Highlights
- Stephen King’s film adaptations have been major successes at the box office.
- Despite mixed reviews, even lesser-known adaptations like “1408” and “The Dark Tower” still performed well financially.
- “Pet Sematary” became a cult classic and its 2019 adaptation earned $113 million.
Recognized internationally for his contributions to literature as an author of horror, fantasy, supernatural fiction, suspense, crime, and science-fiction, Stephen King has secured his place as one of the most famous American writers of our time. With over 400 million book copies sold over his career, he has accumulated a net worth of over $500 million – that’s more than most Hollywood actors!
While Stephen King has made a fortune from the sale of his novels alone, he has made a noteworthy amount from the film adaptations of many of those books. Some of those films have grossed close to $1 billion at the box office with, and they seem to captivate the audience more with each new release. These are some of Stephen King’s most successful adaptations that have grossed over $100 million at the box office.
6 What Did Stephen King’s Film It Gross At The Box Office?
International Box Office Earning: $702 Million
- Film Budget: $35-40 million
- Domestic box office earnings: $327.4 million
Stephen King is known for his storytelling ability, especially in the genre of horror, fantasy, and suspense. So, in 2017, when the first of the two-part supernatural horror film series was released, it took the entertainment industry by storm, becoming not only the highest-grossing Stephen King movie, but also the highest-grossing horror movie ever made. The movie was made into an adaptation of his 1986 novel of the same name, which became one of his most successful pieces of work.
Stephen King’s 2017 ‘It’ film series was actually adapted for the second time following Tommy Lee Wallace’s 1990 miniseries, which many fans still return to. However, despite the difficulty in rekindling the desire for fans to watch the 2017 film adaptation, It: Chapter One was a major success, grossing $702 million at the box office.
5 What Did Stephen King’s Film It: Chapter 2 Gross At The Box Office?
International Box Office Earning: $467.5 Million
- Film budget: $79 million
- Domestic box office earning: $211.5 million
Stephen King’s ‘It’ 1986 novel was a two-part series, and so the movie also consisted of a first and second part. Following the incredible success of the first film, It: Chapter 2 was also a guaranteed success, albeit consisting of a cast of much more popular Hollywood celebrities, such as actress Jessica Chastain, James McAvoy, and actor/comedian Bill Hader. The only actor that reprised his role from the first film was Bill Skarsgard, who portrayed the evil clown Pennywise.
Despite a cast of popular celebrities, Stephen King’s ‘It: Chapter 2″ wasn’t as successful as its predecessor, grossing $467.5 million at the box office. Considering the film’s $79 million budget, it was still a major success, and it’s estimated that King took home a $60 million check as the creator of both movies.
4 What Did Stephen King’s Film The Green Mile Gross At The Box Office?
International Box Office Earning: $290.7 Million
- Film budget: $60 million
- Domestic box office earnings: $136.8 million
Not all of Stephen King’s film adaptations are filled with supernatural terror and nightmarish scenes. Some of his novels depict an equally horrifying experience through the cruelty of savage human behavior, which is exactly what 1999 fantasy drama, The Green Mile, accomplished. This movie is deeply emotional and deals with racism and injustice in 1935 Louisiana, when racial tension was at an all-time high in America’s history.
With Stephen King’s novel as the foundation, the film included actors such as David Morse, the late Michael Clarke Duncan, and Tom Hanks, the latter of which gave one of his best performances in the movie. The film was directed by Frank Darabont, who also directed another one of Stephen King’s film adaptations, The Shawshank Redemption. Against a $60 million budget, the film grossed $290.7 million at the box office which, in today’s money, would’ve amounted to $511 million.
3 How Much Did Stephen King’s Film 1408 Gross At The Box Office?
International Box Office Earning: $131.2 Million
- Film budget: $25 million
- Domestic box office earnings: $71.9 million
Stephen King returned to the realm of horror and supernatural events when he penned the short story, 1408, in 1999. By 2007, King’s writing was adapted into a film of the same name starring legendary A-list actors John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson. This film may have really hit home for King, as its main actor, Mike Enslin, is a successful yet disturbed author whose niche books about the supernatural has proven to be a success, although he doesn’t personally believe in the supernatural. He is baited into room 1408 in the Dolphin Hotel after receiving an anonymous postcard, and sees it as a challenge to justify his disbelief in the paranormal.
Despite this short story from Stephen King being relatively unknown compared to his other written pieces, 1408 was surprisingly successful. Against a budget of $25 million, the film grossed $133 million at the box office, which would be $190 million in today’s money according to Movie Web.
2 What Did Stephen King’s Film The Dark Tower Gross At The Box Office?
International Box Office Earning: $113.4 Million
- Film budget: $66 million
- Domestic box office earnings: $50.7 million
It’s very rare for any one of Stephen King’s movies to flop, but even when one of his film adaptations receives unfavorable reviews, they still manage to perform at the box office. The Dark Tower is a 2017 science fantasy Western action film that’s based on Stephen King’s eight-part book series. The film also has a great cast, including English actor Idris Elba, who plays the role of a gunslinger whose mission is to protect a mythical structure called The Dark Tower. Matthew McConaughey plays his nemesis, a warlock who is out to destroy The Dark Tower.
Despite the negative reviews from critics, Stephen King’s ‘The Dark Tower’ film grossed $113.4 million against a $66 million budget. Because the film was originally an eight-part book series, there have been talks of a possible reboot. Given the opportunity, it may very well recover from its difficult journey to the screen.
1 How Much Did Stephen King’s Pet Sematary Gross At The Box Office?
International Box Office Earning: $113 Million
- Film budget: $21 million
- Domestic box office earnings: $54.7 million
Stephen King’s original Pet Sematary became an instant favorite in his portfolio of film adaptations. Based off of his 1983 novel of the same name, the bloody and gorey scenes combined with the themes of life and death turned the original movie into a fan favorite, grossing $90 million in 1989, which would convert to $215 million today. However, it became such a cult classic that the film was resurrected with a 2019 version that grossed $113 million at the box office.
Although Stephen King did not star in the 2019 film adaptation, the film was still met with average reviews. Even with the use of modern filmmaking techniques to create more tension for the audience, some fans still prefer the original film from 1989. At 76 years old, King is still writing novels that are being adapted to films, and there are many more to come.
Source: NewsFinale
