Stephen King’s New Horror Movie Hype Ignites Theories The Cycle Adapts One Of His Forgotten Books

Published Sep 5, 2026, 8:00 AM EDT

Zoë Miskelly is an editor and second in command for Screen Rant's Movies team, having covered the entertainment industry for almost 10 years now. Zoë's love of superheroes and all things Marvel & DC started out in childhood, and has blossomed into a career getting to talk about some of the biggest and best movies and shows of all time, having previously focused on comics while working at WhatCulture.

Sign in to your ScreenRant account

Stephen King's newest horror movie recommendation has ignited fan theories that the upcoming film adapts or is inspired by one of his more overlooked supernatural stories, increasing interest in the upcoming release. Thanks to his work creating several of the most famous and iconic horror narratives of all time, Stephen King's praise for a release of any kind tends to be the subject of much excitement for fans and creators alike, especially since the author often has many kind words to say about stories he thinks stand out in various ways.

As such, it's been commonplace for King to advocate for various movies and shows online, both within the world of horror, and outside of this genre as well. That said, the latest project Stephen King has hyped pre-release has led to even more fan excitement as a result of hopes around how it could link to or be inspired by one of King's own works.

This of course has inspired more interest around the movie as well too, with King fans eager to see the film the author has said such promising words about, and to see whether there's any weight to the fan theories that said movie may have some ties to one of Stephen King's own works, intentionally or otherwise.

Stephen King's Praise For The Cycle Has Ignited Fan Theories The Movie Is About Werewolves

Stephen King has been an ambassador for many movies and shows over the years, encouraging others to watch releases he's been a particular fan of, and keeping audiences aware of newer adaptations of his wide range of works over the years. King's newest recommendation has been for that of upcoming horror movie The Cycle, with the author taking to social media to state that:

"I don't usually pump up horror movies (unless they are mine, haha), but this is special. Put it on your calendar."

While this quote suggests the movie is not a direct adaptation of Stephen King's horror novel Cycle of the Werewolf - since it suggests the movie is not his - this has led to theories that the movie draws from the story, due to both the titling of The Cycle, and The Cycle's teaser trailer, which suggests the story may be about werewolves itself in several different ways.

The Cycle's trailer showing shots of a human who looks as though they may be transforming from human form to a much taller and possibly supernaturally enhanced one, the movie's title featuring text that looks as though claws have raked across it, and the story being based around a triple murder case wherein one body appears to have taken a more supernatural-looking shape with sharp teeth all point a certain way for the story.

Indeed, any similarities or inspiration shared between The Cycle and Cycle of the Werewolf would seem to bode well for the upcoming movie, if they are indeed stories that mirror one another in any way.

The Cycle Being About Werewolves Would Make It Very Similar To An Underrated Stephen King Story

Cycle of the Werewolf is one of the less well-known Stephen King stories, with much more attention being given to the likes of IT or The Shining, in part due to their very famous adaptations.

However, Cycle of the Werewolf has some clear appeal, both in that King handles supernatural creatures with aplomb - as evidenced by his work with vampires in the likes of 'Salem's Lot - and in that Cycle of the Werewolf telling a connected narrative via a range of short stories works well and leaves plenty of room for tension to build.

Even if The Cycle doesn't adapt Cycle of the Werewolf, it still seems very possible that it will be a story about werewolves - possibly framed more in terms of unhealthy family cycles, given it's based around the protagonist learning about her father's "dark past", as per the movie's trailer description. If this is the case, the similarities between the two werewolf stories and their focus on protagonists seeking to uncover hidden werewolves would mean The Cycle would be an especially perfect film for Stephen King fans to enjoy, regardless of whether there's an intentional connection between the stories or not.

The Cycle