You Probably Never Knew These 5 Non-Stephen King Horror Movies Were Based on Books

Stephen King is undoubtedly one of the most prolific and adapted authors that ever lived, and though the horror genre is defined by his name in both literature and cinema, he might have to share the honour with some other writers.

Despite King receiving a couple of new movie or show adaptations of his works every single year, there are some other masters of the genre out there, and their stories were quick to turn into cult classics once they were brought to the big screen.

Some worldwide famous horror movies have a written source behind them, and you probably had no clue about their existence. Well, we’re here to fix that.

American Psycho (2000)

Based on Bret Easton Ellis’ novel of the same name, American Psycho came as an even more audacious and disturbing story when it was turned into an already classic movie.

Starring Christian Bale, American Psycho follows its original source’s satirical take on capitalism-possessed new society, with the plot revolving around New York investment banker Patrick Bateman who uses those inferior to him as a release tool for his manslaughter propensities.

While staying away from the original book in some aspects, the movie is still a pretty faithful adaptation that gradually earned itself a status of truly horrifying experience.

Jaws (1975)

Stephen Spielberg’s movie was a turning point in the cinema, making it possible for a horror film to become a real blockbuster, and many were just too blown away by the whole cinematic experience to find out about its source material.

Jaws is based on Peter Benchley’s novel of the same name, though the movie just ignored several subplots, thus preferring to focus more on the lead characters’ hunt for a bloodthirsty shark.

It wasn’t a bad idea though, since Spielberg turned the story into a way more compelling watch without wasting the precious run time on unnecessary events.

Dracula (1931)

One of the most iconic horror characters adapted on the screen plenty of times, Dracula actually owes his existence to Bram Stoker and his novel. The legendary vampire received worldwide fame after Bela Lugosi portrayed him in 1931’s Dracula, then giving the character a second chance since Stoker’s book wasn’t that popular at the time.

Lugosi’s unmatched performance in the movie was a defining moment for Dracula who later on entered the list of forever favorites among the most famous horror characters.

The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

One of only three movies that swept the Oscars ’ big five winning in all major categories, The Silence of the Lambs was based on Thomas Harris’ series of Hannibal Lecter stories and eventually gave the world Anthony Hopkins’ best performance ever.

Also starring Oscar winner Jody Foster, the movie shares an intriguing story of FBI trainee Clarice Starling seeking some professional help from psychiatrist-turned-psycho Hannibal Lecter; The Silence of the Lambs’ raving success later on encouraged Harris to write more about the character and expand his arc.

Psycho (1960)

Alfred Hitchcock's best movie, Psycho is often mistakenly considered the director’s own idea, yet the story belongs to Robert Bloch who had published the novel of the same name a year before the film was released.

Psycho is still one of the finest works in cinema history, and the film that forever changed the horror genre, eventually spawning three sequels and one remake, while also serving as a great source of inspiration for aspiring filmmakers.