen

The Long Walk Movie Will Be Horrifying And Thought-Provoking

Head To Your Local Theater On September 12th, 2025

The Long Walk has all the elements that are often necessary to make a Stephen King adaptation work. It's got a director with a strong POV (Francis Lawrence shot the movie in non-chronological order) and, from the trailers, it looks like it has captured the book's genuinely scary and sad tone perfectly. The second trailer even won praise from King, which isn't easy to do since the author is so honest about what he thinks about his adaptations. The Long Walk also features likable Mark Hamill in a villain role, which will be cool and different to see.

King's novel (which was published under his Richard Bachman pen name in 1979) follows a group of teenage boys who compete to see who can survive a lengthy walk along a highway. The story centers around Ray Garraty (Cooper Hoffman) and the friends he makes as he goes on this strange and scary mission. The Long Walk movie won't be for the faint of heart, as it's incredibly dark source material, but it looks like it stays true to the story's spirit. Hopefully, the film will feature the book's ending as it's hard to improve on (although it's genuinely heartbreaking).

Mike Flanagan's Carrie TV Show Will Bring New Life To The Story

There's No Release Date As Of Yet

Stephen King's work is so popular that sometimes the same story is adapted for the big or small screen more than once. There are three Salem's Lot adaptations and three Carrie movies, too. The first one is the most well-done and stars Sissy Spacek in the main role of a teenage girl who doesn't fit in and who is tormented by her classmates while dealing with her cruel mother. Mike Flanagan is working on a Carrie TV show for Amazon Prime Video and while details are scarce, some cast members have been added.

Flanagan's Carrie is worth waiting for since he's shared that he's doing something unique with the classic tale. This is great news as it would be boring to see yet another Carrie with the exact same storyline. While it seems likely that the supernatural element of King's story will remain, since that's pretty important, Flanagan might add some characters or plotlines that haven't been done before.

Edgar Wright's The Running Man Remake Looks Promising

The Richard Bachman Adaptation Will Be Out November 7th, 2025

The Running Man was already adapted for the big screen back in 1987, and you can stream the Arnold Schwarzenegger movie for free on Tubi. Now Edgar Wright has made a new version starring Glen Powell as Ben Richards, a father who stars on a reality competition show to hopefully win money for his sick child's treatment. The trailer is emotional and fast-paced, and fans like that the movie seems like it'll capture the book's tone.

Remakes usually aren't all that thrilling, but The Running Man looks engaging, entertaining, and fast-paced. After watching the trailer, it's hard not to root for Ben and hope that he gets what he needs to save his child, although of course, there are going to be a lot of obstacles along the way.

The Stand Is A Nerve-Wracking Upcoming Movie Adaptation

Can A Proper Film Be Made Of A Novel That's Over 1,000 Pages)?

Stephen King's The Stand is one of his longest novels, one of his most fascinating stories, and a genuinely fantastic take on a post-apocalyptic world. Doug Liman is directing a movie adaptation, and it's going to be challenging to adapt so many characters and storylines into one movie. The Stand has already been turned into two miniseries (one in 1994 and one in 2020), and the 2020 version switches up the timeline, which was a confusing, poor choice.

While The Stand is a compelling take on how people can band together after losing people and places that they love, it's going to be tricky to make this movie work. It's hard not to wonder if some beloved characters are going to be omitted from the movie or even combined, which might not be all that effective.