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8 King First Edition Covers vs Film Interpretations

Published

7 years ago

September 17, 2017

Interpretations, interpretations. There are about as many of those as there are opinions. But when you are hired to create the cover art for a novel how much liberty can you take?

Years ago, to judge a book by its cover you simply had to pick it up. Nowadays it’s less of a cover and more of a PNG image next to a button that says download now.

Probably the most influential horror author of the last 40 years, Stephen King has made a career of memorable characters, but sometimes the covers of his books didn’t always match up to the characters in the movies.

Just as directors take certain liberties with who the characters are and what they look like, so too do the artists who create the cover art for the book jacket.

Here are some of his first edition book covers that may or may not have missed the mark when the movies came out. We are only examining the first US printings; there were subsequent releases later for paperbacks which may have gone into more detail as King’s career grew.

And we are also not looking at the text or descriptions of these characters from inside the books: only the first edition covers and the actors and situations that played out on screen.

Cover-to-screen changes are very noticeable on King’s first bestseller, Carrie. On the book, Carrie has auburn curls and brown eyes, a far cry from the now iconic role made famous by Sissy Spacek, with her piercing blues and strawberry blonde hair in the movie.

Carrie: Book published: 1974

Film adaptation releases: 1976 – 2002 (TV movie) – 2013

2002 (TV movie)

2013

The Shining: Book published: 1977

Film adaptation releases: 1980 – 1997 (TV miniseries)

For The Shining, the jacket makes Jack Torrance less of a presence than Kubrick’s vision. Even Wendy looks like a supermodel on the front, not the gangly cowardess depicted by Shelley Duvall in the famous movie. The 1997 miniseries seemed to have given some reference to the first edition graphic as Steven Weber and Rebecca De Mornay are much closer to the family on the jacket. Even Danny got a bowl cut for the miniseries, looking similar to the one on the book although seemingly much happier.

1997 (TV miniseries)

The Dead Zone: Book published: 1979

Film adaptation releases: 1983

We can’t see much of Johnny Smith’s visage on this classic novel, Christopher Walken who plays the part in the film has a striking resemblance to the book’s depiction, if only slightly thinner.

Firestarter: Book published: 1980

Film adaptation releases: 1984

Drew Barrymore seemed the perfect casting choice if producers were taking from the original novel cover. The jacket shows very little of Charlie, but Drew is almost identical to the book illustration in facial features and temperament.

Cujo: Book published: 1981

Film adaptation releases: 1983

Well, poor Cujo. There’s really nothing an artist would have to interpret here. Large Saint Bernard, snout gnarling in the penumbra. Probably an easy payday for this artist. But later on, another iconic King pet would make a really drastic change from book cover to screen…

Pet Sematary: Book published: 1983

Film adaptation releases: 1989

..and that animal is Church from Pet Sematary. On the book, we see an angry domestic longhair, in the Mary Lambert film it changes to a British short hair, some viewers initially thought Church was a Russian Blue breed.

IT: Book published: 1986

Film adaptation releases: 1990 (TV miniseries)– 2017

This cover is interesting. It shows Georgie’s paper boat anchored near a storm drain with IT’s hand in the latter stages of transformation.

Of course in both film adaptations of the novel, IT is introduced as Pennywise the clown, beckoning below the sewer with Georgie’s boat in hand, but with clown gloves. Not this semi-spoiler art from the first edition cover.

Misery: Book published: 1987

Film adaptation releases: 1990

The difference here is not for characterization, it’s decor. In this great novel from King, Annie Wilkes holds famous romance writer Paul Sheldon hostage in a small room. The cover shows the bed on the left wall and a single window in the center. In the film, the windows multiply and the bed is on the right wall.

Well what do you think? Did the artist doing the first covers get it right the first time or did the directors making the film adaptations do it better? Tell us what you think in the comments below.

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Netflix Releases First BTS ‘Fear Street: Prom Queen’ Footage

Published

4 hours ago

April 30, 2024

Timothy Rawles

It’s been three long years since Netflix unleashed the bloody, but enjoyable Fear Street on its platform. Released in a tryptic fashion, the streamer broke up the story into three episodes, each taking place in a different decade which by the finale were all tied together.

