We’ve Officially Entered The Golden Era Of Stephen King Adaptations
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The first Stephen King adaptation came out almost half a century ago. It was Brian De Palma's take on Carrie in 1976, which still has an indelible mark on the horror genre. Since then, Stephen King's books have been adapted so many times that there are probably more adaptations of his work than Pennywise's victims.
Despite being such a crucial part of horror's legacy, however, Stephen King's adaptations showed a disappointing trend. Movie adaptations based on books experienced both the highs of being massive hits and the lows of being forgettable misses. His TV adaptations, on the other hand, often struggled to be both critically and commercially successful.
A rare few Stephen King TV series, like The Outsider, 11/22/63, and Mr. Mercedes, have managed to impress viewers and critics in the past. Even fewer shows have managed to return after one season. Fortunately, this disappointing trend is already changing as we are entering a new golden era of Stephen King adaptations.
All 3 Stephen King Shows From The Last 2 Years Have Been Renewed After Season 1
Since the beginning of 2025, three Stephen King shows have hit the small screens: The Institute, It: Welcome to Derry, and Carrie. This is, in itself, a rare feat since there have been fewer TV adaptations of King's works than there have been feature films. Surprisingly, all three shows have managed to perform well enough on streaming to be renewed for another season.
In the current streaming era, shows that do not get enough viewership in their opening seasons rarely get a second chance. Fortunately, for all three adaptations, they shattered the records of their respective platforms, which has paved the way for their upcoming seasons.
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While MGM+'s The Institute earned more of a mixed reception from viewers and critics, It: Welcome to Derry and Carrie largely garnered positive reviews. It: Welcome to Derry even had a record-breaking premiere on HBO, generating 6.5 million U.S. viewers across HBO and Max in just four days after release.
It currently ranks as the Number 3 all-time HBO Max original program, trailing behind massive franchise hits like The Last of Us and House of the Dragon. Mike Flanagan's Carrie on Prime Video, too, racked up 1.26 billion viewing minutes in the U.S. just 5 days after release, ranking it among the streamer's top shows.
All 3 Shows Are Expanding Their Original Stephen King Books’ Stories
What makes MGM+'s The Institute, Prime Video's Carrie, and HBO's It: Welcome to Derry even more fascinating is that they are all highly ambitious adaptations. Both The Institute and Carrie have exhausted their source material's story in season 1, albeit with a few changes. In season 2, both adaptations are set to expand Stephen King's original lore.
Similarly, It: Welcome to Derry is more of an extension of Stephen King's IT, expanding the historical interludes from the original book. It not only adds more depth to Pennywise's cyclical history in Derry, but also cleverly retcons it to connect it to the larger overarching Stephen King universe. In season 2, It: Welcome to Derry will delve deeper into Derry's history and make Pennywise even scarier.
The Institute, Carrie, and It: Welcome to Derry only seems to mark the beginning of a new golden era for Stephen King adaptations on television. With Mike Flanagan set to deliver a multi-season take on The Dark Tower in the near future, TV adaptations of Stephen King's stories will only get better moving forward.
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It: Welcome to Derry
7/10
- Release Date
- October 26, 2025
- Network
- HBO
-
Charlotte Hanlon
-
Jovan Adepo
Leroy Hanlon
It: Welcome to Derry serves as a prequel to the 2017 film It, exploring the sinister history of Derry, Maine. Set in 1962, the series follows a family that relocates to the town amidst unsettling occurrences and the mysterious disappearance of a young boy.
- Directors
- Andy Muschietti
- Writers
- Jason Fuchs, Stephen King, Austin Guzman
- Main Genre
- Horror
- Creator(s)
- Andy Muschietti, Barbara Muschietti, Jason Fuchs
- Executive Producer(s)
- Andy Muschietti, Bárbara Muschietti, Bill Skarsgård, Brad Kane, Dan Lin, Jason Fuchs, Roy Lee, David Coatsworth, Shelley Meals
- Producers
- Anna Beben, Cherie Dimaline, Sarah Rath
- Seasons
- 1
-
Carrie
- Release Date
- 2026 - 2026-00-00
- Network
- Prime Video
-
Summer H. Howell
Carrie White
-
Samantha Sloyan
Margaret White
In this new series adaptation of Stephen King's classic novel, Carrie White struggles through the daily torments of school life, her domineering mother, and a dormant set of telekinetic powers.
- Directors
- Mike Flanagan, Axelle Carolyn, Hiromi Kamata, Kate Siegel, Kyra Sedgwick
- Writers
- Mike Flanagan, Alexandra Magistro, Justina Ireland, Jamie Flanagan, Elan Gale, Rebecca Klingel, Elizabeth Padden, Dani Parker
- Main Genre
- Horror
- Creator(s)
- Mike Flanagan
- Executive Producer(s)
- Mike Flanagan, Stephen King, Trevor Macy
- Producers
- Justin Wagman, Rebecca Klingel, Dani Parker
- Seasons
- 1
-
The Institute, released in 2025, follows 14-year-old genius Luke Ellis, who is kidnapped and wakes up at a mysterious facility filled with children possessing unusual abilities. Meanwhile, Tim Jamieson, a former police officer, seeks a fresh start in a nearby town, inevitably intertwining his fate with Luke's.
- Directors
- Jack Bender, Brad Turner, Jeff Renfroe
- Writers
- Sam Sheridan, Benjamin Cavell, Ed Redlich, Eric Dickinson, Sophie Owens-Bender
- Main Genre
- Thriller
- Creator(s)
- Benjamin Cavell
- Executive Producer(s)
- Benjamin Cavell, Jack Bender, Shane Elrod
- Producers
- Jack Bender, Benjamin Cavell
- Seasons
- 2
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