Stephen Kinghas seen his stories going through something of a renaissance regarding big and small screen adaptations in the last decade. From the successes ofITandPet Semetaryon the big screen, to the slightly lacking TV remake ofThe Stand, there is no doubt that the work of Stephen King is big business, whether it is a new adaptation or the reimagining of an old movie. With a new take onFirestarterimminent, a prequel toPet Semetaryin the works, and another remake ofSalem’s Lotalso coming soon, it is not surprising that the author himself has had a few words to say on which of his previous movies he wouldn’t like to see ever be remade.
King recently answered some questions put to him by the localBangor Daily News, who questioned him on some of the upcoming movies that are on the way. While King seems to be very pleased with the remake ofFirestarter,noting that the cast and focus of the Blumhouse release is much better than the 1984 version which starred Drew Barrymore and George C. Scott, when asked which of his movies he believes can’t be improved on, he had a definite answer.
“I wouldn’t care to see Shawshank or “The Green Mile” remade, and I’m doubtful about the proposed “Christine” remake.”
It was announced in June last year that Sony Pictures and Blumhouse are bringing a new version ofChristineto the big screen with Bryan Fuller writing and directing. The original 1983 John Carpenter movie is considered one of the better movies adapted from King’s work, so it is easy to see why he would be apprehensive about a new version coming along and believing it can bring anything new to the party.
Some Stephen King Movies Do Not Need Remakes
The Shawshank Redemptionhas a unique position in film history. The Frank Darabont-directed film was released in 1994 and starred Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins as inmates at Shawshank Prison. Originally a flop at the box office, the movie has gone on to be regarded as one of the greatest movies ever made, constantly finding itself taking the top spot on public-voted greatest movie lists. In contrast,The Green Milewas released in 1999, once again under the direction of Frank Darabont and starring Tom Hanks and Michael Clarke Duncan, to great acclaim and massive success at the box office. With this in mind, it is no wonder that King doesn’t want either movie to be remade.
However, he is not adverse to some of his adaptations being given a makeover and was a big fan of the movie version ofIT,which was not constrained by the same rules the 1990 TV mini-series starring Tim Curry had to play by. King also noted that he is “hopeful” that the upcoming movie version ofSalem’s Lotwill followITin providing a solid adaptation that can push boundaries the original David Soul-starring TV adaptation and the 2004 mini-series starring Rob Lowe and Donald Sutherland couldn’t.
With many first time adaptations such asThe Boogeyman, Mr. Harrigan’s Phoneand the long-awaited TV series based onThe Talismanin the works at Netflix, the Stephen King bandwagon still has plenty of steam left in it, and for fans of his work, that can only mean good things coming in future.
