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Killer clowns, haunted hotels, and murderous trucks. When you begin a Stephen King story, there is no telling what horrors await you. King is one of the most prominent contemporary authors, with a reputation for writing chilling horror tales, thrilling page-turners, and heartbreaking dramas. His bibliography is so impactful that many of his novels have been adapted into films and television projects. Wouldn’t it be fun to watch all of King’s adaptations in order? Keep in mind there are about 70 and counting. Don’t worry, Popverse has you covered. Just follow this handy guide, and we’ll tell you everything you need to know about watching Stephen King’s films and television projects in order.

How to watch Stephen King’s movies in release order

If you want to watch all of Stephen King’s films in order, here’s how to do it. Please note, this list covers theatrical films, television movies, and television mini-series based on King’s work. It also covers original screenplays King has written, or developed stories for. Television shows will be covered in another section of this guide. In addition, this watch order does not include film sequels, unless the sequel is based on a Stephen King novel. As such, projects like Pet Sematary Two and The Rage: Carrie 2 are not included (but feel free to watch them anyway).

• Carrie (1976 film)
• Salem’s Lot (1979 television mini-series)
• The Shining (1980 film)
• Creepshow (1982 film)
• Cujo (1983 film)
• The Dead Zone (1983 film)
• Christine (1983 film)
• The Children of the Corn (1984 film)
• Firestarter (1984 film)
• Cat’s Eye (1985 film)
• Silver Bullet (1985 film)
• Stand by Me (1986)
• Maximum Overdrive (1986 film)
• Creepshow 2 (1987 film)
• The Running Man (1987)
• Pet Sematary (1989 film)
• Tales from the Darkside: The Movie (1990 film)
• Graveyard Shift (1990 film)
• It (1990 television mini-series)
• Misery (1990 film)
• Sometimes They Come Back (1991 television film)
• Golden Years (1991 television mini-series)
• The Lawnmower Man (1992 film)
• The Dark Half (1993 film)
• The Tommyknockers (1993 television mini-series)
• Needful Things (1993 film)
• The Shawshank Redemption (1994 film)
• The Stand (1994 television mini-series)
• The Mangler (1995 film)
• Dolores Claiborne (1995 film)
• The Night Flier (1997 film)
• Trucks (1997 television film)
• Quicksilver Highway (1997 television film)
• The Shining (1997 television mini-series)
• Apt Pupil (1998 film)
• The Green Mile (1999 film)
• Storm of the Century (1999 television mini-series)
• Hearts in Atlantis (2001 film)
• Carrie (2002 television film)
• Rose Red (2002 television film)
• Dreamcatcher (2003 film)
• Secret Window (2004 film)
• Riding the Bullet (2004 film)
• Salem’s Lot (2004 television mini-series)
• Desperation (2006 television film)
• 1408 (2007 film)
• The Mist (2007 film)
• Children of the Corn (2009 television film)
• Dolan’s Cadillac (2009 film)
• Bag of Bones (2011 television mini-series)
• Carrie (2013 film)
• Mercy (2014 film)
• A Good Marriage (2014 film)
• Big Driver (2014 television film)
• Cell (2016 film)
• 11.22.63 (2016 television mini-series)
• The Dark Tower (2017 film)
• It (2017 film)
• Gerald’s Game (2017 film)
• 1922 (2017 film)
• Pet Sematary (2019 film)
• In The Tall Grass (2019 film)
• Doctor Sleep (2019 film)
• It Chapter Two (2019 film)
• Children of the Corn (2020 film)
• The Stand (2020 television mini-series)
• Lisey’s Story (2021 television mini-series)
• Firestarter (2022 film)
• Mr. Harrigan’s Phone (2022 film)
• The Boogeyman (2023 film)

Upcoming films

The following films are currently in development. Some of them are new versions of previously adapted projects. As it goes with Hollywood, some of these will be made, while others might get cancelled.

• Salem’s Lot
• Billy Summers
• Christine
• Elevation
• Fairy Tale
• From a Buick 8
• The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon
• The Life of Chuck
• The Little Green God of Agony
• The Running Man
• Throttle
• The Long Walk

Has Stephen King acted in any movies?

Stephen King is more than an author. The legendary writer has also dabbled in acting. While he hasn’t appeared in as many films as Tom Hanks or Leonardo DiCaprio, King has enjoyed a few cameo appearances over the years. While some of the productions are adapted from his novels, King has also lent his talents to other projects. See if you can spot Stephen King in the following films and television shows.

