Which film/tv adaptations were initiated by Stephen himself?

[Gerald]

Usually a director or producer (or someone who is both), reads a book or story and then likes it enough to want to adapt it. I suppose he then proposes it to Stephen who can say yes or no, and sometimes come onboard as a (executive) producer.

But in the case of The Shining mini-series I understand this was something he wanted himself, because he wasn't satisfied with the Kubrick version.
But is The Shining the only one that he started himself or are there more? How did it go with Storm of the Century, Rose Red and Sleepwalkers, which were directly written as screenplays and not novels?

What I'm wondering is: which movies exist because he wanted them to, apart from the ones other people wanted to adapt?

 

[Moderator]

The way it most often works with selling the film rights may not answer the question you've asked. When a new book or story is written/published, his film agent gets a copy of the manuscript. In some cases an offer comes after it's been released to the public and in others, the offers have come before if his agent shopped it to the right person. With some of the older stories, it is more likely someone will approach him with a proposal.

The other one that he wanted to do--Kingdom Hospital--wasn't an adaptation of his work. There may be others but they're not coming to mind at the moment.

 

[kingricefan]

The way it most often works with selling the film rights may not answer the question you've asked. When a new book or story is written/published, his film agent gets a copy of the manuscript. In some cases an offer comes after it's been released to the public and in others, the offers have come before if his agent shopped it to the right person. With some of the older stories, it is more likely someone will approach him with a proposal.

The other one that he wanted to do--Kingdom Hospital--wasn't an adaptation of his work. There may be others but they're not coming to mind at the moment.

Marsha, is it true that Christine was optioned by John Carpenter before the book was even finished?

 

[Moderator]

Marsha, is it true that Christine was optioned by John Carpenter before the book was even finished?

That was before my time so would have to ask.

 

[Bev Vincent]

That was before my time so would have to ask.

Here's what I said about that in SK Revisited: Movie rights to Christine were acquired while the book was still in manuscript, and production began four days before the novel’s publication date in 1983.

 

[Moderator]

Here's what I said about that in SK Revisited: Movie rights to Christine were acquired while the book was still in manuscript, and production began four days before the novel’s publication date in 1983.

Thanks, Bev! That saved me some time.

 

[kingricefan]

Here's what I said about that in SK Revisited: Movie rights to Christine were acquired while the book was still in manuscript, and production began four days before the novel’s publication date in 1983.

Thanks Bev! I couldn't quite remember if the film rights were acquired before it was finished or before publication. I'm gettin' old, doncha know....

 

[AchtungBaby]

I wonder if that's why Christine (the novel) feels so rushed....

Say sorry, but I'm rereading it now, and... ugh.

 

[GNTLGNT]

 

[Doc Creed]

I wonder if that's why Christine (the novel) feels so rushed....

Say sorry, but I'm rereading it now, and... ugh.

Wow, why didn't you like it? I know we all have our pros and cons for different novels. I didn't like Rose Madder. I think we both have championed the merits of The Tommyknockers, though.

 

[AchtungBaby]

Wow, why didn't you like it? I know we all have our pros and cons for different novels. I didn't like Rose Madder. I think we both have championed the merits of The Tommyknockers, though.

I don't like Dennis (the narrator). He's just not fun to read about. Leigh is basically a big nothing as a character. The switch from 1st person POV to 3rd. Etc

 

[kingricefan]

I wonder if that's why Christine (the novel) feels so rushed....

Say sorry, but I'm rereading it now, and... ugh.

It's not one of my favs either. When it was released I felt that he was trying to go after a younger fan base again (after all, most of us were in our teens when we first started reading Carrie, The Shining, etc.) and I felt he was selling out. But, upon my 1st re-read I felt it was a better novel than I thought. I'd say it's in my top 40.

 

[Doc Creed]

It's not one of my favs either. When it was released I felt that he was trying to go after a younger fan base again (after all, most of us were in our teens when we first started reading Carrie, The Shining, etc.) and I felt he was selling out. But, upon my 1st re-read I felt it was a better novel than I thought. I'd say it's in my top 40.

Same for me. Reading it again at 38 was an entirely new perspective. I loved the characters, the locale, and the depiction of being tormented in high school (who can't relate to that?), and then there's the car herself, blasting all those ghostly songs...
I'd rank it a little higher.

 

[Gerald]

The way it most often works with selling the film rights may not answer the question you've asked. When a new book or story is written/published, his film agent gets a copy of the manuscript. In some cases an offer comes after it's been released to the public and in others, the offers have come before if his agent shopped it to the right person. With some of the older stories, it is more likely someone will approach him with a proposal.

The other one that he wanted to do--Kingdom Hospital--wasn't an adaptation of his work. There may be others but they're not coming to mind at the moment.

Thanks! So basically only The Shining mini-series and Kingdom Hospital were ones he really wanted himself, I assume.

But in the case of Rose Red, Storm of the Century and Sleepwalkers, which weren't books, did they approach him first to come up with something, or did he just write those as screenplays not knowing if they ever got made?

 

[DiO'Bolic]

Maximum Overdrive.

 

[Moderator]

Thanks! So basically only The Shining mini-series and Kingdom Hospital were ones he really wanted himself, I assume.

But in the case of Rose Red, Storm of the Century and Sleepwalkers, which weren't books, did they approach him first to come up with something, or did he just write those as screenplays not knowing if they ever got made?

Rose Red came out of a project he was working on with Steven Spielberg that never got off the ground and I believe his agent shopped that after he wrote it. I'm only 99% sure but I don't think either of the others were done to spec as that isn't something he usually does. There are always exceptions, though. Maybe Bev Bev Vincent has an answer for this, too.

 

[Bev Vincent]

Rose Red came out of a project he was working on with Steven Spielberg that never got off the ground and I believe his agent shopped that after he wrote it. I'm only 99% sure but I don't think either of the others were done to spec as that isn't something he usually does. There are always exceptions, though. Maybe Bev Bev Vincent has an answer for this, too.

The only other I can think of, perhaps, is The Golden Years? I don't really recall the circumstances surrounding how it came to be.

 

[Moderator]

The only other I can think of, perhaps, is The Golden Years? I don't really recall the circumstances surrounding how it came to be.

Completely forgot about that one. My memory is fuzzy on that, too.

 

[César Hernández-Meraz]

the depiction of being tormented in high school (who can't relate to that?)

I can't, thank God.

Sometimes I wonder if bullying has become more common in Mexico after it started being mentioned everywhere, even using the word in English instead of the one we had always used in Spanish. So now kids get easy access to examples of bullying and have a "cool" word for it.

 

[kingricefan]

Completely forgot about that one. My memory is fuzzy on that, too.

Step away from the bottle, Marsha. Indeed, I forgot about the Golden Years gem myself!