9 Stephen King Adaptations Coming To TV In 2020 And Beyond
From disgusting diseases to creepy cocoons, King has a lot show show us in the next few years.
Stephen King is the master of horror whose stories - whether that's novels, short stories or adaptations - have haunted generation after generation for decades. Somewhat lesser known - or at least typically gaining lesser attention - are the TV adaptations of his work.
There are of course the obvious ones like the original '90s IT mini-series starring the magnificent Tim Curry (which wasn't all that great), or more recently the less-than-stellar Under the Dome and The Mist. Some King TV adaptations even go unnoticed entirely such as Haven, the Syfy show that ran for five seasons which was loosely based on The Colorado Kid.
So you would be forgiven for thinking that Stephen King novels are not suited for television, given that his horror novel adaptations seemingly fail time after time or are only carried by one excellent performance to wade through all the cheese. However, all of that is about to change.
The last few years have seen a boom of popularity for Stephen King adaptations on the big screen with IT Chapter 1 and 2, and Doctor Sleep among others. But what about TV? Can 2020 break the curse? Here are the new and returning shows that could make it so...
9. The Outsider
One of King's most recent novels was quick to be snatched up by HBO and sent straight to series. The Outsider released on 22 May 2018 and was optioned for TV just a month later. The show released on 12 January 2020 and has received rave reviews so far.
The show takes place shortly after the gruesome murder of a young boy in a community where everyone knows everyone. So when multiple witnesses point to the local Little League baseball coach, the community is thrown into outrage. But is he really capable of such a horrible act? and was he even in the area when it happened?
With an incredible cast made up of A-list heavy hitters such as Jason Bateman (Arrested Development, Ozark)and Ben Mendelsohn (Rogue One, Captain Marvel), the show pulses with impeccable performances.
So far The Outsider seems to have beaten the curse, with each episode delivering chapter after chapter of an intriguingly grim story. Hopefully it will stay that way in the coming weeks by providing what King himself always struggles with, a good ending.