His résumé reads like an American Film Institute Top 100 list, recording his work with unforgettable films such as “The Shawshank Redemption,” “Misery,” “Stand By Me” and “The Green Mile.”
His movies have created genuine feeling in people for more than two decades, whether those emotions be extreme horror, deep sadness, divine absolution or even witty cheerfulness. And it is those gut-wrenching, tear-jerking, soul-cleansing sentiments that keep his fans coming back for more.
“Stephen King is a great storyteller with a good imagination,” said philosophy junior Jason Thomas. “One of my regular favorite movies is ‘The Shawshank Redemption.’ It’s a really good story and makes for a good movie.”
And after all the success and endless celebrity image that comes with his name, not to mention a near-fatal car accident last year, the “master of horror” is back, sitting in what may be his biggest saddle ever.
And this horse is not about to stop jumping hurdles.
“Adaptations from Stephen King stories range from terrible to very good, even though he is probably the best living storyteller of the 20th century,” said Gary Hoppenstand, an American Thought and Language professor. “There is no way to tag his upcoming work as being good or bad.
“But it does seem that most of his work that strays away from horror - like his more spiritual stories, ‘The Shawshank Redemption,’ ‘The Green Mile’ - are the ones that make better movies.”
Just six months ago, King startled his mainstream audience by releasing a new short story, “Riding the Bullet,” available only online.
More than 500,000 people downloaded the story the first day it was available. And now, King’s doing it again with occasional installments of his most recent novel, “The Plant.”
“We are exploring a new continent,” King said in an online letter to his fans, available at www.stephenking.com. “And so far it has been fun.”
But these works aren’t the only ones primed to impress King’s fans, many of whom look forward more to the films than the books.
They have a lot to look forward to in the future.
First off, a movie based on King’s best-selling 1999 novel, “Hearts in Atlantis,” is in pre-production. Filming may begin in early October, as long as cast member Anthony Hopkins finishes shooting “Hannibal,” the sequel to “The Silence of the Lambs.”
Set in the early 1960s, the story focuses on Bobby Garfield (Anton Yelchin) and the relationship he develops with Hopkins’ mysterious character, Ted Brautigan.
The screenplay was adapted by Academy Award-winning writer William Goldman (“Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid”), and the critically acclaimed Scott Hicks (“Shine”) is directing.
But that is not all.
King’s “The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon” is also being adapted into a motion picture by Castle Rock Entertainment, the production company that has backed most of the his recent films.
Written and directed by George A. Romero (“Night of the Living Dead,” “Dawn of the Dead”), the film is in production.
Other King productions include “Stud City,” an independent film adaptation. This is more or less a continuation of certain plot points and characters from “Stand By Me,” King’s film with Rob Reiner.
Also in production is “Rose Red,” which is slated as an ABC miniseries.
Plans to make a film version of King’s novel “Desperation” are also in the works.
And last but certainly not least is a little tidbit of information involving Frank Darabont, the award-winning writer and director who brought “The Shawshank Redemption” and “The Green Mile” to the silver screen.
Darabont reportedly owns the film rights to “The Mist,” an early King short story. The story leans more toward being a classic King horror, unlike the two King films Darabont has worked on, which are set in prisons.
With more than 30 films under his belt and a whole brigade of new ones coming soon, it doesn’t seem like King is slowing down his speed. He is continuing to jump the hurdles with creative ease.
