No matter your views about the horror and fantasy genre, Stephen King‘s supremacy can’t be denied. The King of Horror, as he’s rightly called, King has been entertaining us for generations. With more than 70 novels and 200 short stories, his oeuvre has always been ripe for cinematic adaptations. But ‘The Shawshank Redemption‘ is his favorite.
Scores of writers and filmmakers have adapted King’s work into television shows and movies. While it has been a hit or miss (mostly miss), he does have a few adaptations he likes. Generally, the movie adaptations don’t matter to him. But ‘The Shawshank Redemption‘ remains close to his heart.
Stephen King Is A Fan Of ‘The Shawshank Redemption’
Even a great writer like Stephen King is guilty of being too precious with his literary creations. In recent years, fans have been deprived of a decent adaptation of King’s books. But there’s one stand-out adaptation that the author has the highest regard for. The author told Deadline in 2016 that he loves Frank Darabont’s ‘The Shawshank Redemption.’ The movie is based on his novella ‘Rita Hayworth And Shawshank Redemption.‘
Stephen King told the outlet, “I have a number that I like, but I love ‘The Shawshank Redemption’ and I’ve always enjoyed working with [director Frank Darabont]. He’s a sweet guy.” The Oscar-nominated ‘The Shawshank Redemption,’ starred Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman as prison inmates. Throughout their sentence, both men become friends and find their path to redemption.
In Case You Missed: Is ‘The Shawshank Redemption’ Based On A True Story?
How The Author Feels About Movie Adaptations Of His Work
An author not being upset with a movie adaptation of their novel is a rare sight. In a 2014 interview with Rolling Stones, Stephen King didn’t express much enthusiasm for movies based on his books. A man of the written word at heart, he didn’t consider films as high art and referred to them as “ephemeral medium.” It wasn’t a big deal to him.
Stephen King has openly denounced the dumpster fire of movies created out of his books. He has famously called out filmmakers for making soulless adaptations that disregard story and character. His battles with filmmaker Stanley Kubrick about the creative direction of ‘The Shining‘ are well documented. The two were often at loggerheads, failing to reach common ground. Kubrick’s film is a staple of the horror genre in cinema, but Stephen King notoriously hates the movie version.
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