Kinda sad, isn't it -- no one asks constant reader what King books we'd like to see brought to the big screen. Instead we have to stomach a parade of remakes. News of a Pet Sematary remake is alive once again, and an IT remake, and a trilogy promised of The Stand, and a Running man remake, and there was that recent Carrie remake, and let's not forget the Salem's Lot remake and then there was that dreadful Children of the Corn remake (shiver.)
We cringe at a lot of these remakes because they are just so unnecessary. I'll watch them, and probably enjoy them, all the while wondering what happened to Cell, From a Buick 8, Rose Madder, and all those gems in Four Past Midnight. It seems someone buys the rights, and then they disappear into a dark hole.
So, here's my top 10 list of Stephen King adaptations I'd actually like to see:
- The Dark Tower
- 11/22/63
- Eyes of the Dragon
- Duma Key
- Cell
- The Talisman
- A Good Marriage
- 1922
- Doctor Sleep
- The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon
Yes, I do know some of those are actually being made right now.
Remakes I would be just fine with:
IT (ONE season series)
Needful Things (as a mini-series please)
The Running Man
The Tommyknockers
The King adaptation I'm most looking forward to right now:
ReplyDelete11/22/63 (they say J.J. Abrams is producing, I just hope Darabont might direct).
I'd still like to see a Needful Things mini-series (though unless Sutherland returns as Ace Merrill you'd better write or leave the character out of the proceedings).
The King related book I'd like to see adapted into a preferably two to three season series:
Joe Hill's N0S402 (more Christmasland this time, please).
ChrisC
I used to think it was always better to see the movie first and then read the book and for most people that is what I recommend. At least you can enjoy the movie and then when you read the book you can really enjoy the book too. But for me, nowadays, it doesn't matter, I can enjoy the movie and the book and it doesn't matter which I do first.
ReplyDeleteNow as to which book I would like to see turned into a book, I can pick just one very easily. That has to be The Dark Tower. But unlike Ron Howard I don't want it to be a live action movie. I would rather it be done more like "A Scanner Darkly" or just completely animated more like the comic book version of the books. It would give much more freedom to be more like the book and with the technology today they can produce these kinds of movies much more easily than they could as in the days of "Snow White." I think the reason I think I would rather see it animated is I love the art in the books and the comicbook version and that would be a great way to follow through with the evolution of the book as we have seen from print to comic and hopefully to the screen. What makes King a great writer is not so much the story though he does that well, but it's the characters. They are always familiar to me. That makes me care about them and believe the story they live out in the books.
I'd love to see a well done Talisman/Black House adaptation. It's a classic hero quest and there is so much potential there.
ReplyDeleteOF COURSE 11/22/63 !!! How did I forget the one I'm most looking forward to! Changing my list.
ReplyDeleteWhat about The Long Walk? Long overdue.
ReplyDeleteI'm still doing my re-read project but I've already got pages up for Strawberry Spring, Gray Matter, The Boogeyman and Jerusalem's Lot, which I've recommended be renamed Chapelwaite in film form. Each would make a very good movie.
ReplyDeleteI'd agree with all your suggestions, as well as I'd like to see Salem's Lot done as a big screen film, Bag of Bones on the big screen (I believe it can be done!), as well as Hearts in Atlantis...and actually adapting Hearts in Atlantis as opposed to adapting Low Men in Yellow Coats and calling it the wrong name.