Spooky season is here, and to celebrate, there are plenty of upcoming Stephen King movies and shows for us to keep track of.
Most recently, we just got the new Amazon Prime show Carrie (read our Carrie review for more on that), but the good news is that a ton of King adaptations are still in the works. From second seasons for the likes of Welcome to Derry and The Institute, to confirmed flicks for some of the writer's best short stories, we are spoilt for choice here. However, keeping track of everything can be tricky, especially since a few Stephen King movies have been canceled recently as well. That is where this page comes in handy.
Below is a round-up of all the new movies and upcoming TV shows on the way based on Stephen King's work. I've made sure to give summaries and updates for each project, and there is even a section in this guide for canceled flicks, just in case you want to see what could have been. So, keep scrolling for everything you need to know about the ever-expanding King-verse. Afterward, check out our list of upcoming horror movies on the way instead for further thrills and chills.
Here's all the confirmed upcoming Stephen King TV shows
The Institute season 2
Release date: November 8, 2026
The Institute season 2 was confirmed before season 1 had even finished airing back in August 2025. The show stars Joe Freeman as Luke, one of several kidnapped kids who finds themselves trapped in The Institute, a mysterious place housing youngsters with telepathic and telekinetic powers. They're put through torturous tests overseen by Mary-Louise Parker's Julia Sigsby.
Season 2 is set to pick up right after the season 1 finale, which saw Julia Sigsby escape the Institute with incriminating evidence about the facility's experiments. The series is expected to expand further afield. We found out last time that there are facilities just like the Institute all over the world. Season 2 newcomers include Game of Thrones star Alfie Allen.
It: Welcome to Derry season 2
Release date: TBC
After waiting for what felt like an eternity, HBO has finally officially renewed Welcome to Derry. We already know that the show is set to go back yet another 27 years, just as season 1 was set 27 years before It: Chapter 2 and so on. Stephen King's rather thick IT novel mentioned a terrible event in the mid 1930s in the midst of the Great Depression. A local crew known as The Bradley Gang opened fire on Derry during a robbery, known as The Bradley Gang Massacre.
It looks like It the Clown will use this horrific event as his way back to the town. Or forward, whichever way you want to look at it. However, we could also see Pennywise try to break space and time in order to try to change fate. Who knows? But we'll keep you posted as more information heads our way.
Fairy Tale
Release date: TBC
In 2022, it was announced that Jason Bourne film franchise helmer Paul Greengrass was set to write, direct, and produce a feature-length adaptation of King's 2022 novel Fairy Tale. In 2024, however, Deadline reported that A24 was now turning the proposed film into a 10-episode TV series with Fringe creator J.H. Wyman to serve as showrunner.
The novel, which is more dark fantasy YA than King's usual adult horror, follows a 17-year-old boy named Charlie Reade, who suddenly inherits a set of mysterious keys that open a hidden realm, and finds himself on the frontlines of a war between the forces of good and evil. Greengrass's initial script will still be used for the TV series, but will be re-adapted for the small screen by him and Wyman.
The Dark Tower
Release date: TBC
After a less-than-successful feature film hit the big screen in 2017, it was only a matter of time before a new adaptation of The Dark Tower entered the chat. In 2022, Mike Flanagan announced that he, along with producing partner Trevor Macy, would helm a new version of The Dark Tower for Prime Video… which will take place over the course of five seasons, followed by two standalone features.
The novel series, which is a dark fantasy western sci-fi of sorts, follows a gunslinger named Roland Deschain as he embarks on a quest through a vast desert to hunt down his nemesis, known as "the man in black." Given that there are seven novels (and one prequel novella) in The Dark Tower series, five seasons and two movies make perfect sense. We don't know much else about the forthcoming adaptation just yet, as Flanagan is still hard at work with his Carrie miniseries, but we do know that the deal has been signed.
