King on Screen

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1:47

King on Screen

2023

1h 15m

Documentary

Biography

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

64%

Tomatometer

28 Reviews

67%

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

1976, Brian de Palma directs Carrie, the first novel by Stephen King. Since then, more than 50 directors have adapted the master of horror's books, in more than 80 films and series, making him the most adapted author alive in the world. What's so fascinating about him that filmmakers cannot stop adapting his works? KING ON SCREEN reunites the filmmakers that have adapted Stephen King's books for cinema and TV, including Frank Darabont (Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, The Walking Dead), Tom Holland (The Langoliers, Chucky), Mick Garris (The Stand, Sleepwalkers) and Taylor Hackford (Dolores Claiborne, Ray). It is a movie made for the fans and with the fans, led by an international ambition.

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Roger Luckhurst

Sight & Sound

May 13, 2026

It is, overall, an uneven experience, slightly too dependent on benign or hagiographic anecdotes to generate many acute insights.

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Brian Lowry

CNN.com

Aug 15, 2023

Almost inadvertently, though, this new documentary highlights what a mixed bag all those productions have yielded, with insights into where and how King-inspired productions shine, and where they haven’t.

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Meagan Navarro

Bloody Disgusting

Aug 10, 2023

2.5/5

While Baiwir successfully underscores how prolific King and his adapted works remain, King’s expansive output presents a tricky hurdle for the director to connect the interviews and talking points to a cohesive throughline.

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Rebecca Sayce

FILMHOUNDS Magazine

Jul 24, 2025

4/5

From the uninitiated to the hardened King fan, the documentary has something for everyone as it covers everything from the beginning of his career to his more recent works, and delves into how he has influenced genre cinema and TV every step of the way.

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Lee Zumpe

Tampa Bay Newspapers

Oct 26, 2023

The documentary never fully engages the viewer. Baiwir fails to impart her enthusiasm for King’s work and for the dedication of so many filmmakers who have helmed King adaptations.

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Daniel M. Kimmel

North Shore Movies

Sep 11, 2023

3/5

In spite of its shortcomings, “King On Screen” is a film that fans of the author and/or the film versions will find fascinating. Consider this the start of the conversation rather than the final word on the subject.

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Brent H

@BrentMHinson Oct 29, 2025

've always been a fan of films based on Stephen King's writings. I thought this documentary by Daphné Baiwir started out a little slowly but really picked up momentum as it progressed. I actually started watching it one night, paused it, and went to bed. I'm glad I picked it back up the next day, though, because the section where Frank Darabont talks about "The Green Mile" makes it worth watching on its own. Actually, Darabont is the highlight of the whole documentary due to the details and backstories he provides. One of the first horror films I watched as a child was "Creepshow." Hearing the backstory of how they had to wrangle all those cockroaches was quite entertaining. There are some fantastic tidbits of information about the movies of King that I grew up watching ... I just wish there were more. I love hearing about those "inside baseball" moments of filmmaking.

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nilufer e

@Nilicim Feb 24, 2024

Even though I'm one of Stephen King's biggest fans I didn't enjoy this documentary as much as I wanted to. It was poorly directed and didn't give me much new information.

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Valerii Ege D

@RT37895442 Nov 24, 2023

A good documentary for those who love Stephen King's adaptations. It was a documentary in which I learned things I didn't know, learned the details of what I knew, and had very enjoyable details, especially regarding my research.

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Daphné Baiwir

Director

Frank Darabont

Self

Mick Garris

Self

Mike Flanagan

Self

Tom Holland

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Vincenzo Natali

Self

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Synopsis

1976, Brian de Palma directs Carrie, the first novel by Stephen King. Since then, more than 50 directors have adapted the master of horror's books, in more than 80 films and series, making him the most adapted author alive in the world. What's so fascinating about him that filmmakers cannot stop adapting his works? KING ON SCREEN reunites the filmmakers that have adapted Stephen King's books for cinema and TV, including Frank Darabont (Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, The Walking Dead), Tom Holland (The Langoliers, Chucky), Mick Garris (The Stand, Sleepwalkers) and Taylor Hackford (Dolores Claiborne, Ray). It is a movie made for the fans and with the fans, led by an international ambition.

Director: Daphné Baiwir
Producer: Sebastien Cruz, Jean-Yves Roubin
Distributor: Dark Star Pictures
Production Co: Da Yamms Entertainment, Shamans Films, Frakas Productions, Les Films de la Plage, FilmCore, Mr Salmon Films
Genre: Documentary, Biography
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 11, 2023, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 8, 2023
Runtime: 1h 15m

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