Follow us on Google News
Get the latest updates directly in your Google News feed
The Shiningis often hailed as one of the best works in the horror genre. The Stephen King adaptation’s unconventional approach and Jack Nicholson’s menacing performance make it iconic among horror film fans. However, sadly, the 1980 film never found a fan in the author.
Stephen King has always been vocal against Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation. The film had some considerable deviations from the original novel, disappointing the author. Although the film was even selected for preservation in the National Film Registry in 2018 for its cultural, historical, and aesthetic significance, King never supported it.
Stephen King was displeased with the coldness ofThe Shining
Stanley Kubrick‘sThe Shininghad some notable differences from the iconicStephen Kingnovel. According to King, these changes were absolutely unnecessary and affected the depth of the story. While many fans laud the film for its portrayal of psychological horror, King has openly stated that his novel was more supernatural in approach.
1 Terrifying Stephen King Novel About a Haunted Airport Even He Couldn’t Finish Could Have Been the Perfect Sequel to ‘The Shining’
When Warner Bros. releasedDoctor Sleep, based on Stephen King’s sequel toThe Shining, the author added more to his criticism of Kubrick’s classic. King said toTimethatDoctor Sleep‘s director Mike Flanagan did a more incredible job in adapting the sequel than thePaths of Glorydirector.
I like it [Doctor Sleep] a lot. He took my story, which was the sequel to The Shining, and basically did a seamless weld to Stanley Kubrick’s film, which is probably one of the reasons why Warner Bros. was eager to do it. I always felt that the Kubrick film was rather cold, and director Mike Flanagan warmed it up.
In anotherinterview, Stephen King heavily criticized Stanley Kubrick’s approach to the character ofJack Nicholson. While the novel portrays Jack Torrance as a tragic hero who slowly falls into insanity, the film presents him as a psychopath from the beginning. It even impacted the ending ofThe Shiningwhich was drastically different from the novel.
King was also disappointed with the cast ofThe Shiningand the treatment of Wendy in the film. TheITwriter wanted someone like Martin Sheen, Jon Voight, or Michael Moriarty in the role.
Mike Flanagan got immense support from Stephen King forThe Life of Chuck
After his work inDoctor SleepandGerald’s Game,Mike Flanaganis set to work on a Stephen King story again. For the first time, the horror director who claims to be a big fan of the author stepped into the drama genre forThe Life of Chuck.
It looks like the director has become a favorite to the writer after his remarkable track record with the past two adaptations. According to a recent conversation withThe Hollywood Reporter,The Haunting of the Hill Housedirector claimed that he got immense help from Stephen King while doingThe Life of Chuck.
When we were doing The Life of Chuck, we talked a lot before production. He has an enormous amount of approvals on things like casting and other details. But when the movie goes, he stays very far away. He says, ‘The movie’s yours and the book is mine.’
Mike Flanagan previously confessed that he felt enormous pressure while screeningDoctor Sleepfor Stephen King in his hometown, given the latter’s reception toThe Shining. But luckily, the horror legend praised the director for doing an incredible job (via THR).
Tom Hiddleston Was Desperate to Join Mike Flanagan’s Film After Comparing it to The Shawshank Redemption
With Stephen King’s involvement and Mike Flanagan’s direction,The Life of Chuckhas amassed impressive reviews from the critics. It recently premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. It will be interesting to see if it can also raise a positive response from the general audience.
The Shiningcan be rented on Apple TV+.
Subham Mandal
Senior Writer
Articles Published :1461
Subham Mandal is currently working as a content writer for FandomWire with an ardent interest in the world of pop culture. He has written more than 1000 articles on different spheres of modern pop culture and is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. He’s also an experienced student journalist having demonstrated work experience with the Times of India. He aspires to be a column writer in the future.
