For nearly fifty years, Stephen King's stories have been a staple of the horror genre. When his first novel, Carrie (1974), was adapted by Brian De Palma in 1976, his works quickly enveloped a large portion of the 1980s horror market. To this day, his novels and films continue to evoke fear in audiences around the world. Despite how often his stories are adapted, King has only directed one film that lives on in infamy: Maximum Overdrive (1986). Regardless of the monumental flop that was his directorial debut, he has the potential to redeem himself by adapting one of his favorite novels.
Stephen King's bibliography contains over 200 titles that range from short stories to novellas and lengthy novels. His most well-known works include Carrie, The Shining (1977), and IT (1986), all of which have been adapted to film at least once. Stanley Kubrick's version of The Shining in 1980 is known as one of King's most detested out of the approximately eighty adaptations of his stories. In countless interviews on the topic, he has discussed that Kubrick went against the original novel's purpose and undid everything he had established for the characters of Jack, Wendy, and Danny Torrance. Despite his disdain for the film, he went on to praise its sequel, Doctor Sleep (2019), for its ability to redeem certain qualities of the 1980 movie.
When his novels are adapted to film, it is common that King's opinion is either entirely supportive or completely disappointed. At the height of his 1980s popularity, he wrote and directed Maximum Overdrive about mechanical objects coming to life to senselessly kill people. It is an overwhelmingly bizarre movie with little to not true plot with an AC/DC soundtrack as its score. According to the documentary film In Search Of Darkness (2019), King using drugs at the time of its creation and doesn't even remember making it. Maximum Overdrive set the precedent for his future in film making, which has been nonexistent as a result. Regardless, he has a keen eye for horror and, if given the opportunity to direct again, he should adapt his favorite novel, Lisey's Story (2006).
Why Stephen King Should Direct Lisey's Story
Lisey's Story follows the titular character and features two stories in one. Half of the novel is told from the perspective of Lisey, while the other is about her husband. After the death of her husband, she is forced to go through every piece of his unpublished writing. The further the story progresses, Lisey begins to uncover several dark secrets about his family. Lisey's Story contains all of King's most popular elements from his horror novels: psychic abilities, a toxic family history, and an author as the central figure.
When King was in a vehicular accident in 1999, he was severely injured. When he arrived home, his wife had reorganized his studio; he was forced to recognize what his life would look like had he passed away as a result of the accident. Lisey's Story represents what King believes his wife would have to face if she were unexpectedly left a widow. While his life is by no means supernatural, the core of the story is the impact his death would have on his family at large. Due to its personal nature, King would be the ideal director to transform it from paper to the big screen. While it is already slated to become a miniseries with J. J. Abrams as the producer, Pablo Larrain is set to direct it. There is a good chance that King may not like this adaptation since it's so dear to him, but he has been enthusiastic about seeing his favorite novel come to life.
Regardless of the fact that Lisey's Story is already in development to become a miniseries, it deserves to have King as a co-director, if not the sole director. His insight and personal connection to the story makes him the ideal candidate to ensure it is told in the ways he intended when writing the book. Stephen King may have failed at his first attempt at directing but, if given the opportunity to do Lisey's Story, he would surely excel at it.