Here's all the confirmed upcoming Stephen King movies
Mister Yummy
Release date: TBC
In June 2026, it was announced that Mister Yummy, a short story from King's 2015 collection The Bazaar of Bad Dreams, is getting a feature-length film. If you are unfamiliar with the story of Mister Yummy, it is essentially a psychological mind trip that blurs the boundaries between reality and the supernatural. The plot follows a man living in an assisted living facility called Ollie Franklin. Ollie is a likable old man who grew up gay during the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s.
Ollie's life becomes a bit spooky as he starts to see visions of a beautiful man he once met in a club (who his friends called Mister Yummy). The visions start bringing up his past and potentially point towards his impending death too. Ben Young is set to direct the upcoming film, with Troy Abruzzise joining the team to adapt the story for the screenplay (per Deadline). Troy Blake wrote the script in 2025; however, we are currently unclear on how much this will change. So, stay tuned for updates!
Rat
Release date: TBC
This marks the third story in King's 2020 novella collection, If It Bleeds, to get the big screen treatment, following Mr. Harrigan's Phone and The Life of Chuck. Around the time of the collection's release, Ben Stiller had signed on to produce, direct, and star in the film – but a lack of new updates led us to move the project down to our list of cancelled King projects. Luckily, the project has been revived by frequent Robert Eggers collaborator Jay Van Hoy, with Mexican filmmaker Isaac Ezban in the director's chair.
The story follows a writer named Drew who can't seem to finish a novel without something disastrous occurring in his personal life. He retreats to a desolate cabin deep in the woods of Maine, hoping that this time will be different. Much to his luck, a violent snow storm hits, and Drew is stranded... that is, until a mysterious stranger arrives and offers aid. Aid that'll come at a price. Despite no longer directing or producing, it's still possible that Stiller could star in the adaptation as Drew.
Autopsy Room Four
Release date: TBC
Autopsy Room Four was announced to be in the works in 2024 via Deadline, with director Ranjeet S. Marwa and veteran Hollywood exec Jon Levin signed on to the project. Now I will say that the status of this project is a bit up in the air, as I haven't seen any news or updates on it for quite some time now. Still, no official announcement of shelving the movie has been made, so it is one to keep on your radar for now. I also hope it does get made, as this one is set in the same place as IT (aka Derry).
While it takes place in Derry, there is no Pennywise here, though. Instead, the story involves a man waking up in an autopsy room. He is very much alive but seemingly paralyzed as the doctors prep to slice him up. As I mentioned, currently we don't have any other details to dig into. I'll keep you posted as soon as I learn more.
The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon
Release date: TBC
The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon is one of those underrated King novels that fans have continually asked for an adaptation of. Lucky for us, JT Mollner (above), who recently directed Strange Darling and penned the script for The Long Walk, is set to helm the forthcoming pic from Lionsgate (via The Hollywood Reporter). The 1999 novel follows a nine-year-old girl named Trisha who gets lost in the woods with just her Walkman and begins to hallucinate that her hero, baseball player Tom Gordon, is coming to her rescue.
George A. Romero was initially set to helm an adaptation not long after the novel's release, but the project stalled out shortly before his death. In 2019, the project was revived once more with Lynne Ramsay (We Need to Talk About Kevin, Die My Love) set to direct. However, Vertigo let the rights to the film lapse, with Lionsgate optioning them in 2025.
Cujo
Release date: TBC
It was announced in spring 2025 that Netflix had brokered a deal to adapt Cujo, the 1981 novel about a killer dog – though no directors or writers have been attached to the project just yet. It's one of King's sadder tales, with a previously sweet St. Bernard becoming a murderer after contracting rabies and going after a mother and her child who suffers from seizures.
The book was first adapted for the big screen in 1983, starring Dee Wallace as the titular mother. Lewis Teague, who also directed the adaptation of The Cat's Eye, served as director. The film was ultimately panned by critics, but now sits in the gallery of lower-rated Stephen King adaptations that have become cult classics. There isn't too much info out there about the upcoming pic, but we do know Weapons and The Long Walk's Roy Lee is set to produce.