• Knightriders (1981 film) – Hoagie Man
• Creepshow (1982 film) – Jordy Verrill
• Maximum Overdrive (1986 film) – Man at Bank ATM
• Creepshow 2 (1987 film) – Truck Driver
• Pet Sematary (1989 film) – The Minister
• Golden Years (1991 television mini-series) – Bus Driver
• Sleepwalkers (1992 film) – The Cemetery Caretaker
• The Stand (1994 television mini-series) – Teddy Weizak
• The Langoliers (1995 television mini-series) – Tom Tolby
• Thinner (1996 film) – The Pharmacist
• The Shining (1997 television mini-series) – Cage Creed
• Storm of the Century (1999 television mini-series) – Reporter
• The Simpsons “Insane Clown Poppy” (2000 television episode) – Himself
• Frasier “Mary Christmas” (2000 television episode) – Brian
• Rose Red (2002 television mini-series) – Pizza Delivery Man
• Kingdom Hospital (2004 television series) – Johnny B. Goode
• Fever Pitch (2005 film) – Himself
• Diary of the Dead (2007 film) – Newsreader
• Sons of Anarchy “Caregiver” (2010 television episode) – Bachman
• Stuck in Love (2012 film) – Himself
• Under the Dome “Heads Will Roll” (2014 television episode) – Customer
• Mr. Mercedes “People in the Rain” (2017 television episode) – Customer
• It Chapter Two (2019 film) – Shopkeeper
• The Stand “The House of the Dead” (2021 television episode) – Man on Hemingford Home Poster
• Duncanville “That Jing You Do” (2021 television episode) – Himself

How many movies did Stephen King write?

This is a difficult question to answer, because it really depends on your criteria. Do we count every film based on a Stephen King story, or only films he personally scripted? Some of his novels, like Carrie, have been adapted twice. Should that count as two separate films? What about television projects?

In order to come up with this answer, I’ve decided to go with any film or television mini-series that is based off of a Stephen King story. In other words, the first section of the guide. If a novel was adapted twice, then it counts as two separate films, because in the end it resulted in two unique releases.

Going by that criteria, Stephen King has written at least 70 films as of January 2024. Multiple King projects are released each year, so expect that number to grow.

What is Stephen King’s favorite movie based on one of his stories?

Stephen King has had mixed opinions on the way Hollywood has adapted some of his novels. Some projects have impressed him, while others have left him cold. For example, he has regularly criticized Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining (see next section), despite the film’s critical and commercial success. With that in mind, which film adaptation is King’s favorite?

According to a Deadline interview, King named The Shawshank Redemption and Stand By Me as his two favorites. He praised Frank Darabont’s directing on The Shawshank Redemption and said that Rob Reiner’s Stand By Me captured the spirit King had been going for.

What is Stephen King’s scariest movie?

Which Stephen King film is the scariest? The question is subjective, so it’s impossible to give any scientific answer. However, it is worth noting that The Shining has taken the number one spot on various ‘scariest movie’ polls. Based on King’s 1977 novel, The Shining is about a family who becomes caretakers for a haunted hotel. The Stanley Kubrick directed film has many memorable scenes, including an iconic moment where blood pours from an open elevator. Jack Nicholson’s chilling performance went a long way in cementing the film’s reputation as a classic.

Despite its success, King was not a fan of Kubrick’s film. King felt that Kubrick had misunderstood the character of Jack Torrance, losing a pivotal character arc. King has also stated that Kubrick changed some of the novel’s central themes. In the book, King wanted to focus on ghosts haunting good people, whereas the movie portrayed Jack Torrance as a twisted man who descended further into darkness.

Has Stephen King done any television work?

Stephen King has also written and developed a number of television projects. In some cases King has come on to write for a single episode, and in other cases he’s helped develop a series from the ground up. Some of the shows also serve as ongoing adaptations of King’s novels. Here’s a breakdown of Stephen King’s television work.

• Tales From the Darkside “The Word Processor of the Gods” (1984 television episode)
• The Twilight Zone “Gramma” (1986 television episode)
• Tales from the Darkside “Sorry, Right Number” (1987 television episode)
• Monsters “The Moving Finger” (1991 television episode)
• The Outer Limits “The Revelations of Becka Paulson” (1997 television episode)
• Woh (1998 television series)
• The X-Files “Chinga” (1998 television episode)
• The Dead Zone (2002-2007 television series)
• Kingdom Hospital (2004 television series)
• Nightmares & Dreamscapes (2006 television series)
• Haven (2010-2015 television series)
• Under the Dome (2013-2015 television series)
• The Mist (2017 television series)
• Mr. Mercedes (2017-2019 television series)
• Creepshow (2019 television series)
• The Outsider (2020 television series)
• Chapelwaite (2021 television series)

Where can I watch Stephen King’s films?

If you are subscribed to any streaming service, chances are it has at least one of Stephen King’s films. As of this writing, Netflix is the streaming home for Mr. Harrigan’s Phone, In the Tall Grass, 1922, Gerald’s Game, and Stand by Me. Max is currently the streaming home for Carrie (1976), Carrie (2013), Cujo, and Pet Sematary. The Shining is currently available to stream for free on Sling. The original It mini-series is available to stream on Tubi. It’s important to remember that some of these films may wind up on different services once their streaming licenses expire. If you want to purchase digital copes, the films are available to rent or buy from a variety of video-on-demand platforms, including Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play Video, and Vudu.

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