10 Horror Movie Franchises Which Got Terribly Adapted TWICE

10. Firestarter

Even though adapting a book is a big gamble, Stephen King's earliest work was met with overwhelming positivity when it transitioned to the big screen. Unfortunately, that winning streak ended in 1984 when we received two botched King adaptations in a row, Firestarter and Children of the Corn (more on that later). 

Though Drew Barrymore's charismatic performance stops Firestarter from being a complete disaster, the film should've been far more gripping considering it revolves around a flame-summoning child, Charlie McGee. Having said that, the 1984 version didn't crash and burn as badly as the 2022 remake, as the relationship between the young pyrokinetic and her father in this version isn't developed enough for viewers to care about them. If the audience doesn't give a damn about the lead characters, that's a really bad sign.

Though the girl's abilities should be awe-inspiring, her displays of power in the remake come across as bland and tepid. Although the idea of a youngster burning everything around her to a crisp is terrifying, there's never any sense of urgency due to the poor performances and sloppy cinematography.

The original mightn't have been great, but 2022's Firestarter is among the worst King adaptations ever.