A Brief History of Stephen King’s Filmography
There are so many Stephen King movies, mini-series, and television shows, it might be hard to imagine a time where there weren’t any. However, that time wasn’t too long ago, as the first Stephen King movie
released in 1976. Based on his surprise-hit novel Carrie, the movie of the same name is considered one of the best horror films ever made.
Despite the success of Carrie, Stephen King movie-fever didn’t truly begin until the 80’s. Between May of 1980 and April of 1989, there were 14 feature-length Stephen King movies released. This includes iconic movies like The Shining, Cujo, Children of the Corn, Stand by Me, and Pet Sematary.
The movie adaptations didn’t slow down in the 90’s, either.
During that decade, there were 13 new Stephen King films, including such classics as Misery, The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, and more (full movie list).
Things slowed down in the new millennium, with only 7 Stephen King movies coming out. Although there were a few winners, namely The Mist, 1408, and Secret Window, the majority of these films were poorly received. That led to a general slowdown in new King content, until recently that is.
2017 was a particularly great year for Stephen King adaptations, including two great Netflix films in 1922 and Gerald’s Game, along with the record-breaking IT: Chapter One. The success of the latter and a few popular mini-series led to a revitalization in adaptations of King’s work. A remake of Pet Sematary was positively received by critics in 2019, as was It: Chapter Two.

Recently, we even got a sequel to The Shining in the form of Doctor Sleep, which has been cited as one of the best King films in modern times. With tons of remakes and new adaptations planned for 2020 and beyond, there’s no telling what kind of crazy tales we’ll get to see next.
Award-Winning Stephen King Movies
While most Stephen King movies are well worth your time, there are a handful that have risen above the rest. When it comes to films, one of the highest accolades you can receive is the Academy Awards® (also known as the Oscar). Awarded to actors, directors, and production members for a variety of achievements in film making, the Oscar is the pipe-dream of many Hollywood celebrities. There have only been a few movies in our author’s filmography nominated for the Oscar, with even fewer given the nomination for the highest award, Best Picture.
In total, films based on Stephen King’s stories have earned 15 Oscar nominations. These award- winning (and nominee-receiving) Stephen King movies have made their lasting imprint on the world of cinema. Considering just how often the Academy Awards have snubbed the horror genre in its nearly 100 years of operation, the fact that these King movies have been nominated is a remarkable achievement.
Carrie (1976) – 2 Oscar Nominations for:
- Best Actress in a Leading Role (Sissy Spacek)
- Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Piper Laurie)
Stand by Me (1986) – 1 Oscar Nomination for:
- Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium
Misery (1990) -1 Oscar Win for:
- Best Actress in a Leading Role (Kathy Bates)
The Shawshank Redemption (1994) – 7 Oscar Nominations for:
- Best Picture
- Best Actor in a Leading Role (Morgan Freeman)
- Best Sound
- Best Music or Original Score
- Best Cinematography
- Best Film Editing
- Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published
The Green Mile (1999) – 4 Oscar Nominations for:
- Best Picture
- Best Actor in a Leading Role (Michael Clarke Duncan)
- Best Sound
- Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published
Film adaptations of Stephen King’s novels by release date
Filmography of Stephen King. Film adaptations of Stephen King’s novels. The list of movies and TV shows organized by their release date.
The list of movies and TV shows based on the books and work of most famous horror a thriller writer Stephen King. The author is best known as a novelist, a writer, a producer and a director, he is also an actor as he starred as Himself and he had guest appearances in a few TV shows.

Where to watch? Where to buy the entire filmography?
Browse the below-listed organized filmography list and discover if the movies are also available on streaming platforms such as Netflix, Google Movies, Amazon Prime. If you are interested in buying the a digital copy over you can use the links below from Amazon for DVD or Blu-Ray, or you could get a hardcover book as well.
We invite you to view the complete list of film adaptations available in our movie database.
Movie Title | Release Date | Netflix Stream | Amazon Prime | Book on Amazon |
---|---|---|---|---|
Carrie | 1976-11-03 | |||
The Shining | 1980-05-23 | |||
Creepshow | 1982-11-10 | |||
Cujo | 1983-08-12 | |||
The Dead Zone | 1983-10-21 | |||
Christine | 1983-12-09 | |||
Children of the Corn | 1984-03-09 | |||
Firestarter | 1984-05-11 | |||
Cat’s Eye | 1985-04-12 | |||
Silver Bullet | 1985-10-11 | |||
Maximum Overdrive | 1986-07-25 | |||
Stand By Me | 1986-08-08 | |||
Creepshow 2 | 1987-05-01 | |||
The Running Man | 1987-11-13 | |||
Pet Sematary | 1989-04-21 | |||
Tales from the Darkside: The Movie | 1990-05-04 | |||
Graveyard Shift | 1990-10-26 | |||
Misery | 1990-11-30 | |||
Sleepwalkers | 1992-04-10 | |||
The Dark Half | 1993-04-23 | |||
Needful Things | 1993-08-27 | |||
The Shawshank Redemption | 1994-09-23 | |||
The Mangler | 1995-03-03 | |||
Dolores Claiborne | 1995-03-24 | |||
Thinner | 1996-10-25 | |||
The Night Flier | 1997-11-15 | |||
Apt Pupil | 1998-10-23 | |||
The Green Mile | 1999-12-06 | |||
Hearts in Atlantis | 2001-09-28 | |||
Dreamcatcher | 2003-03-06 | |||
Secret Window | 2004-03-12 | |||
Riding the Bullet | 2004-10-15 | |||
1408 | 2007-06-12 | |||
The Mist | 2007-11-21 | |||
Mercy | 2012-12-14 | |||
A Good Marriage | To be Determined | |||
Cell | 2016-07 -06 |