In the fall of 2019, writer and "NOS4A2" creator Joe Hill joined Wisconsin Public Radio's "BETA" to share what it was like to collaborate on a story with his dad, the horror maestro, Stephen King.
"I've written with my dad on two short stories and both times, I felt like Wile E. Coyote hanging on to the rocket," he said at the time.
Hill and King were in the midst of working on a film adaptation of their story, "In the Tall Grass," which would go on to premiere on Netflix. Hill said that being forced to adapt their story to the screen led to some fascinating differences between the mediums.
"In some ways, the movie is actually a little bit more hopeful. It finds some hopeful notes that are unique to the film. And I think that that’s a good thing," Hill said.
That sentiment is at the heart of French actress and director Daphné Baiwir's documentary, "King on Screen," which takes a comprehensive look at adapting one of America's most prolific writers and the small ocean of films that have sprung from King's work.
"I really wanted to dig a little bit more about the process of adapting," Baiwir said.
"Stephen King is so famous today perhaps because of his influence on cinema and also the fact that cinema adapted him so much that people who never read a book, they know Stephen King because they've seen at least one film," she said.
Baiwir interviewed dozens of directors for the film, including Frank Darabont, Mick Garris, Taylor Hackford and Mike Flanagan. Collectively, they shed light on the pressures and delights of adapting King's works.
The most controversial adaptation of King's is definitely Stanley Kubrick's "The Shining" starring Jack Nicholson. King famously hated Kubrick's version of his story of a recovering alcoholic writer, Jack Torrance, isolating himself and his family over a winter in a hotel to avoid the temptation of drinking and to get back to writing.
Baiwir explains that King was frustrated by Kubrick's cold treatment of his characters in the book and their arcs.
"When you are reading 'The Shining,' Wendy is a strong female character, and she's not like that at all in the Stanley Kubrick adaptation," Baiwir said.
"Also, the relationship between her and Jack — which is Jack Torrance goes into madness — I think it's something that is quite disturbing because in the book, you really have this smooth evolution into the crazy things that is going on in his mind," she continues. "He's going there because he is trying to fix his family...and it's not the feeling that we have in the film."
Director Mick Garris — who would later readapt "The Shining" as TV miniseries — said in the documentary that director David Cronenberg said, "The reason 'The Shining' doesn't work is because they cast the ending. Jack Nicholson's crazy from the beginning. That works in Kubrick's world, but not in King's World."
Garris is one of a handful of directors, along with Darabont and Rob Reiner, who have taken several cracks at adapting King. Baiwir said that out of all of them, Darabont probably has dialed in King's frequency more than any other.
"I've always loved Frank Darabont adaptations because I think they are so amazing," said Baiwir, whose favorite King-based film is Darabont's "The Green Mile." "He's able to really capture the work of Stephen King and is doing amazing films with that."
Darabont's 1994 film, "The Shawshank Redemption," is likely one of the most widely known and critically acclaimed King adaptations. Baiwir said the popularity of "Shawshank" directly relates to King's ability to operate outside the horror genre.
"With this documentary, we also wanted to break the myth of Stephen King, master of horror," she said. "He's able to write so much more than just horror. And I'm sure if he was writing a comedy, it would be good."
The film that perhaps best displays Darabont's mind-meld with King is the former's 2007 adaptation of "The Mist" starring Thomas Jane. King's written story had an ambiguous ending that played well on the page, but not so much on the screen.
Darabont wrote his own ending for his film adaptation, which ended up earning him the highest praise possible. When King himself showed up at the premiere in New York, King shared that he wished he would've thought of Darabont's ending.
"That's how much (Darabont) was able to capture Stephen King's universe," said Baiwir. "To the point that when he changes something in one of Stephen King stories, Stephen King himself said that he wished he had that idea."
When dozens and dozens of your works have been adapted, there's going to be some winners and losers. King himself doesn't seem to mind how the movie or miniseries adaptations impact the reputation of his work.
Toward the end of Baiwir's film, director Mike Flanagan — who directed "The Shining" sequel "Doctor Sleep," merging King and Kubrick's visions incredibly well — praised King's philosophy when asked, "What did you think with what they've done to your books?"
King would respond, "'Well, what do you mean? What have they done to my books? Well, look at the bookshelf there. My books are all there. Nobody's done anything to my books.' So, I think he has a really great attitude about how his books are adapted," Flanagan said.
"King of Screen" from Dark Star Pictures is in select theaters now.