The Long Walk and 4 Other Most Anticipated Stephen King Adaptation
It's time to get your calendars ready.
Stephen King continues to hold the title of the most frequently adapted writer of the last century. Currently, more than a dozen films and series based on his books are in development, though some have stalled at the announcement stage.
1. The Life of Chuck
Release Date: June 6, 2025
The Life of Chuck is a nostalgic novel about death in which the mystical and dystopian genres converge. While working on the film, director Mike Flanagan was inspired by Rob Reiner's drama Stand by Me, based on Stephen King's short story The Body, considered one of King's saddest works.
The lead role in Life of Chuck was played by the flexible actor Tom Hiddleston, which is especially important because, according to the plot, the main character loves performing Michael Jackson's moonwalk.
2. The Long Walk
Release Date: September 12, 2025
The Long Walk is directed by Francis Lawrence, creator of The Hunger Games franchise and Constantine.
The film is set in the near future. One hundred teenagers participate in an annual competition called The Long Walk. Participants must walk the entire route without stopping for even a minute; resting is prohibited, even at night. Anyone who breaks the rules will be sentenced to death on the spot.
3. The Running Man
Release Date: November 7, 2025
The novel The Running Man, published by Stephen King under the pseudonym Richard Bachman, was first adapted into a film in 1987, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and directed by Paul Michael Glaser.
In 2021, director Edgar Wright expressed interest in creating a new adaptation of the novel.
The book tells the story of a deadly competition in which participants risk their lives for a large cash prize. In the film, Glen Powell plays a man whose daughter is sick and who enters the deadly competition to pay for her expensive surgery.
4. IT: Welcome to Derry
Release Date: 2026
The incredible success of the It duology inspired Andrés and Barbara Muschietti to create a prequel series that will reveal more about the origins of the clown Pennywise and the history of the fictional city of Derry.
It's important to note that King never wrote a prequel to It, and he has no creative control over Welcome to Derry. According to Muschietti, the series' plot is based on events from the original novel that were not covered in the films.
5. Carrie
Release Date: TBA
Another King series is in the works at Amazon, a development that became known in early April. Apparently, Mike Flanagan's plans include a third film adaptation of the author's debut novel, Carrie.
Brian De Palma's original film, starring Sissy Spacek and John Travolta, was released in 1976. In 2013, Kimberly Peirce directed another Carrie adaptation, starring Chloe Grace Moretz. Peirce also attempted to reinterpret King's prose, but despite decent box office receipts, critics did not like the film.