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- Stand by Me
- Columbia Pictures
For more than 50 years, Stephen King has been terrifying readers with his stories running the gamut from child-eating clowns to telekinetic teens to classic cars with a grudge. And over the years, Hollywood has done its best to make a dollar off these tales by adapting them for the big and small screens. While many have turned into cinematic masterpieces, others… not so much. But almost always, key elements of the original story get left by the wayside in an effort to tell a more film-friendly adaptation.
Here are but a few versions of King stories that made it to Hollywood, but were missing critical details. These are small but significant attributes that could have added a layered nuance to a tale or character if included, and any self-proclaimed King fan should definitely know.
Updated with the backstory of the Marsten House and Barlow's past with the town in the 2024 Salem's Lot adaptation.
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Based on the Book: Cujo (1981)
What's Missing: At the end of the movie, Donna Trenton is able to save her son Tad before he dies of dehydration.
In the book, she isn't as lucky.
After spending days trapped in a Ford Pinto by a rabid St. Bernard, a badly bitten Donna takes her chances with the beast and gets the better of him with a baseball bat. But it's too late. Tad has already succumbed to dehydration and heatstroke.
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Based on the Book: The Shining (1977)
What's Missing: Really, what isn't missing? The film is one of King's top peeves, despite the movie being regarded as a masterpiece. Director Stanley Kubrick altered so much of the original story that King despised the end result.
But the biggest change was the ending, which was the destruction of the Overlook Hotel. Jack Torrance's main function as the caretaker was to "dump" the boiler, which grows too hot and needs someone to manually handle this duty - otherwise it will explode. When Jack loses his mind, he forgets his duties, causing the boiler to erupt, taking Jack and the hotel along with it.
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- Christine
Based on the Book: Christine (1983)
What's Missing: In the book, original owner Roland LeBay was the reason for the disposition of the Plymouth Fury known as Christine; the car was not inherently evil. A nasty piece of work with a mean streak a mile long, Roland had a history of abuse and violent behavior.
As the novel continues, Christine's new owner Arnie Cunningham begins to take on some of LeBay's nastier traits, and even begins to dress like him. It becomes clear that Christine and Arnie are possessed by LeBay's spirit, who might have even sacrificed his family to make the car a totem for his spirit.
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Based on the Short Story: "Children of the Corn" (1977) in the book Night Shift
What's Missing: The movie got a full Hollywood makeover, complete with happy ending. In the original short story, everything ended in tragedy.
Bickering couple Burt Stanton and Vicky Baxter were defeated by He Who Walks Behind the Rows, with Vicky being part of a ritual sacrifice and Burt attacked by the entity. At the end, not even the kids are safe, as He Who Walks Behind the Rows demands the new age of sacrifice be lowered to 18.
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Based on the Book: Pet Sematary (1983)
What's Missing: All mention of the Wendigo.
In the book, King implies that the mythological monster is the reason for the cemetery's power and is the force turning corpses into the undead.
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Based on the Book: Gerald’s Game (1992)
What's Missing: The story of a woman left for dead after her husband ties her to the bed post in a remote cabin and suddenly dies was made into a superb film by Mike Flanagan for Netflix. The pacing and terror of being helpless, along with Carla Gugino's acting chops, created one hell of a nail-biter for the streaming service.
But in the book, Gerald Burlingame was a much darker character with more insidious plans for his bound wife Jessie. In a moment of self-defense, she kicks him, which is the catalyst for his heart attack, a plot point left out in the movie.
Crucial detail?
