Stephen King’s Rose Red Is What Haunted House Shows Should Be

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When it comes to ghost stories, few authors deliver chills like Stephen King. He’s created some of the most iconic and frightening tales in the horror genre, including novels like The Shining and Bag of Bones, and the short story “1408.” A less famous King ghost story is the miniseries Rose Red. Though the project went through many changes in its development and execution, it originally began with the involvement of legendary director Steven Spielberg.

Steven Spielberg has a history with horror, famously directing the classic shark thriller Jaws and writing the story for the beloved horror film Poltergeist. He and Stephen King almost worked together on several projects, but their closest attempt was a planned collaboration on the miniseries Rose Red.

Steven Spielberg Approached Stephen King About Writing Rose Red

Steven Spielberg, wanting to create a haunted house story, asked Stephen King to write Rose Red. This came after discussions about adapting The Talisman, a project they’d both considered for years. King initially envisioned Rose Red as his version of The Haunting, updating the classic story—which was itself based on Shirley Jackson’s novel, The Haunting of Hill House—for a modern audience.

I remember hearing about this project years ago. It started with a really interesting concept, and the script was eventually finished. But when Steven Spielberg read it, he and Stephen King just couldn’t quite see eye-to-eye on how it should feel. Spielberg, naturally, leaned towards a more action-packed approach – that’s what he’d had success with. But King, being King, wanted to really lean into the horror. They couldn’t find a middle ground, so they paused the project. Eventually, King bought back the rights in the late ’90s, and it seemed like that was that.

Stephen King revised the script and asked Mick Garris to direct, expanding Rose Red into a miniseries. Garris had worked with King before, notably on the 1997 television version of The Shining. However, a serious car accident that severely injured King temporarily halted work on Rose Red again.

After King recovered, Craig R. Baxley, the director of Action Jackson, took over the project. He would later direct all 13 episodes of Kingdom Hospital. Although his 2002 series, Rose Red, was reasonably well-received, it didn’t achieve the same level of success it might have if Spielberg and King had agreed on the overall feel of the show.

Rose Red Could Have Been Mike Flanagan’s Hill House Decades Earlier

Mike Flanagan’s series is widely considered to have launched the wave of critically acclaimed horror on streaming in the 2010s. His adaptation of Shirley Jackson’s classic novel was genuinely frightening and layered, featuring a fantastic ensemble cast and a contemporary reimagining that felt fresh and distinct from the original 1959 story.

If Spielberg and King had made Rose Red into a movie in the 1990s, it probably would have been very successful – perhaps even more so. By then, Spielberg was already a hugely famous and respected director, so funding, good actors, and getting the movie seen wouldn’t have been problems. The story’s connection to Shirley Jackson’s work and its inspirations have always been clear.

Both Steven Spielberg and Stephen King have achieved great success with film and television adaptations of King’s work. Even beyond the popular TV miniseries of the 1990s and 2000s, his stories continue to be adapted into high-quality shows, such as The Outsider, The Institute, and IT: Welcome to Derry, which have found homes on various streaming platforms.

Despite being in their late 70s, Stephen King and Steven Spielberg still have time to work together. With Netflix planning an adaptation of The Talisman, and King set to publish the third book in the series this year, it’s a great opportunity for Spielberg to revisit the project. A collaboration would be a significant achievement for both of their careers.

Rose Red is available to stream on Hulu.

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2026-05-06 16:10