Which King adaptations have surpassed the material its based on?

[Black Suit]

yes, it's very rare.. but I'm sure it has happend..

I haven't read all of the stories/novels that been adpated but from the one's I have read ...

1. The Shawshank Redemption
2. The Mist

[pixiedark]

I will agree with you on both The Mist and Shawshank Redemption.

I would also like to add Secret Window. The book ending to Secret Window was so stupid and impossible to happen. (At least in my opinion.) The movie ending was way better, made much more sense, and could actually happen in real life.

Children of the Corn also surpasses the book. It is much scarier on the screen. The characters seem so much more evil! Plus the ending is better and happier.

[jacobtlong]

I would add The Green Mile and/or 1408.

[Srbo]

And Stand by Me ( aka The Body )

[bopropadop]

That's a really tough question only because I'm such a proponent of reading the book in lieu of watching the movie. Still, I have to agree with your second pick, The Mist. I thought the movie matched the novella event for event and then actually surpassed it with the surprise ending.

[psj77]

Shawshank, The Shining (mini-series), The Mist, 1408

[marew1]

The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, Christine, Carrie, The Mist, Misery, and Dolores Claiborne.

[Noelani]

yes, it's very rare.. but I'm sure it has happend..

I haven't read all of the stories/novels that been adpated but from the one's I have read ...

1. The Shawshank Redemption
2. The Mist

Shawshank was adapted superbly to the big screen, but I would not go so so far as to say surpassed.

As for your second selection: No comment.

I will say that, Stand by Me was great, they cast the perfect actors for those characters. RIP River

[Mr Nobody]

Good question...and although the two you mention are excellent as movies, I wouldn't say they necessarily surpass the source material. The end of The Mist (film) does surpass the ending of the story, IMO, but...as a whole, no, I think the story maybe shades it in the build-up, as good as the film's build is.

[seanryan]

As standalone movies with no comparisons.

Stand by me.
Carrie.
Salem's Lot (Original - remake was very poor)
The Shining
Green Mile.
the Mist

But to make a list of what surpassed the original work, I would say the only one would be Shawshank for me. But to be far, very inch of that film is perfect, from story, cast to photography.

The Mist was a good standalone movie. But the short from Skeleton Crew stuck with me when I first read it. I even picked up an old word processor and worked on my old version at the time - had never tried to write a story outside of school work. Loved the experience of writing and then life, work got in the way. But the spark stayed with me....

Then more than 10 years later I attempted to write a screenplay and been writing shorts/features ever since.

So for me, the mist has a special place in my writing heart.

But loved the ending of the movie - I mean Wow - brave move.