Stephen King fans have a lot to look forward to, as three unique movies based on the author’s work will be released this year. King is the second most adapted author of all time, only behind William Shakespeare, so it’s not necessarily a surprise that several movies based on his novels are coming out this year. However, it is interesting that none of these movies are true horror films. Since the author is known as the “King of Horror,” this is surprising, but also exciting since many of the best Stephen King adaptations aren’t horror movies.
The best Stephen King books include It, The Shining, and Salem’s Lot. These have all been adapted into successful horror films, but the author’s non-horror works have also found success. For example, Stand By Me, The Shawshank Redemption, and The Green Mile are three of the highest-rated King movies. Therefore, even though they’re not based on horror novels, I’m still so excited for these upcoming Stephen King movies that will be released this year. The Life of Chuck, The Long Walk, and The Running Man will all be very different from each other and show the range of the author.
The Life Of Chuck, The Long Walk, And The Running Man Are Next Up For King Adaptations
And They All Represent A Different Kind Of King Story
First up is The Life of Chuck, which will begin its wide theatrical run on June 13, 2025 and follow Chuck, a man who is diagnosed with a brain tumor and starts reflecting on his entire life. Instead of focusing on horror, this film will tell a very emotional and uplifting story. Then, later in the year, The Long Walk and The Running Man are two films that will be based on dystopian novels by King. Even though they will both be dystopian movies, The Long Walk and The Running Man will likely have very different tones.
|
Upcoming 2025 Stephen King Movies |
Director |
Release Date |
|---|---|---|
|
The Life of Chuck |
Mike Flanagan |
June 13, 2025 |
|
The Long Walk |
Francis Lawrence |
September 12, 2025 |
|
The Running Man |
Edgar Wright |
November 7, 2025 |
Based on the trailer for The Long Walk, it will be a bleak, disturbing movie that follows 100 young men who will walk along U.S. Route 1 until only one of them is still alive. Meanwhile, The Running Man will likely be more of an action thriller, in which Ben Richards will sign up for a game show and will have to evade hunters who want to kill him to earn money for his family. The author isn’t always ᴀssociated with the action genre, so The Running Man may end up being one of the most unique King adaptations.
2025 Already Produced A Typical King Horror Movie
And It Was A Hit
Based on the premises of the aforementioned movies, it is clear that The Life of Chuck may inspire audiences, The Long Walk will be a disturbing watch, and The Running Man may be a more entertaining action movie that features a bit less tragedy. While The Long Walk may include some elements of horror, it’s also clear that none of these projects are traditional horror movies. This may disappoint some King fans, but a horror movie based on one of the author’s short stories was already released this year.
The Monkey was released in February 2025 and was based on a short story of the same name by the author. Reviews for The Monkey, which follows twin brothers who discover a wind-up monkey which causes the deaths of people around them, were generally positive. Additionally, it was briefly the highest-grossing horror movie of the year until the release of Ryan Coogler’s Sinners. Therefore, King fans who prefer his horror stories already received a solid adaptation earlier this year.
This Is An Exciting Time To Be A Stephen King Fan
There’s Something For Everyone, And Even More On The Way
Since The Life of Chuck, The Long Walk, and The Running Man will all be released this year, now is a very exciting time to be a Stephen King fan. In addition to these projects, It: Welcome to Derry will be releasing on the small screen this summer. This series, which will air on HBO, will see the return of Pennywise the Clown, and adapt some of the chapter interludes that are included in It, which is one of King’s most popular novels.
Projects based on Fairy Tale, Billy Summers, Cujo, and Christine are also in development.
Beyond this year, there are also several very exciting Stephen King projects to look forward to. Mike Flanagan, who directed The Life of Chuck, will continue adapting King’s work after its release. He is developing a Carrie miniseries, as well as a Dark Tower show, which could be the most ambitious King adaption ever. Additionally, projects based on Fairy Tale, Billy Summers, Cujo, and Christine are also in development. Therefore, in addition to The Life of Chuck, The Long Walk, and The Running Man, these upcoming projects prove that it is a great time to be a Stephen King fan.
