King Works Being Remade
Stephen King’s world is falling victim to the spreading trend of remakes that seems to be invading the film industry. With the hundreds of original stories that SK has written through the years, it is disheartening to see the remaking of his classic work, which in most cases was done well the first time. His upcoming works in production include Firestarter, Carrie (for the third time, I believe), Pet Sematary, The Stand, and IT. There are a few never-before-filmed stories being produced including Rose Madder, and Home Delivery.
In the past, there have been successful remakes. The Shining (1997, miniseries) is a primary example of the second production being a good adaptation of King’s work. The original 1980 movie, starring Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall, was a scary film, but was only a shell of the King story. The miniseries aired on broadcast television and was a brilliant reflection of the book. However, no film or mini-series can truly recreate the experience or depth of a Stephen King story in print. The real story can be found in the words and connections within King’s literary world.
It is sad to see the stories that they have chosen to reproduce, knowing that the results will not equal the original. Firestarter (1984) will be lacking the power of Drew Barrymore, and anyone that plays the role will be compared to her performance. The innocence of Barrymore, established in E.T., created a connection with the view
er and character. The same can be said for Sissy Spacek as Carrie (1976). The previous remake of Carrie failed to make a significant impact that the original achieved.
The Stand is going to be remade into a series of three-hour films tha
t will be released in the theatres. It will be released in four parts, each part being released two or three months apart. The original 1994 miniseries was a star-studded project with excellent casting, including Molly Ringwald, Gary Sinise, Rob Lowe, Ray Walston, Ruby Dee, Jamie Sheridan, and many others top stars. Not only were these actors big names, but they are also extraordinary actors. Can a project today assemble a cast that will be equal to that created for the original?
I do not even want to discuss IT. This is one of my favorite films. I con
fess that there are significant emotional ties and memories between this miniseries and myself. Again, the cast seems too perfect to recreate. The brilliant pairing of young and adult versions of the characters, which is a major part of the story, made this film special. The 1990 miniseries starred popular television and film actors like Richard Thomas, John Ritter, Harry Anderson, Tim Reid, Tim Curry, and this does not even include the young actors. The special effects in the original were enough to generate fear, but did not go over-the-top. Let us hope they follow the same rule in the remake.
As far as Pet Sematary, I have two words – Fred Gwynne. Who could possibly replace him?
Stephen King’s world is falling victim to the spreading trend of remakes that seems to be invading the film industry. With the hundreds of original stories that SK has written through the years, it is disheartening to see the remaking of his classic work, which in most cases was done well the first time. His upcoming works in production include Firestarter, Carrie (for the third time, I believe), Pet Sematary, The Stand, and IT. There are a few never-before-filmed stories being produced including Rose Madder, and Home Delivery.
In the past, there have been successful remakes. The Shining (1997, miniseries) is a primary example of the second production being a good adaptation of King’s work. The original 1980 movie, starring Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall, was a scary film, but was only a shell of the King story. The miniseries aired on broadcast television and was a brilliant reflection of the book. However, no film or mini-series can truly recreate the experience or depth of a Stephen King story in print. The real story can be found in the words and connections within King’s literary world.
It is sad to see the stories that they have chosen to reproduce, knowing that the results will not equal the original. Firestarter (1984) will be lacking the power of Drew Barrymore, and anyone that plays the role will be compared to her performance. The innocence of Barrymore, established in E.T., created a connection with the view
er and character. The same can be said for Sissy Spacek as Carrie (1976). The previous remake of Carrie failed to make a significant impact that the original achieved.The Stand is going to be remade into a series of three-hour films tha
t will be released in the theatres. It will be released in four parts, each part being released two or three months apart. The original 1994 miniseries was a star-studded project with excellent casting, including Molly Ringwald, Gary Sinise, Rob Lowe, Ray Walston, Ruby Dee, Jamie Sheridan, and many others top stars. Not only were these actors big names, but they are also extraordinary actors. Can a project today assemble a cast that will be equal to that created for the original?I do not even want to discuss IT. This is one of my favorite films. I con
fess that there are significant emotional ties and memories between this miniseries and myself. Again, the cast seems too perfect to recreate. The brilliant pairing of young and adult versions of the characters, which is a major part of the story, made this film special. The 1990 miniseries starred popular television and film actors like Richard Thomas, John Ritter, Harry Anderson, Tim Reid, Tim Curry, and this does not even include the young actors. The special effects in the original were enough to generate fear, but did not go over-the-top. Let us hope they follow the same rule in the remake.
As far as Pet Sematary, I have two words – Fred Gwynne. Who could possibly replace him?
I would love to see a creative use of Stephen King’s dozens of short stories. There have been attempts, and quite successful ones. Creepshow (1982) is a perfect example of a filmed collection of shorts. Come on, Hollywood and other film production regions; take a while to dig through the work of Stephen King. You will discover a treasure of stories waiting to be made into pictures and sound. Just waiting to be told. Moreover, you would not have to do a remake for years to come. Think about it. Please.
Sources:
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000175/
Sources:
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000175/
IT used to be the scariest movie I'd ever seen. When I was a kid I'd have to leave the room and walk into the hallway when certain scenes came on because they were just too much for me. It didn't age very well but I still consider it a fine film. I'd be interested to see what they can come up with for a remake, but don't expect much.
ReplyDeletePet Semetary is probably my favorite story and the most exciting remake to me. I must admit it's also one of the only King novels I've ever read all the way through..if not the only one. I don't care much for the movie outside of Fred Gwynne. Besides him and Gage, the casting in that movie was downright dreadful. There is just a sense of something being off in that film. I've always felt like it could have been so much more. A remake might actually turn out to be fantastic as it has the roots of something great. I still wish George Romero had directed the original.
Great blog and I love what you are doing here. You should consider writing a film appreciation about your favorite King screen adapted film. I write for a film appreciation blog and we'd love to have you write about IT. Here's a example of how a "Film Appreciation" post works--- http://www.lifebetweenframes.blogspot.com/2012/02/west-memphis-murders.html
If you want to write one, let me know, and we can discuss it.
I'll be interested to see how this all plays out. I don't think remaking Carrie or Firestarter are good ideas (George C. Scott scared me -- of course, he could be scary in anything). It and the Stand were pretty good, too. I agree with you on the argument that some of the shorter pieces ought to be turned into films. "Boogeyman" was always one of my favorites, as was "Gray Matter."
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