Stephen King Reveals the One Book He Wants to be Adapted for the Screen

Among the most well-known and prolific writers of our day, Stephen King has seen many movie and TV show adaptations of his writings. Though he has a large body of screen adaptations, one novel he believes would be especially appropriate for films but hasn't been adapted yet: 'Rose Madder' (1995).Also Read: In honour of John Lee Hancock's 'Mr. Harrigan's Phone,' King was asked in a 2022 interview with Netflix's Tudum whether any of his books remained unaltered by Hollywood that he felt would make a fantastic picture. He gestured to 'Rose Madder,' expressing his opinion that the tale would fit perfectly on film. King is waiting for 'Rose Madder' to have its movie moment even though he has seen several of his writings brought to life in several forms.King is not wholly mistaken there. Although 'Rose Madder' never made it on film, an attempt was made to adapt the book in 2011. Gary McKendry ('Killer Elite') was attached to direct when Palomar Pictures and Grosvenor Park announced a movie version. The initiative never came to pass, though, and as of now, it's unknown whether those behind that adaptation still have rights or if they have reverted to King.In any case, 'Rose Madder' is still one of King's creations that hasn't found the correct director to realise on film. For those not familiar with the book, it chronicles the story of Rosie Daniels, a woman who leaves her violent marriage only to discover herself caught in a weird and terrible new reality where art and retribution merge into one unsettling trip.

Why Rose Madder Faces Unique Challenges for a Film Adaptation?Examining the synopsis by itself helps one to understand why 'Rose Madder' hasn't yet made its film appearance. The book explores difficult subjects including marital violence and miscarriage, hence it is difficult to gently adapt. King is not unfamiliar with difficult subjects, but this work calls for a different approach. Furthermore, among King's most well-known pieces, "Rose Madder" isn't among them when compared to major titles like 'It' or 'The Shining.' For directors, that lack of name recognition could make a sale more difficult even with the interesting content.This isn't the only Stephen King book that remains unadapted. King projected in a 2022 interview that roughly "maybe 25 per cent" of his work hasn't yet been optioned for a movie or TV show. Some books, such as his 1977 book 'Rage,' will never find a movie because of their delicate topic matter. For many of the others, though, it's probably just a matter of time until Hollywood starts to knock. King said that simply because an idea gets optioned does not always indicate it will be developed. Read More: He said, "You know, there's a big difference between options and actually getting a movie made. You plant the seeds and someone comes along and says, 'I'll buy this seed from you,' and we have a deal where people don't pay anything for the option anyway because I like to have some control and I like to have a little more money on the back end if something gets made."