9 Upcoming Movies Based on Horror Books

Books being made into movies can be a hit or a miss – personally, I am both excited and nervous when I hear a book I like is being adapted to the screen!

One of the most prolific authors when it comes to film adaptations would have to be Stephen King, whose works have been adapted into movies for decades. In 2017 alone, there was the box-office hit film It, The Dark Tower, Gerald’s Game, and 1922. There’s also a TV series based on the Mr Mercedes trilogy, and the show Castle Rock, which is not a direct adaptation but set in the Stephen King universe.

The latest big-screen adaptation of a Stephen King work is a new version of Pet Sematary. To celebrate its upcoming release, I have compiled a list of upcoming movies based on horror books!

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PET SEMATARY

(based on Pet Sematary by Stephen King; release date 4 April 2019)

Louis Creed relocates with his wife Rachel and their two children to a new town. He discovers a mysterious burial ground in the woods near their new home. When tragedy strikes, Louis turns to his neighbor, Jud Crandall, setting off a chain reaction that unleashes an unfathomable evil with horrific consequences. Watch the trailer.

Pet Sematary was the first Stephen King book I ever read! It was adapted into film in 1989 and I watched it years later when I was old enough but I still got spooked. The new adaptation apparently veers a little off the pages but still promises to be a terrifying watch. There is a lot of buzz for this movie, which stars Jason Clarke, Amy Seimetz, and John Lithgow.

THE SILENCE

(based on the The Silence by Tim Lebbon, release date 12 April 2019 on Netflix)

A family struggles to survive in a world terrorized by a deadly species living in the darkness of a vast underground cave system, hunting only with their acute hearing. As the family waits out the invasion, they start to wonder what kind of world will remain when they’re ready to emerge. Watch the trailer.

I’ve seen a lot of comparisons to A Quiet Place but the book was written in 2015, so I think both movies have their own merits. I have not read the book but I’m intrigued by the concept. Anything involving people trying to survive a post-apocalyptic world is right up my alley! The movie stars Stanley Tucci, Kiernan Shipka, and Miranda Otto.

SCARY STORIES TO TELL IN THE DARK

(based on Scary Stories In The Dark by Alvin Schwartz, illustrated by Stephen Gammell; release date 9 August 2019)

It’s 1968 and change is blowing in the wind… but in the small town of Mill Valley, the shadow of the Bellows family has loomed large for generations. It is in their mansion on the edge of town that Sarah, a young girl with horrible secrets, turns her tortured life into a series of scary stories. Watch the trailer.

I found these books really scary due to the incredibly unsettling illustrations. Guillermo Del Toro is one of the credited writers on this project and I know it’s in good hands – if his monsters in Pan’s Labyrinth are anything to go by! I watched the trailer and already have chills. The cast includes Dean Norris, Gil Bellows, and Zoe Margaret Colletti.

IT: CHAPTER 2

(based on It by Stephen King; release date 6 September 2019)

Twenty-seven years after the events of the summer of 1989, The Losers Club has grown up and moved away, until a devastating phone call brings them back. It has returned, stronger and crueler than ever. They return to Derry to put an end to the evil being once and for all. Watch the trailer.

I might be one of the very few people who found the 2017 adaptation of It to be underwhelming. I was not happy with the way it made Beverly the damsel in distress towards the end. However, I’m still looking forward to the sequel! The movie stars Jessica Chastain, James McAvoy, Bill Hader, and James Ransone.

THE TURNING

(based on The Turn of the Screw by Henry James; release date 24 January 2020)

At a mysterious estate in the Maine countryside, newly appointed nanny Kate is charged with the care of two orphans, Flora and Miles. She quickly discovers that both the children and the house are harboring dark secrets and things may not be as they appear. Watch the trailer.

The Turn of the Screw is one of those books that I feel will always work better in print than on the screen. The entire book is from the point of view of the main character, who is the ultimate unreliable narrator. Watching her experiences on the screen takes away some of the suspense, but I’m open to seeing the filmmakers’ interpretation. The cast includes Mackenzie Davis, Finn Wolfhard, and Brooklyn Prince.

THE DEVIL ALL THETIME

(based on The Devil All The Time by Donald Ray Pollock; to be released in 2020)

Set in rural southern America, the movie follows a cast of characters from the end of World War II to the 1960s. There’s the veteran Willard and his wife, Charlotte. There’s Carl and Sandy, a pair of serial killers. Preacher Roy and his sidekick, Theodore, running from the law. And caught in the middle is Arvin, a good but violent man in his own right. Watch the trailer.

I have not read The Devil of All Time yet but I’ve heard great things about it. The storyline is packed with interesting characters and the way the timeline moves throughout the years means the movie will likely make for an engrossing watch. The movie stars Tom Holland, Sebastian Stan, Haley Bennett and Robert Pattinson.

DOCTOR SLEEP

(based on Doctor Sleep by Stephen King; to be released in 2020)

Struggling with alcoholism, Danny Torrance, now an adult, remains traumatized by the sinister events that occurred at the Overlook Hotel when he was a child. He soon finds a new purpose when he forms a psychic connection with a girl who shares his shining ability. Watch the trailer.

Doctor Sleep is the sequel to The Shining, and I really love the book! The movie is helmed by Mike Flanagan who is best known for directing horror movies like Oculus, Hush, and another King adaptation, Gerald’s Game, so my expectation is already high. The cast is top-notch, starring Ewan McGregor, Rebecca Ferguson, and Jacob Tremblay.

I’M THINKING OF ENDING THINGS

(based on I’m Thinking of Ending Things by Iain Reid, to be released in 2020 on Netflix)

A woman and her boyfriend are on their way to a secluded farm. She is trying to figure out how to break up with him. An unexpected detour causes her to rethink her decisions. Watch the trailer.

I absolutely love the book and I don’t think it’s an easy material to adapt. But there are parts of it that I think will be terrifying to watch! The movie is directed by Charlie Kaufman, whose previous works include Being John Malkovich and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind so he will be familiar with the mind-bending aspect of the plot. The movie stars Toni Collette, Jesse Plemons, and Jessie Buckley.

THOSE WHO WISH ME DEAD

(based on Those Who Wish Me Dead by Michael Koryta; to be released in 2020)

A teenage murder witness finds himself pursued by two assassins in the Montana wilderness. He meets a survival expert who will protect him, but a forest fire threatens to consume them all.

Those Who Wish Me Dead is more thriller than horror, but as the main protagonist is a 14-year-old boy being stalked by killers, the story can be scary at times. I remember being unable to put down the book, it’s so suspenseful. Starring Angelina Jolie and Finn Little, I’m looking forward to watching this!

That’s my list of upcoming movies based on horror books. Which adaptation are you most interested in?

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