10 Stephen King Movies Better Suited As TV Series

Many excellent movies have been made from Stephen King’s stories, but some of them would have been even stronger as TV series. King’s work has inspired artists for years, and its popularity has resulted in numerous adaptations for both film and television, with some stories being adapted multiple times.

Many Stephen King stories have been adapted into films, with some becoming classics, while others haven’t quite lived up to expectations. Often, the source material is strong, but the movie format doesn’t fully capture its potential – these stories might have worked better as a TV series. Interestingly, even some of the good Stephen King movies could have been even more impactful if developed as a television show.

Pet Sematary

Published in 1983, Pet Sematary is a novel that has been made into a film twice, in 1989 and again in 2019. The story follows the Creed family as they settle near the town of Ludlow, where their neighbor, Jud Crandall, cautions them about a dangerous highway nearby.

Tragically, the Creeds’ young son is struck and killed by a truck on the highway. Overwhelmed by grief, the father makes the heartbreaking decision to bury his son in the pet cemetery near their home – a place rumored to bring things back to life. However, he’s unprepared for the way his son will return.

The 1989 film adaptation of ‘Pet Sematary’ is considered one of the best Stephen King movies, but the 2019 version is often ranked among the worst. A television series could truly capture the story’s emotional power and complexity, allowing for a deeper look into the experiences and trauma of the Creed family and Jud, as well as the history of the cemetery itself.

Stand By Me

The film Stand By Me is based on Stephen King’s 1982 novella The Body. It tells the story of four young friends in Castle Rock who go on a journey to find the remains of a missing boy. Widely considered one of the greatest Stephen King movie adaptations, the film has even received praise from King himself.

Unlike many of Stephen King’s tales, Stand By Me is a story about growing up, not a horror story. To really explore the characters and make the story even more meaningful, it would be great to have an episode focused on each of their individual lives and challenges. This would help show how complex they are and deepen the emotional impact of the story.

While Rob Reiner’s film is excellent and could work well as a TV series, adapting it might actually diminish its impact.

Doctor Sleep

Published in 2013, Doctor Sleep is a horror novel and a continuation of Stephen King’s famous 1977 book, The Shining. The story, directed by Mike Flanagan, centers on Dan Torrance as an adult, who still deals with the emotional scars of his childhood and his powerful psychic abilities. When a dangerous group with similar powers targets a young girl named Abra, who possesses an exceptionally strong psychic gift, Dan steps in to help, but doing so forces him to face his own troubled history.

Doctor Sleep has a complex story, exploring Dan Torrance’s life after the terrifying events at the Overlook Hotel – including his struggles with addiction and learning to control his psychic abilities. The film also delves into the background of Abra and her family, and the motivations of the villainous True Knot. While Mike Flanagan’s movie is well-made, a television series could have explored these elements in greater depth.

Children of the Corn

“Children of the Corn” is a short story by Stephen King, first published in his 1978 collection Night Shift, and later adapted into a 1984 film. The story centers on a couple, Vicky and Burt, who find themselves stranded in the eerie town of Gatlin after accidentally hitting a child. They soon discover that the town’s children have formed a dangerous cult devoted to a violent god.

Even though the movie “Children of the Corn” had to expand on the original short story, the premise would work really well as a TV series. A show could delve deeper into the history of Gatlin, the children, and the origins of their cult, building more suspense and making Vicky and Burt’s struggle for survival even more intense.

The Long Walk

Published in 1979 under the name Richard Bachman, The Long Walk is a chilling dystopian novel by Stephen King. The story takes place in a future America and centers on Ray Garraty, one of a group of teenage boys who compete in a grueling contest: they must walk continuously until only one remains, with a grand prize awaiting the winner.

The movie adaptation of The Long Walk was a hit in 2025, but I think the story would have worked even better as a TV series. Each episode could have focused on a day or two of the competition, allowing for a more detailed look at the characters—their motivations, personal histories, and the physical and emotional toll the contest takes on them as they become increasingly exhausted and ill.

The Running Man

Ross Feguson /© Paramount Pictures /Courtesy Everett Collection

Published in 1982 and also credited to the author Richard Bachman, The Running Man is a thrilling dystopian novel. The story centers on Ben Richards, who participates in a dangerous game show – the titular Running Man – to earn money for his sick daughter. The premise involves him fleeing from professional killers as part of the show.

While The Running Man has been made into a movie twice—in 1987 and 2025—the story of Ben Richards works better as a TV series. Breaking his desperate fight for survival into episodes would create a more captivating, thrilling, and suspenseful experience, keeping viewers on the edge of their seats and questioning what will happen next, and what is actually true.

Misery

Rob Reiner directed Misery, another film adapted from a Stephen King novel—this one published in 1987. The story centers on novelist Paul Sheldon, who is rescued by his biggest fan, Annie Wilkes, after a car crash. However, Paul soon discovers that Annie’s devotion goes much further than he ever imagined.

Many consider Misery to be a classic horror film and one of Stephen King’s best adaptations, and I think it would translate incredibly well to television. The drawn-out tension of Paul Sheldon’s attempts to escape, and Annie Wilkes’s frightening obsession with keeping him captive, would be even more gripping as a series. However, a TV show would face the difficult task of living up to the brilliance of the original movie directed by Rob Reiner.

Needful Things

Published in 1991, Needful Things is a horror novel that was later made into a movie in 1993. The story is set in the town of Castle Rock, and centers around a strange antique shop called “Needful Things” and its enigmatic owner, Leland Gaunt. Instead of money, Gaunt asks customers to perform small favors in exchange for the items he sells.

The novel Needful Things has a complex plot with many characters caught in a web of events, making it difficult to adapt into a single movie. A TV series, however, could work well by dedicating each episode to a different resident of Castle Rock, allowing for a deeper look into their personal struggles, motivations, and how they connect to the larger story.

Maximum Overdrive

Based on Stephen King’s short story “Trucks,” Maximum Overdrive is the only film he ever directed. The movie takes place in a world where machines come to life and start attacking people after Earth passes through a comet’s tail. Despite having the typical ingredients of a Stephen King tale, Maximum Overdrive is often considered a very poor example of the horror genre.

I think Maximum Overdrive would actually work well as a TV series. If it had a well-written script, talented actors, a consistent style, and skillful directing, it could be a truly unique and frightening show. This feels especially relevant now, as artificial intelligence becomes more prevalent and stories about machines gaining consciousness seem increasingly realistic.

The Dark Tower

The Dark Tower is a series of novels that follows Roland Deschain, a gunslinger, on a journey through a unique world blending fantasy and the American West. He’s searching for the Dark Tower, a central point that holds all realities together. Roland needs to reach it before it falls apart, which would destroy everything. Because the world of The Dark Tower is so intricate and detailed, a single movie couldn’t possibly capture the full story.

Stephen King’s The Dark Tower series is incredibly detailed and has enough story to fill many seasons of television, and a TV adaptation is now more likely than ever. Mike Flanagan announced in 2022 that he secured the rights to develop a show based on the books, potentially giving this beloved series a fresh and improved adaptation soon.

2026-01-10 20:41