1986's so bad, it's good Maximum Overdrive is Stephen King's sole directorial effort, but a lot has changed in 34 years, and it's time he tries again. King has done a lot of things. He's written more than 60 novels and 200 short stories. He's written nearly two dozen screenplays, and holds multiple producer and executive producer credits of various involvement. He's also received many prestigious awards for his writing, including the National Medal of Arts and the National Book Foundation's Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters.
That's all to say that King is quite an accomplished man. Yet, despite how much of his work has been adapted to film, King has only ever directed one movie: Maximum Overdrive, an adaptation of his short story Trucks from the Night Shift collection. With the clout he enjoys in Hollywood, often demanding script approval and director approval for his adaptations, King could surely direct again if he wanted to. That suggests that for whatever reason, he's not interested in doing so.
Considering King's boundless well of creativity, it's a wonder he's never tried putting on the director hat again. While Maximum Overdrive wasn't exactly a hit, not everyone gets directing right on their first attempt, and there's no reason King shouldn't take another stab at it.
Why Stephen King Should Direct Another Movie
To get it out of the way, yes, Maximum Overdrive is a bad movie. It's just silly enough to be fun for those who like less than serious B-movie horror, but it's bad nonetheless. The thing is, Maximum Overdrive likely isn't representative of what today's Stephen King would do as a director. The mid-1980s were a dark time for King, as he struggled with substance abuse issues, including alcohol and cocaine. He's since admitted that he was high as a kite during Maximum Overdrive's production, and not exactly in a great frame of mind. King has been clean and sober for decades now, and it's quite likely a sober King would make much different choices behind the camera than he did in 1986.
King's also, through his roles as writer and producer, spent a lot more time on film sets than he had back then, and it's likely he's picked up a good deal about the directing process through watching it occur. Plus, if he has any questions, King could ask his frequent collaborators Mick Garris or Frank Darabont for pointers. While Maximum Overdrive flopping probably made King hesitant to ever direct again, there's no doubt many constant readers who would be there opening day to see what an older, wiser King would bring to the gig.