Billy Summers
Release date: TBC
An adaptation of King's 2021 novel about a semi-retired hitman was first announced in 2022 as a ten-episode limited series under J.J. Abrams' Bad Robot production banner. In 2023, Deadline announced that Bad Robot would link up with Leonardo DiCaprio's Appian Way to turn it into a feature-length film. It's speculated that Abrams will direct with DiCaprio playing the titular character, but we'll hold off on getting excited until we see an official announcement. It's confirmed, however, that Ed Zwick (Shakespeare in Love) and Marshall Herskovitz (Traffic) are writing the screenplay.
The novel follows Billy Summers, a hitman who only takes on jobs that involve killing people he deems truly evil. He agrees to one last lucrative job, but begins to suspect that the mobsters who hired him are setting him up. We could definitely see DiCaprio in the role, though Taylor Kitsch is a popular fan cast.
Elevation
Release date: TBC
In 2021, Jack Bender told CinemaBlend that he had a script ready to go for a live-action adaptation of King's 2018 novella Elevation – and even though the producer and showrunner is busy with the TV adaptation of The Institute (which just got the greenlight for a second season), the project does appear to be going forward… even though we don't know too much about it just yet.
The novella, a mere 144 pages (which is quite short for King, given that the IT novel could be wielded as a weapon), follows a man named Scott Carey who is afflicted with a mysterious illness with bizarre effects that don't seem to be physical. While he embarks on a journey to cure his disease, he also helps a local lesbian couple who are facing backlash for opening a restaurant in the small (and deeply haunted) town of Castle Rock, Maine. From what we've seen with Under the Dome, Mr. Mercedes, and The Institute, we can assume that Bender's adaptation is a faithful one – though he did say that he "invented some stuff" for the story.
The Mist
Release date: TBC
If there's anyone worth trusting with Stephen King stories, it's Mike Flanagan, having already impressed genre fans with Doctor Sleep, Gerald's Game and let's face it, his unofficial Salem's Lot adaptation Midnight Mass. It's good, then, that he's the one attempting to follow-up Frank Darabont's excellent 2007 version of The Mist with a brand new spin on the claustrophobic, cosmic horror.
It's too soon to confirm whether or not Flanagan's take will follow the novel, which was first published in 1980, exactly, but the story follows Maine man David Drayton and his eight-year-old son Billy, as they take shelter in a local supermarket when a mysterious fog descends upon their town. Turns out, there are murderous, otherworldly monsters lurking in the haze – but as tensions rise among the survivors, David soon realizes that staying inside may not be the safer option.
Here's all the cancelled Stephen King projects, so far
The Talisman
It's the novel that Steven Spielberg spent some 35 years trying to adapt, but couldn't find a way to make it work as a film. In 2019, a movie was finally (though cryptically) announced with involvement from The Handmaid's Tale director Mike Barker. In 2025, it was reported that the 1984 joint venture between King and the late Peter Straub was headed to streaming as a TV series (via The Hollywood Reporter). The Duffer brothers, creators of the hit sci-fi show Stranger Things, were set to executive produce in conjunction with Netflix and Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment, with Stranger Things writer Curtis Gwinn as head writer and showrunner... but it was quietly cancelled that same December.
The Talisman follows Jack Sawyer, a 12-year-old boy who embarks on a perilous, fantastical journey in order to retrieve a magical object that will save his dying mother's life. The novel takes place in two realities: the United States circa 1984, and its parallel fantasy world, The Territories. As of right now, the project remains in active development – and given the recent success of The Institute TV adaptation, it's likely that work on the project will begin fairly soon.
From a Buick 8
We're not sure why a film adaptation of 2002's From a Buick 8 hasn't been able to get off the ground, but we've decided to remain hopeful. The novel, which can be described as a more modern take on the killer car story we saw in 1983's Christine, sees the members of a Pennsylvania police troop recount the story of an old Buick 8 kept in a shed – that may have very well been linked to the death of one of their fellow men.
