Stephen King Carrie Adaptation and The Shining Rebooted: A Halloween Streaming Surge

Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 adaptation of The Shining is once again the most-watched horror film on HBO Max in the U.S., as Halloween approaches — a strange twist for a movie Stephen King himself dismissed witheringly. The director’s take on the author’s 1977 novel, starring Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall, was a commercial underperformer at the time and received a lukewarm critical reception, even earning two Golden Raspberry nominations, one for Worst Actress (Duvall), another for Worst Director (Kubrick).

Today, that same film is regarded by many as one of the greatest horror movies ever made, its reputation having aged like fine wine. King, who reportedly found the adaptation cold and emotionally hollow, once compared it to “a big, beautiful Cadillac with no motor inside,” criticizing the lack of warmth and his own characters’ portrayal.

He never saw the film as a true reflection of his work. Yet now, decades later, it’s drawing massive viewership during the spooky season, proving that some stories evolve beyond their creators’ intentions. This resurgence comes alongside the launch of Mike Flanagan’s new Carrie series on Prime Video, which has become the third-most-watched title in the U.S. The show, based on King’s 1974 novel, stars Summer C. Howell as the titular telekinetic teenager, with Samantha Sloyan, Amber Midthunder, and Matthew Lillard in supporting roles.