Shuvrajit Das Biswas
Stephen King is popularly called the ‘king of horror’. Having grown up with an absentee father, King’s childhood was one of financial constraint. There are suggestions that the master of supernatural fiction might have been affected by the devastating memory of his friend getting hit by a train, during his childhood. Many who have followed King’s life closely have been quick to point out that this must have psychologically impacted the great author and inspired some of his darker works. It is important to note though, that King himself never cites this incident as a monumental part of his life. Instead, he credits H.P. Lovecraft’s ‘The Lurker at the Threshold’ as the book that made him feel that horror was his true calling.
Although he graduated from the University of Maine with a Bachelor of Arts in English, King went on to hold various jobs as a janitor, a gas pump attendant and a worker at an industrial laundry in order to pay for his studies. Notably, the fourth novel written by Stephen King was the first to be published. It was ‘Carrie’ that made King a name to be reckoned with in the horror genre. There was no looking back as King churned out a few more hits like ‘The Shining‘ and ‘Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption’.
Obviously, film lovers must be aware that all these works of Stephen King were also made into movies. King is perhaps one of the most prolific writers whose works more often than not get made into movies and television shows. So now you must be wondering what is the next Stephen King movie or TV show? Well, here’s the list of upcoming Stephen King films and TV shows scheduled to release in 2019 and 2020. We can only hope that the latest Stephen King movies would be as good as some of his recent ones.
17. Doctor Sleep (2019)
‘Doctor Sleep’ is an upcoming horror movie based on Stephen King’s 2013 novel of the same name. It is a sequel to ‘The Shining’ and the story chronicles the life of Danny Torrance, who is an adult now. His psychic abilities are put to test by a new supernatural threat. We see Danny team up with a young girl who has supernatural powers and in the battle that ensues, Danny must face the ghosts from his past and the evil in the present. Ewan McGregor plays the role of Danny and the film is directed by Mike Flanagan, who is no stranger to horror and has titles like ‘The Haunting of Hill House‘ and ‘Oculus’ under his belt. The film is due to be released on November 8, 2019.
16. It Chapter Two (2019)
‘It Chapter Two‘ is the sequel to the 2017 film ‘It‘. Obviously, the movie is based on Stephen King’s novel. The premise of the sequel is set 27 years after the events unfolded in ‘It’ and the Losers Club managed to defeat Pennywise the demonic clown. They made a promise to return if the clown ever returned. A devastating phone call brings the entire gang back together in Derry. This time, the Losers Club members are grown up and are prepared to kill Pennywise once and for all. The movie is slated to release on September 6, 2019.
15. In The Tall Grass (2019)
‘In The Tall Grass’ is an upcoming Netflix horror film that is based on the 2017 book of the same name written by Stephen King and his son Joe Hill. The movie is about two siblings who hear a young boy’s cry for help. They venture into an enormous field of tall grass in Kansas, but soon realize that there is no way out, and something evil lurks in the grass. Patrick Wilson stars in the movie, which is slated to release on October 4, 2019.
14. Creepshow (2019)
‘Creepshow’ is an upcoming television series that will air on Shudder. A premiere date has been set for September 26, 2019. It is a continuation of the first two films of the ‘Creepshow’ franchise. The upcoming series will have six episodes and two horror stories per episode. The Creep will once again tell audiences the dark and grim horror stories from the pages of the ‘Creepshow’ comic book. It is a revival of Stephen King and George Romero’s horror anthology. King’s story ‘Gray Matter’ and his son Joe’s tale, ‘By the Silver Water of Lake Champlain’ are going to be adapted for the series. It is unclear if King himself will be appearing in the show.
13. Castle Rock (2019)
‘Castle Rock‘ holds a very special place on this list because it is not completely based on any one of Stephen King’s works. Yet the Hulu series is a treat for anyone who loves King’s universe since the psychological horror anthology combines various characters and iconic locations from King’s universe. The upcoming season will focus on a war between two feuding clans which will be heightened when Annie Wilkes, Stephen King’s nurse from hell, gets waylaid in Castle Rock. Season 2 was announced way back in August 2018, but since shooting began rather late, we expect the show to drop by the end of 2019 at the earliest.
12. The Outsider (2020)
‘The Outsider’ is an upcoming miniseries on HBO that is based on Stephen King’s novel of the same name. As is King’s style, the story puts a monstrous twist in what seems like a straightforward murder investigation. We are introduced to Ralph Anderson, a police detective who has to carry out an investigation in the fictional Oklahoma town, Flint City. It turns out that Terry Maitland, a locally well-liked man is guilty of the malicious murder of an 11-year-old boy. The local populace is shocked but despite the mounting DNA and forensic evidence against Maitland, he keeps protesting his innocence. When his alibi about being at a conference at the time of murder checks out, the murder investigation takes a shocking turn towards the supernatural. The series is slated to air sometime in 2020.
11. The Dark Tower (TBA)
‘The Dark Tower’ is an upcoming Amazon series that is based on Stephen King’s book series of the same name. Although the plan was to first have the show set as a prequel to the 2017 movie of the same name, the failure of the film compelled a change of plans. Now the series is being developed as an independent project that will follow the early days of the Man in Black and the Gunslinger.
