Stephen King’s most hated horror adaptation is officially getting a new streaming home
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Stephen KingThe extensive collection of stories continues to be translated into film and television at a rapid pace, and the results of late have been mostly positive. Last year, three new, high-profile adaptations of his work hit the screen – Oz Perkins‘ The monkey, Francis Lawrence‘S The long walkAnd Edgar Wright‘S The running man – all of which were largely praised by critics and audiences. However, they also received high praise from the author himself, making it an all-round great year for fans of his novels, especially with Mike Flanaganis much praised The Life of Chuck will also be released in cinemas after its festival premiere in 2024. This is a remarkable achievement considering how widely the three sides can disagree.
A typical example: Stanley Kubrick‘S The shining one. Published in 1980 with Jack Nicholson Starring the Overlook Hotel’s new caretaker, Jack Torrance, the film is considered one of the director’s and the horror genre’s crowning achievements, depicting a father’s horrific descent into madness, whose demons are haunted by the ghosts that haunt the hotel. However, opinions at the time were more mixed, and King himself criticized Kubrick’s work for deviating so much from his original vision. In particular, he expressed his disapproval of Jack’s portrayal, which veered away from his more tragic portrayal as a victim and created a frightening antagonist. His views now stand in contrast to a classic characterized by iconic shots and moments immortalized in cinematic history, from the Steadicam shot of Danny’s ride through the halls of the Overlook to Jack bursting through the bathroom door and the elevator covered in blood.
Now the classic is appearing on HBO Max just in time for Halloween. The shining one will be part of a huge wave of films hitting the platform on October 1st, joining other horror hits next month starting with A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise to the recent return of a horror star, Evil Dead Burn. It’s a fitting home for the iconic film, considering how many King adaptations are available to stream there, including the ones mentioned above Long walk, miseryboth adaptations of It, Brian De Palma‘S Carrieand more. HBO Max is also the exclusive home of the prequel series It: Welcome to Derrywhich has since been renewed for season 2.
Collider Exclusive · 8 questions · 2 minutes What is yours Biggest horror nightmare? Elm Street · Chucky · Scream · The Conjuring
Four horror franchises. Four completely different ways to scare you. You wait until you fall asleep. You make sure no one believes you. One is already in your circle of friends. And one is in the house with your family. Answer eight quick questions about how you actually watch horror and find out which nightmare was made for you.
😴Elm Street(Freddy Krueger)
🧸Chucky(child’s game)
📞Scream(ghost face)
🕯️The incantation(The Warren Files)
01
What horror scene makes you cover your eyes? Four classic images. One of them is worse for you than the others.
02
You are home alone and you hear a noise. First thought? Everyone has one. It comes before you have decided anything.
03
Which horror movie rule would you break first? Everyone thinks they will survive. Almost no one actually does it.
04
Something really scary is happening. What are you doing? Not in a movie. Tonight in your actual living room.
05
How do you actually watch a horror film? Be honest about this. Nobody checks.
06
Someone offers you serious money. What do you still reject? The amount doesn’t matter. There’s one on this list that you don’t do.
07
How do you feel a week after watching the film? Good horror doesn’t end with the credits.
08
Something wakes you up at 3 a.m. What is the worst possibility? After eight questions, this is the question that will decide your nightmare.
The lights just went out Your nightmare is…
Four franchises, four completely different ways to get under your skin. This is based on your particular fear, why it works so well for you, and what it would leave behind.
A Nightmare on Elm Street · Since 1984
Elm Street
Your nightmare isn’t waiting at the door. It’s waiting for you to close your eyes, which you will have to do at some point, because no one has ever won this particular argument.
Freddy is horror’s cruelest idea: a threat that lives in a place you can’t guard, can’t lock, and can’t escape forever.
You’re the one who’s fine during the movie and wide awake at two in the morning. Your own head is where this does its damage.
These films understood exhaustion as a horror engine. The children on Elm Street don’t lose because they are weak. They lose because they are tired.
You can lock every door in the house. You still have to sleep.
Child’s Play · Chucky · Since 1988
Chucky
Your nightmare isn’t really the doll. It’s the face of the person you’re telling, and the way they very kindly decide that you’ve imagined it all.
Chucky works precisely because he is absurd. That’s the trap: the more accurately you describe it, the less likely anyone will believe you.
You’re the one screaming at the screen because the characters aren’t listening. You know this feeling in real life too.
The franchise is at its best when the adults in the room are the real obstacle and you’ve gotten to know those adults.
By the time someone finally believes you, you’ve already mastered most of it on your own.
Scream · Ghostface · Since 1996
Scream
Your nightmare has your number, knows your name, and has almost certainly been to your house before. The worst part is that you already know them.
“Scream” is the only film where the murderer takes off the mask and is revealed to be someone who was at the party.
You are the person who calls out the twist before it happens. You watch people the same way you watch movies.
The franchise has made the rules of horror part of the plot, meaning the survivors are the ones who pay attention. You would pay attention.
Everyone is a suspect, including the person who just offered to walk you home.
The Conjuring · The Warren Files · Since 2013
The incantation
Your nightmare isn’t really about you. It’s about the people sleeping down the hall and the feeling that whatever is here has no interest in leaving.
The Conjuring films are homegrown horror. The house, the family, the ordinary room that quietly no longer feels ordinary.
Your instinct is to get everyone in the same room. Their fear is more protective than personal, which is rarer than it sounds.
This is the only franchise where faith is the weapon. The people who get through this are the ones who are not alone and refuse to be.
Whatever is here didn’t come for you. It came for the household and you are the one standing in the hallway.
The next big Stephen King film adaptation is just around the corner
While HBO Max has a plethora of King films and series to offer in the spooky season, Prime Video will be home to his next big adaptation – Flanagan’s version of Carrie. The series is scheduled to premiere on October 7th Midnight mass The creator’s own interpretation of King’s debut novel in eight episodes. The extended running time takes the titular high schooler into the social media age, a change the author fully praised as separating Flanagan’s approach from De Palma’s. Summer H. Howell leads the cast as Carrie White joins Samantha Sloyan, Siena Agudong, Alison Thornton, Amber Midthunder, Joel Oulette, Josie Totah, Arthur Contiand more.
The shining one Check in on HBO Max on October 1st. Stay tuned here at Collider to learn about all the movies coming in and out of streaming throughout the year.