Now, the streamer is in production for its sequel Fear Street: Prom Queen which brings the story into the 80s. Netflix gives a synopsis of what to expect from Prom Queen on their blog site Tudum:

“Welcome back to Shadyside. In this next installment of the blood-soaked Fear Street franchise, prom season at Shadyside High is underway and the school’s wolfpack of It Girls is busy with its usual sweet and vicious campaigns for the crown. But when a gutsy outsider is unexpectedly nominated to the court, and the other girls start mysteriously disappearing, the class of ’88 is suddenly in for one hell of a prom night.”

Based on R.L. Stine’s massive series of Fear Street novels and spin-offs, this chapter is number 15 in the series and was published in 1992.

FEAR STREET: PROM QUEEN IS NOW IN PRODUCTION 🩸 Welcome to Shadyside High. We're gonna have a killer time. pic.twitter.com/jDl0zRa2CH
— Netflix (@netflix) April 30, 2024

Fear Street: Prom Queen features a killer ensemble cast, including India Fowler (The Nevers, Insomnia), Suzanna Son (Red Rocket, The Idol), Fina Strazza (Paper Girls, Above the Shadows), David Iacono (The Summer I Turned Pretty, Cinnamon), Ella Rubin (The Idea of You), Chris Klein (Sweet Magnolias, American Pie), Lili Taylor (Outer Range, Manhunt) and Katherine Waterston (The End We Start From, Perry Mason).

No word on when Netflix will drop the series into its catalog.

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Live Action Scooby-Doo Reboot Series In Works at Netflix

Published

5 hours ago

April 30, 2024

Timothy Rawles

The ghosthunting Great Dane with an anxiety problem, Scooby-Doo, is getting a reboot and Netflix is picking up the tab. Variety is reporting that the iconic show is becoming an hour-long series for the streamer although no details have been confirmed. In fact, Netflix execs declined to comment.

If the project is a go, this would be the first live-action movie based on the Hanna-Barbera cartoon since 2018’s Daphne & Velma. Before that, there were two theatrical live-action movies, Scooby-Doo (2002) and Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004), then two sequels that premiered on The Cartoon Network.

Currently, the adult-oriented Velma is streaming on Max.

Scooby-Doo originated in 1969 under the creative team Hanna-Barbera. The cartoon follows a group of teenagers who investigate supernatural happenings. Known as Mystery Inc., the crew consists of Fred Jones, Daphne Blake, Velma Dinkley, and Shaggy Rogers, and his best friend, a talking dog named Scooby-Doo.

Normally the episodes revealed the hauntings they encountered were hoaxes developed by land-owners or other nefarious characters hoping to scare people away from their properties. The original TV series named Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! ran from 1969 to 1986. It was so successful that movie stars and pop culture icons would make guest appearances as themselves in the series.

Celebrities such as Sonny & Cher, KISS, Don Knotts, and The Harlem Globetrotters made cameos as did Vincent Price who portrayed Vincent Van Ghoul in a few episodes.

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BET Releasing New Original Thriller: The Deadly Getaway

Published

5 hours ago

April 30, 2024

Cameron McFarland

BET will soon be offering horror fans a rare treat. The studio has announced the official release date for their new original thriller, The Deadly Getaway. Directed by Charles Long (The Trophy Wife), this thriller sets up a heart racing game of cat and mouse for audiences to sink their teeth into.

Wanting to break up the monotony of their routine, Hope and Jacob set off to spend their vacation at a simple cabin in the woods. However, things go sideways when Hope’s ex-boyfriend shows up with a new girl at the same campsite. Things soon spiral out of control. Hope and Jacob must now work together to escape the woods with their lives.

The Deadly Getaway is written by Eric Dickens (Makeup X Breakup) and Chad Quinn (Reflections of US). The Film stars, Yandy Smith-Harris (Two Days in Harlem), Jason Weaver (The Jacksons: An American Dream), and Jeff Logan (My Valentine Wedding).

Showrunner Tressa Azarel Smallwood had the following to say about the project. “The Deadly Getaway is the perfect reintroduction to classic thrillers, which encompass dramatic twists, and spine-chilling moments. It showcases the range and diversity of emerging Black writers across genres of film and television.”

The Deadly Getaway will premiere on 5.9.2024, exclusively ion BET+.