We’ve Officially Entered The Golden Era Of Stephen King Adaptations

Published Oct 24, 2026, 11:00 AM EDT Dhruv is a Lead Writer in Screen Rant's New TV division. He has been consistently contributing to the website for over two years and has written thousands of articles covering streaming trends, movie/TV analysis, and pop culture breakdowns. Before Screen Rant, he was a Senior Writer for The Cinemaholic, covering everything from anime to television, from reality TV to movies. After high school, he was on his way to become a Civil Engineer. However, he soon realized that writing was his true calling. As a result, he took a leap and never looked back. Sign in to your ScreenRant account The first Stephen King adaptation came out almost half a century ago. It was Brian De Palma's take on Carrie in 1976, which still has an indelible mark on the horror genre. Since then, Stephen King's books have been adapted so many times that there are probably more adaptations of his work than Pennywise's victims. Despite being such a crucial part of horror's legacy, however, Stephen King's adaptations showed a disappointing trend. Movie adaptations based on books experienced both the highs of being massive hits and the lows of being forgettable misses. His TV adaptations, on the other hand, often struggled to be both critically and commercially successful. A rare few Stephen King TV series, like The Outsider, 11/22/63, and Mr. Mercedes, have managed to impress viewers and critics in the past. Even fewer shows have managed to return after one season. Fortunately, this disappointing trend is already changing as we are entering a new golden era of Stephen King adaptations. All 3 Stephen King Shows From The Last 2 Years Have Been Renewed After Season 1 Credit: MovieStillsDB Since the beginning of 2025, three Stephen King shows have hit the small screens: The Institute, It: Welcome to Derry, and Carrie. This is, in itself, a rare feat since there have been fewer TV adaptations of King's works than there have been feature films. Surprisingly, all three shows have managed to perform well enough on streaming to be renewed for another season. In the current streaming era, shows that do not get enough viewership in their opening seasons rarely get a second chance. Fortunately, for all three adaptations, they shattered the records of their respective platforms, which has paved the way for their upcoming seasons. While MGM+'s The Institute earned more of a mixed reception from viewers and critics, It: Welcome to Derry and Carrie largely garnered positive reviews. It: Welcome to Derry even had a record-breaking premiere on HBO, generating 6.5 million U.S. viewers across HBO and Max in just four days after release. It currently ranks as the Number 3 all-time HBO Max original program, trailing behind massive franchise hits like The Last of Us and House of the Dragon. Mike Flanagan's Carrie on Prime Video, too, racked up 1.26 billion viewing minutes in the U.S. just 5 days after release, ranking it among the streamer's top shows. All 3 Shows Are Expanding Their Original Stephen King Books’ Stories What makes MGM+'s The Institute, Prime Video's Carrie, and HBO's It: Welcome to Derry even more fascinating is that they are all highly ambitious adaptations. Both The Institute and Carrie have exhausted their source material's story in season 1, albeit with a few changes. In season 2, both adaptations are set to expand Stephen King's original lore. Similarly, It: Welcome to Derry is more of an extension of Stephen King's IT, expanding the historical interludes from the original book. It not only adds more depth to Pennywise's cyclical history in Derry, but also cleverly retcons it to connect it to the larger overarching Stephen King universe. In season 2, It: Welcome to Derry will delve deeper into Derry's history and make Pennywise even scarier. The Institute, Carrie, and It: Welcome to Derry only seems to mark the beginning of a new golden era for Stephen King adaptations on television. With Mike Flanagan set to deliver a multi-season take on The Dark Tower in the near future, TV adaptations of Stephen King's stories will only get better moving forward. It: Welcome to Derry 7/10 Release Date October 26, 2025 Network HBO It: Welcome to Derry serves as a prequel to the 2017 film It, exploring the sinister history of Derry, Maine. Set in 1962, the series follows a family that relocates to the town amidst unsettling occurrences and the mysterious disappearance of a young boy. Cast Taylour Paige, Jovan Adepo, James Remar, Stephen Rider, Matilda Lawler, Amanda Christine, Clara Stack, Arian S. Cartaya, Peter Outerbridge, Chris Chalk, Rudy Mancuso, Alixandra von Renner, Dmitry Chepovetsky, Eli Katz, Mark MacRae, Lochlan Ray Miller, Maya McNair, Maya Misaljevic, Hannah Storey, Thomas Mitchell, Chad Rook, Michael Koras, Robert Clarke, Brittany Spiteri, Sean Sansom Directors Andy Muschietti Writers Jason Fuchs, Stephen King, Austin Guzman Main Genre Horror Creator(s) Andy Muschietti, Barbara Muschietti, Jason Fuchs Executive Producer(s) Andy Muschietti, Bárbara Muschietti, Bill Skarsgård, Brad Kane, Dan Lin, Jason Fuchs, Roy Lee, David Coatsworth, Shelley Meals Producers Anna Beben, Cherie Dimaline, Sarah Rath Seasons 1 Carrie Release Date 2026 - 2026-00-00 Network Prime Video In this new series adaptation of Stephen King's classic novel, Carrie White struggles through the daily torments of school life, her domineering mother, and a dormant set of telekinetic powers. Cast Summer H. Howell, Samantha Sloyan, Siena Agudong, Alison Thornton, Joel Oulette, Josie Totah, Arthur Conti, Thalia Dudek, Amber Midthunder, Matthew Lillard, Rowan Danielle, Michael Trucco, Rahul Kohli, Tim Bagley, Tahmoh Penikett, Ashley Cartwright, Mapuana Makia, Heather Graham, Jason Tremblay, Ketzali Bojorquez, Camille Atebe Directors Mike Flanagan, Axelle Carolyn, Hiromi Kamata, Kate Siegel, Kyra Sedgwick Writers Mike Flanagan, Alexandra Magistro, Justina Ireland, Jamie Flanagan, Elan Gale, Rebecca Klingel, Elizabeth Padden, Dani Parker Main Genre Horror Creator(s) Mike Flanagan Executive Producer(s) Mike Flanagan, Stephen King, Trevor Macy Producers Justin Wagman, Rebecca Klingel, Dani Parker Seasons 1 The Institute 8/10 Release Date July 13, 2025 Network MGM+ The Institute, released in 2025, follows 14-year-old genius Luke Ellis, who is kidnapped and wakes up at a mysterious facility filled with children possessing unusual abilities. Meanwhile, Tim Jamieson, a former police officer, seeks a fresh start in a nearby town, inevitably intertwining his fate with Luke's. Cast Ben Barnes, Joe Freeman, Simone Miller, Fionn Laird, Hannah Galway, Julian Richings, Robert Joy, Martin Roach, Mary-Louise Parker, Mary Walsh, Birva Pandya, Jason Diaz, Arlen So, Dan Beirne, Jane Luk, Viggo Hanvelt, Jordan Alexander, Phoebe Rex, Bo Hong Fu, Micha Cromwell, Mitch Landry, Aviva Armour-Ostroff, Michelle Monteith, Tyler Murree, Elise Bauman, Tylan Bailey, Matthew McCarthy, Bob Mann, Beverly Smith Directors Jack Bender, Brad Turner, Jeff Renfroe Writers Sam Sheridan, Benjamin Cavell, Ed Redlich, Eric Dickinson, Sophie Owens-Bender Main Genre Thriller Creator(s) Benjamin Cavell Executive Producer(s) Benjamin Cavell, Jack Bender, Shane Elrod Producers Jack Bender, Benjamin Cavell Seasons 2