Stephen King is one of the most frequently adapted authors in film and television history, with these projects garnering wide acclaim for several decades. Brian De Palma’s adaptation of King’s debut novel, Carrie, created a legendary horror sequence in 1976 when Sissy Spacek was drenched in pig’s blood. In 1980, Stanley Kubrick directed The Shining with a visually stunning yet off-kilter take on King’s novel. Ten years later, Misery won Kathy Bates an Academy Award for her chilling performance as an obsessed literary fan, with other successful King adaptations including Stand By Me, Green Mile, and The Shawshank Redemption.
Recent years have seen a resurgence in King adaptations, with Andy Muschietti’s It (2017) and It Chapter Two (2019) revitalizing the horror franchise as Bill Skarsgård took on the role of the killer clown Pennywise. Despite its box office struggles, Doctor Sleep (2019), a sequel to Kubrick’s 1980 film, received positive reviews for its faithful adaptation of King’s novel. Most recently, Oz Perkins adapted King’s short story The Monkey with Theo James pulling double duty as the cursed twins Hal and Bill. Perkins’ darkly comedic film adaptation became the highest-grossing horror movie of 2025.
Netflix Is Adapting King’s 1981 Novel
Cujo Is Preparing To Meet The Big Screen Once Again
King’s chilling 1981 novel Cujo is set to receive a fresh adaptation on Netflix. The story centers on a once-friendly Saint Bernard named Cujo who, after being bitten by a rabid bat, becomes a relentless killer. The situation escalates when Donna Trenton and her young son, Tad, find themselves trapped in their malfunctioning car, facing the terrifying Cujo under the scorching sun. The Cujo adaptation from 1983, directed by Lewis Teague and starring Dee Wallace as Donna, deviated from King’s original ending, opting for a less grim conclusion.
According to ᴅᴇᴀᴅline, Netflix has secured a deal to transform King’s bestselling horror novel Cujo into a new feature film. Roy Lee, known for his work on Barbarian and Strange Darling, is set to produce, with the project currently seeking writers. Considering that Teague’s adaptation was relatively faithful to the novel, Lee’s adaptation could include King’s original Cujo ending where Tad dies of a heatstroke, or have more of an emphasis on Cujo’s canine perspective.
Our Take On Cujo’s Netflix Adaptation
A Brutal And Unforgiving End Could Set This Remake Apart
Netflix’s Cujo has the opportunity to carve its own path, perhaps by providing a deeper dive into the canine’s crumbling psyche. Its 1983 counterpart was a relatively faithful adaptation of the novel, but the audience response was mixed, receiving a 60% critic and 46% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. With Lee on board, Netflix’s Cujo remake could be an unflinching adaptation of the novel’s tragic ending, offering audiences a more ruthless—and therefore more accurate—take on one of King’s most claustrophobic and distressing horror stories.
Source: ᴅᴇᴀᴅline