According to reports, the showrunner has spoken about the series, saying, “I’ve been a Stephen King fan for decades, and the opportunity to adapt The Dark Tower as a TV series is a great honor. The events of ‘The Gunslinger’, ‘Wizard and Glass’, ‘The Wind Through the Keyhole’, and other tales need a long format to capture the complexity of Roland’s coming of age — how he became the Gunslinger; how Walter became the Man in Black; and how their rivalry cost Roland everything and everyone he ever loved. I could not be more excited to tell this story. It feels like being given the key to a treasure chest. And oh yeah, we’ll have billy-bumblers!”
10. The Long Walk (TBA)
Did you know that Stephen King often wrote under the pseudonym, Richard Bachman? ‘The Long Walk’ is a dystopian novel from the author that is being adapted into a movie. André Øvredal of ‘Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark’ is helming the project. The story takes place in the future. 100 teenage boys are part of an annual competition called ‘The Long Walk’. The rules are simple. They have to maintain a speed of above 4 miles per hour, and if they get three warnings in one hour, they are shot dead. The last one walking can get whatever he wants for the rest of his life. The boys form deep bonds despite these circumstances, knowing that the survival of their friends is a threat to their own.
9. The Tommyknockers (TBA)
‘The Tommyknockers’ was already made into a miniseries back in 1993, but might now be made into a film. It is based on Stephen King’s novel of the same name. The plot chronicles the incidents in the town of Maine, where the residents fall under the influence of a dangerous gas that gets unearthed from a spacecraft. The gas gives them special abilities but also makes them violent. One of the people involved with the project said, “It is an allegorical tale of addiction (Stephen was struggling with his own at the time), the threat of nuclear power, the danger of mass hysteria, and the absurdity of technical evolution run amuck. All are as relevant today as the day the novel was written. It is also a tale about the eternal power of love and the grace of redemption.”
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8. Suffer the Little Children (TBA)
‘Suffer the Little Children’ is based on the Stephen King short story of the same name, although the title is taken from the Bible when Jesus expressed to his disciples that he wished to interact with children rather than be shielded from them. The story follows a first-grade school teacher who believes her students might not be actually humans when she begins noticing strange traits. She notices a strange texture lurking underneath the students’ skins, and there is some weird secrecy in the way they play. Compounded with the mysterious deaths, she begins to suspect something is afoot. A short film was made on ‘Suffer the Little Children’, which came out in 2015.
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7. The Stand (TBA)
‘The Stand’ is an upcoming television series that is based on the 800 page novel of the same name, written by Stephen King. King is also slated to write the series finale of the show giving it a different ending from the source material. ‘The Stand’ chronicles the events before, during and after an earth-shattering disease manages to kill off 99% of the world’s population. There are new alliances and communities that emerge. One of them is ruled by the saintly Mother Abigail, while a lawless city is ruled by Randall Flag, the Dark Man.
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6. The Gingerbread Girl (TBA)
‘The Gingerbread Girl’ is an upcoming movie based on the heart-pounding Stephen King thriller of the same name. The story first appeared in Esquire and was later added to King’s collection of short stories titled ‘Just After Sunset’. The tale revolves around Emily, who is recovering from a loss and lives in the most secluded stretch of New England. She avoids contact with both her husband and father and channels her grief into regular grueling running sessions. During one of these sessions, she peeks into the driveway of a man called Pickering. This man also enjoys his privacy but the young women he brings home have to suffer the consequences of knowing him. The rest of the story is a cat and mouse chase between the two, and the anticipation of whether Emily will be Pickering’s next victim drives the plot forward.
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5. Drunken Fireworks (TBA)
‘Drunken Fireworks’ is yet another movie that is based on Stephen King’s short story of the same name. The plot follows a mechanic who goes up against a retired mob boss during the Fourth of July fireworks competition. The entire story is set in a small town in Maine. Last we heard, James Franco was attached to play the role of the mechanic.
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4. Joyland (TBA)
‘Joyland’ is based on Stephen King’s novel of the same name. It is being developed into a series. The story follows Devin, a college student who takes up a job at an amusement park in North Carolina. While working there, he has to confront the legacy of a vicious murder and the fate of a child, as his life is changed forever. A person attached to the project commented, “We are honored to be working with Stephen King – a master storyteller who understands the importance of culturally embedded tales that resonate with audiences on a deeply personal level”.
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3. The Jaunt (TBA)
‘The Jaunt’ is an upcoming movie that is based on Stephen King’s short story dealing with teleportation. The premise is set in the future, specifically the 24th century. Jaunting is a teleportation system that allows people to travel to other places immediately. A father explains the ground rules of jaunting to his children and why being anesthetized during the process is important. If one wakes up, bad things happen. We are sure that good things will happen with this movie once it releases.
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2. Hearts (TBA)
‘Hearts’ is a coming of age story that is based on Stephen King’s acclaimed novella ‘Hearts in Atlantis’. Notably, Anthony Hopkins has starred in the 2001 adaptation. However, the new story follows a young male at an all boy’s school during the Vietnam war. It appears as though they have become obsessed with playing Hearts. This leads to destructive tendencies as their world begins to unravel.
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1. Firestarter (TBA)
‘Firestarter’ is a remake of the 1984 film which stars Drew Barrymore. It is based on Stephen King’s sci-fi thriller novel. The story is about a girl who develops powers of pyrokinesis and is abducted by a government agency that wants to use her as a weapon. Fatih Akin, the acclaimed Turkish director, is on board to helm the movie.
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