Sometime in 2007, Tobe Hooper had been tapped to direct a feature-length adaptation, but the project never materialized. George A. Romero had reportedly been attached to direct at one point as well. In 2018, Variety announced that William Brent Bell (The Boy, Orphan: First Kill) would write and direct the film (though his take on the book was more of a loose adaptation). Hyde Park Entertainment (Premonition, Ghost Rider) was set to produce. Two years later, however, actor Thomas Jane announced that Jim Mickle (who most recently co-developed the Netflix adaptation of Sweet Tooth) was set to direct under Jane's new Renegade Entertainment banner… but the rights ultimately lapsed. In 2024, Bell told Fangoria that he believes James Wan's Atomic Monster now owns the rights and that a miniseries is being developed, but no official announcements have been made.
Christine
There's nothing quite like John Carpenter's Christine, and we're not sure if we necessarily need a second adaptation of King's 1983 novel about a 1958 Plymouth Fury with jealous and murderous tendencies. In 2021, it was announced that Bryan Fuller, creator of the deeply loved but short-lived Hannibal TV series, was set to write and direct a new full-length adaptation of the novel for Blumhouse.
Despite star Keith Gordon and Carpenter both giving their blessing for the remake in conversation with Total Film about the movie's 40th anniversary, the project appears to have completely stalled out (at least according to ScreenRant). Some murmurings include a disagreement with the studio about how to modernize the film, but nothing has been confirmed. For now, it hangs in limbo, but we'll move it to the top of the list the second we get an update.
The Tommyknockers
Given that the 1993 miniseries was a critical failure (and notoriously hated by King himself), we understand why a new adaptation of sci-fi-horror The Tommyknockers would enter production. Unfortunately, this seems to be another King project that's been put on the back burner for now. In 2018, it was announced that Universal Pictures had won the bidding war for the rights to the book and that James Wan was set to produce under his Atomic Monster banner in a joint venture (via The Hollywood Reporter). Larry Sanitsky, the producer of the 1993 miniseries, was also signed on to produce. No director or writer was attached to the project, and we haven't heard any news in the seven years since the movie was first announced.
The book, which King himself isn't a big fan of, sees the citizens of a town in Maine stumble upon an alien spacecraft that releases a gas that turns people into the same aliens that once boarded the ship. A new miniseries was also announced back in 2013, initially set to air on NBC, but that also stalled out.
Joyland
Another project that we're sad to see in development hell, as there hasn't been much of an update since an adaptation of the 2013 novel was announced back in 2018. Freeform, known for its various teen dramas, was set to adapt Joyland as a series with Chris Peña (Jane the Virgin) and Cyrus Nowrasteh (The Stoning of Soraya M.) set to write the pilot script (via Deadline).
The novel follows a college student named Devin Jones who takes a summer job at a North Carolina amusement park known as Joyland. After a fortune teller gives him an ominous reading about what the summer will hold, Devin finds himself confronting the legacy of a vicious murder, the fate of a dying child, and the ways in which both will change his life forever.
The Dark Half
This one is a bit of a mystery, given that there is virtually no other news except for a very brief Variety article from 2019 that MGM would produce a new adaptation of the 1989 novel with Alex Ross Perry (Her Smell) set to direct.
The book, which follows an author whose pseudonym comes to life and begins committing grisly crimes, was written by King as a response to his previously secret Richard Bachman persona being publicly outed. The late, great George A. Romero directed a feature-length adaptation in 1993, which starred Timothy Hutton as the aforementioned novelist.
Sleeping Beauties
A TV series based on Sleeping Beauties, the 2017 joint novel between King and his son Owen, was ordered to pilot in 2019… but we haven't heard anything since then. AMC reportedly ordered the pilot, envisioning it as an "open-ended TV series" with Owen to write it.
The novel takes place in a women's prison in West Virginia, where the inmates, as well as women around the world, become stricken with a mysterious sickness dubbed "Aurora." The sickness makes them fall asleep, with a gauze-like substance cocooning around their bodies. If someone tries to open the cocoon, the women awake in a homicidal rage. It's a cool premise for a sci-fi thriller series, and we hope it makes it out of development hell one day.
For even more, check out our list of the best Stephen King movies to watch right now.
