10 Times Writers Hated The Movie Versions Of Their Work

Regarded by many as one of Kubrick's greatest works and even as one of the very best ever Stephen King adaptations, The Shining isn't quite so beloved by its original author. Stephen King was famously very unhappy with all the changes made to his story.

The original novel explores Jack Torrance's past quite deeply, fleshing him out as a fully-rounded character with a troubled past and an addictive personality. Jack is a man who wants to be a good father but finds himself succumbing to dark influences, whereas the film version shows him as being a bit of a psycho right from the off. King was also unhappy with the depiction of Wendy, which he described as being extremely misogynistic.

Overall, he felt that the cold, distant feel of theme alienated the viewer and took a lot away from the story he wrote, which explored issues of alcoholism and the breakdown of familial relationships. He was so annoyed that he actually wrote and helped make a TV mini-series of The Shining in 1997. It didn't get great reviews but was much more faithful to the source material.