8 Unmissable Stephen King Adaptations Directed By Women [Sponsored]
Josh Korngut
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From his first published book, Carrie, to his most recent novel, Holly, the legacy of Stephen King is splattered with countless stories centered on fascinating women. And with all these works crafted from a woman’s perspective, it’s strange to think of the disparity in how many of his film and television adaptations have been created or directed by men. With that said, there are also many excellent King projects directed by women that are well worth discussing. Today, I’m spotlighting eight visions from extraordinary female directors who have brought the works of Stephen King to life (or will be doing so very soon).
This article is sponsored by Paramount+. Pet Sematary: Bloodlines, directed by Lindsey Anderson Beer, is now streaming exclusively on Paramount+.
Pet Sematary (1989) – Mary Lambert
Likely the scariest story on this list, Pet Sematary is a novel about the death of a child and how grief and trauma can permanently poison the soil. When first adapted for the big screen by Mary Lambert in 1989, audiences and critics were terrified and heartbroken by her unflinching portrayal of one of Stephen King’s most emotional novels.
Having already built an impressive resume directing music videos by some of the greatest musical acts of all time, including Madonna, Lambert brought her unique heightened style and flair to a horror classic that fans will remember for the rest of time. And, while it has its critics, Lambert’s Pet Sematary Two is another bonafide cult classic that’s received a favorable reevaluation in recent years. Both movies are absolutely worth watching this October.
Carrie (2013) – Kimberly Pierce
Not only was Carrie Stephen King’s first published novel, but it’s also one of his most enduring cinematic legacies. There have been five notable adaptations in the world of Carrie (including a musical), a story about a compassionate young woman with remarkable powers who is pushed into performing unspeakable acts of cruelty. It’s a phenomenal novel featuring an exceptional woman at its center, and the 2013 big-budget adaptation from director Kimberly Pierce is a striking and wildly successful addition to the world of one of King’s most nuanced characters.
The 2013 reenvision isn’t the only film in the Carrie canon directed by a notable woman director. The Rage: Carrie 2, a 1999 direct sequel to Brain De Palma’s 1976 film, was helmed by Katt Shea, best known for her Sundance Grand Jury Prize-nominated erotic thriller Poison Ivy.
Mr. Mercedes – Laura Innes
Most famous for his expansive library of horror titles, King is also responsible for a number of memorable and exciting crime dramas. One of his most celebrated moments from this subgenre is the Mr. Mercedes series of “hard-boiled detective” stories centered on the character Bill Hodges. Back in 2017, the Audience network adapted this trilogy of novels into the Mr. Mercedes series, which lasted for three seasons and was picked up by Peacock in 2020. The show, executive produced by King himself, had three critical episodes directed by famous actress and television director Laura Innes. Best known for her leading role on TV’s ER, Innes has also directed for prestige series such as Sneaky Pete and How to Get Away with Murder. Her 2017 Mr. Mercedes episode, “From the Ashes,” is a tragic and exceptional standout from season one.
Chapelwaite – Rachel Leiterman
While the title of the television series Chapelwaite may not sound familiar to all King fans, this gothic and scrumptious vampire horror show is adapted from his early short work Jerusalem’s Lot, itself a spin-off from King’s second novel ‘Salem’s Lot. Shot in stunning Nova Scotia, Adrien Brody stars in the project as a widower in 1850 who returns to small-town Maine where horrible secrets and monstrous unknowns will soon emerge from the shadows.
Famous for directing standout episodes of The Man In the High Tower and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Rachel Leiterman lends her precise eye to back-to-back Chapelwaite episodes “The Prophet” and “The Offer.” Renowned for its scares and gorgeous atmosphere, Epix has officially greenlit the show for a second season. Let’s hope we see even more of Lieterman’s work next time around.
Beachworld – Maria Ivanova
Stephen King’s Dollar Baby program famously allows independent filmmakers to adapt the author’s short stories for a licensing fee of only a dollar. While these films are unable to be distributed for profit, they are able to gain recognition at film festivals and other non-profit outlets. Perhaps the most notable talent to emerge from the program is filmmaker Frank Darabont, who adapted the story The Woman in the Room. Darabont famously went on to adapt both The Green Mile and The Mist.
Well, in 2012, another creative would make her mark in King’s Dollar Baby program. Russian filmmaker Maria Ivanova crafted a unique and beautiful animated adaptation of Beachworld, a science fiction story set on a planet made up of a landscape of infinite sand. Ivanova is celebrated as the first-ever Russian filmmaker to produce a Dollar Baby, and Vice calls her short film “beautifully crafted.” The project took Ivanova ten months to create by hand. Check out her awesome YouTube channel here.
The Stand (2020) – Danielle Krudy and Bridget Savage Cole
The Stand is an epic fantasy novel concerning a post-apocalyptic world ravaged by a deadly pandemic where a small surviving population is psychically drawn to one of two supernatural and extra-dimensional characters/entities. It’s a classical story of good versus evil, one which a healthy amount of King enthusiasts consider to be his most significant work. Too vast to be contained to a single film, two adaptations of The Stand have emerged, and both are dense and challenging television miniseries.
The 2020 version is a nine-part limited series that features a final episode written by Stephen King himself. Creative duo Danielle Krudy and Bridget Savage Cole were hired to direct two of the episodes after gaining attention for their moody and buzzy Prime Video original film Blow the Man Down. The first of their paired episodes, “The House of the Devil,” was written in part by King’s son Owen King. The series is now streaming on Paramount+.
Under the Dome – Roxanne Dawson & Kari Skogland
King’s enormous 2009 novel Under the Dome proved that the master was still able to craft works of genius even half a century after he began writing. A mystery-thriller about a small town encased beneath an impenetrable transparent sphere, this tale of paranoia does what King does best, spotlighting humans at their absolute best and rock-bottom worst. A big-budget three-season television adaptation of the novel emerged in 2013 on CBS and immediately gathered a cult following.
Executive produced by none other than Steven Spielberg, Under the Dome, featured the directing talents of numerous talented women. However, prolific filmmaker Kari Skogland stands out for her first-season episodes “Outbreak” and “The Endless Thirst,” which helped to establish the series as an exciting King adaptation worth keeping an eye on. Skogland is also known for directing the King-adjacent film Children of the Corn 666: Issac’s Return and multiple episodes of NOS4A2, a horror series based on a book by King’s son, Joe Hill.
The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon – Lynne Ramsay
The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon holds a special place in my heart, as it was the first King novel I ever read in full. I’ll never forget my surprise that a horror book was available at my eighth-grade Scholastic book sale. And it definitely turned out to be a heavy hitter, if you’ll excuse my pun. The story here focuses on a young baseball fan who finds herself separated from her family when hiking in the woods. It’s a tale of survival, and it’s a perfect entry point for young genre fans.
Like Carrie, this King story is centered on one of King’s most enigmatic young female heroines. And while no cinematic adaptation has to be produced, there is one in the works from one of the most exciting modern filmmakers we’ve got. Lynne Ramsay is best known for We Need To Talk About Kevin and You Were Never Really Here, two very difficult, disturbing, and unmissable features. Both films helped to establish Ramsay as an artist capable of crafting dangerous, exciting, and boundary-pushing cinema, so I can’t wait to see what she does with this horror story that is equal parts horrifying and heartwarming.
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