Stephen King TV adaptations have emerged as major successes in 2025, breaking streaming records and revitalizing interest in Mike Flanagan’s future projects. As audiences embrace these series, the landscape for adaptations of King’s stories is shifting, suggesting a new era for horror on television and offering promise for upcoming shows.
Major Shifts in King’s Adaptation Popularity Across Screens
The horror genre has experienced a standout year, with releases like Good Boy and Weapons drawing attention alongside acclaimed Stephen King adaptations such as The Long Walk and The Monkey in theaters. Expansions of established franchises—including The Last of Us season 2 and Alien: Earth—have made a notable impact on television, setting high standards for future continuations.
Yet, an examination of Stephen King adaptations slated for 2025 highlights an evolving trend. This change is particularly relevant for Mike Flanagan, who has found both inspiration and challenge in adapting King’s work. Flanagan’s forthcoming adaptation projects may benefit from the current momentum observed in the television format.
Box Office Results Reveal Struggles for Recent Movie Adaptations
From a critical perspective, Stephen King’s film adaptations in 2025 have been almost universally praised. The cinematic year began with The Monkey, securing a strong 77% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and earning $68.9 million on a modest $10–11 million budget. The Life of Chuck, which premiered at BFI Southbank, also received acclaim as a rare non-horror take on King, yet earned just $16.2 million despite costing $25 million to produce. Meanwhile, The Long Walk impressed viewers and critics with its portrayal of authoritarian regimes, generating $44 million on a $20 million budget.
The final adaptation, The Running Man, produced for $110 million, has received mixed reviews (66% on Rotten Tomatoes) and earned $30.7 million so far, with its theatrical run ongoing. Of all these films, only The Monkey emerged as a commercial hit; the rest struggled to recoup investments, demonstrating a noticeable gap between positive reviews and box office profitability. This outcome suggests that even acclaimed Stephen King movies can falter financially amid evolving audience preferences.
Television Success Stories: The Institute and It: Welcome to Derry
In contrast with theatrical releases, two Stephen King TV adaptations—The Institute and It: Welcome to Derry—have thrived in 2025. The Institute, which has already secured a renewal for a second season, has drawn praise from viewers, while It: Welcome to Derry has shattered viewership records on HBO. This pattern marks a departure from the traditionally mixed track record of King-related television, indicating that TV has become a more reliable venue for bringing his stories to life and captivating broad audiences, including existing fans and newcomers.
Challenges for Flanagan’s Past Film Adaptations
Mike Flanagan’s career is deeply entwined with Stephen King’s influence, having helmed adaptations such as Gerald’s Game, Doctor Sleep, and The Life of Chuck. Gerald’s Game debuted directly on streaming after its world premiere at BFI Southbank, drawing critical and viewer acclaim. Doctor Sleep and The Life of Chuck, however, were released theatrically.
Although both of these films were praised—The Life of Chuck was even hailed by many as one of the finest Stephen King adaptations—they failed to achieve commercial success. Doctor Sleep and The Life of Chuck both struggled at the box office, unable to earn back their sizable production budgets.
This trend underscores the challenge of translating audience enthusiasm and critical positivity into financial returns at the movie theater, especially in comparison with the strong performances of Flanagan’s television projects. The divide highlights a significant evolution in how and where King’s stories resonate most strongly, both critically and commercially.
Flanagan’s Future Lies in TV: New Projects on the Horizon
Looking ahead, Mike Flanagan is attached to two major Stephen King adaptations: Carrie and The Dark Tower. Both are being developed as television series, with Carrie already in active production and expected to premiere in 2026. The Dark Tower series, a more ambitious undertaking, is still early in development and likely years away.
Given the recent triumphs of The Institute and It: Welcome to Derry on television, and in light of Flanagan’s track record for TV hits, these upcoming Stephen King TV adaptations appear poised for success. While final outcomes remain to be seen, these projects stand to benefit significantly from both audience appetite for serialized horror and the proven effectiveness of translating King’s stories to long-form, episodic storytelling.
As this trend continues, key organizations like HBO and influential creators such as Mike Flanagan are set to play important roles in shaping the next chapter of King adaptations—offering hope for fans that future projects will thrive and continue breaking records in the expanding world of horror television.
