Stephen King Dubbed This Movie Adaptation Better Than His Original Book
The King of Horror admits that one movie director executed his story much better than the author himself.
Stephen King has always been blunt and merciless about his own works. The author is willing to admit his mistakes or pat himself on the back when he’s particularly proud of himself, and fans respect him for his honesty. Even when talking about some of his most iconic books, the King of Horror can freely admit that, despite his own chops, the movie adaptation’s director was ever more proficient with the craft.
Which he did a couple of times when talking about one of his most famous works.
King of Horror Dethroned Himself
Live-action adaptations of Stephen King’s works should honestly be considered a genre of their own. Few authors have enjoyed as many adaptations as the King of Horror, and their quality varies wildly — from instant cult classics to hot garbage that should never have seen the light of the day. Thankfully, the former category is iconic enough to cover up for the more numerous and underwhelming latter.
But only one movie adaptation was dubbed “better than my book” by Stephen King himself: 1976’s Brian De Palma’s Carrie based on King’s novel of the same name.
“I’ve heard rumblings about a Carrie remake. <...> The real question is why [remake it], when the original was so good? I mean, not Casablanca or anything, but a really good horror-suspense film, much better than the book,” the author told EW in 2011.
Stephen King Explained Carrie’s Greatness
You don’t really hear such high praise from book authors, do you? There must have been something truly special about 1976’s Carrie to make such an acclaimed writer like Stephen King openly call it a better version of his own work. Thankfully, the King of Horror himself perfectly described what he found so brilliant about the adaptation.
“Brian De Palma’s Carrie was terrific. He handled the material deftly and artistically and got a fine performance out of Sissy Spacek. <...> The film is far more stylish than my book [which is still] a gripping read,” Carrie’s author explained.
Source: EW via MovieLine