5 must-read Stephen King thriller novels that have been adapted for film

The Stephen King novel “Carrie” was published in 1974 and a film was released in 1976, starring a young Sissy Spacek as Carrie, who discovers new, horrific powers while at her prom. A 2013 version starred Chloe Grace Moretz in the leading role.

Mention of the novel “The Shining” usually brings to mind Jack Torrence (Jack Nicholson) in the 1980 movie, smashing through a wooden door with an axe to try and kill his wife. The story begins as Torrence being a caretaker of a hotel over the winter period, where forces of evil soon take over him.

One of the best post-apocalyptic dramas of all time, “The Stand” involves a deadly super flu (Captain Trips) that decimates most of the world’s population. Those remaining are forced to choose between good and evil. Made into an extended mini-series in 1994, the story is about to get its second adaptation on CBS All Access in the US, and hopefully later in the UK.

This epic series of books took King many years to write, with the first published in 1982, “The Dark Tower 1: The Gunslinger,” and the last published in 2004. The story tells the tale of Roland Deschain, the Gunslinger, and his quest to kill his rival, the Man in Black. A film was released starring Idris Elba in the lead role, which didn’t do well, but a series is being planned by Amazon Studios.

“It” was first released as a novel in 1986 and went on to be adapted as a mini-series starring Tim Curry as Pennywise the Clown. In 2017, a blockbuster film named “It” hit cinemas and a sequel is due for release this year. It tells the story of seven children in a Maine town who hunt down the terrifying clown. The sequel will feature the same group as adults, returning home after 28 years.