The success of Stephen King‘s books doesn’t always translate into successful movie adaptations. The author has seen some of his babies taken to the big screen with great box office results and critical acclaim, but in other cases, the attempts have terribly failed. It should go without saying, but not every movie can be The Shining.
Mentioning his name does help. It’s hard to beat an adaptation of a Stephen King book in terms of creating hype. However, in the case of the following movies, not even the author’s name on the posters helped. He may like some of them, and viewers may have gifted them cult status over the years, but in the end, they didn’t sell many tickets. The following is a list of Stephen King’s biggest box office flops.
10 The Dark Half (1993)
Production Budget: $15 Million – Box Office Gross: $10.6 Million
In The Dark Half, author Thad Beaumont is trying to separate his most serious work from the mystery novels he publishes using the pseudonym George Stark. Beaumont decides to “kill” Stark and even buries the bestselling author’s name in a grave. The problem is that Stark becomes a physical manifestation that starts killing people. Of course, Beaumont becomes the main suspect because Stark looks exactly like him.
Directed by the legendary George A. Romero, The Dark Half is an interesting Stephen King adaptation featuring Timothy Hutton in a great role that was sadly undermined by the film’s poor performance at the box office. This was likely at least partially due to the film’s release delay because of Orion Pictures’ symptoms of bankruptcy. It holds a 62% score on Rotten Tomatoes.
You can stream The Dark Half on Tubi
9 Apt Pupil (1998)
Production Budget: $10 Million – Box Office Gross: $8.8 Million
Apt Pupil follows a teenager named Todd Bowden, who discovers a former Nazi living in his town. Instead of telling authorities, Todd bonds with the old man named Kurt Dussander, who at first wishes to leave his past behind. However, Todd’s obsession with war fuels up Dussander’s demons, and they both go on a rampage.
With a score of 54% on Rotten Tomatoes, Apt Pupil is a divisive Stephen King adaptation with a good premise whose execution fails to grab the attention of most viewers. The performances are great, but the film fizzled out quickly, mainly because of the controversy surrounding the production of the film: Director Bryan Singer shot a shower scene that involved underage boys being naked, and the lawsuit was instantaneous.
You can stream Apt Pupil on Tubi
8 Maximum Overdrive (1986)
Production Budget: $9 Million – Box Office Gross: $7.4 Million
Based on King’s short story, Trucks, Maximum Overdrive follows a group of survivors who gather at Dixie Boy Truck Stop after machines apparently become sentient and start killing people any way they can. This happens when Earth comes close to a comet, and all inanimate objects are brought to life. Trucks are pretty obvious because of how big they are, but have you ever seen a vending machine killing someone?
King’s single directorial effort, Maximum Overdrive, was panned by critics worldwide (14% on Rotten Tomatoes), and the film had its share of Golden Raspberry nominations. Even King himself said the movie was a mess, and today he doesn’t remember making it because of how high he was during production. The soundtrack was notably provided by Aussie rock legends AC/DC.
7 Children of the Corn II: The Final Sacrifice (1992)
Production Budget: $4 Million – Box Office Gross: $6.8 Million
Children of the Corn II: The Final Sacrifice follows the story of survivors of the events of the first film after the town of Gatlin was pillaged by the children following the orders of a demonic entity, anad eventually killing every adult in town. The residents of a neighboring town adopt the children, but they soon realize the threat is still active as He Who Walks Behind the Rows is still giving orders.
Stephen King had nothing really to do with Children of the Corn II: The Final Sacrifice, but it comes from the source material of the far superior film from 1984 based on King’s story. The Final Sacrifice is pretty schlocky in its premise, and it remains a generic ’90s sequel in a franchise that’s strangely still alive. It has a 30% score on Rotten Tomatoes.
6 Lawnmower Man 2: Beyond Cyberspace (1996)
Production Budget: $7 Million – Box Office Gross: $2.4 Million
Lawnmower Man 2: Beyond Cyberspace continues after the events in the first film when Jobe Smith seemingly escapes an attack in the cyber environment, where he is able to control things in the outside world, aka the physical realm. In part 2, he gets reconnected and tries to convince a virtual reality scientist to let him use a chip that will let him control all operating systems.
Another one of King’s projects that’s related to him only because of the source material, Lawnmower Man 2: Beyond Cyberspace is the result of everyone from the original’s schedules being too busy to return for the sequel. After the first film made over $150 million, plans for a sequel were inevitable, but Beyond Cyberspace is a terrible continuation with a concept so complicated that even the biggest fans of the original didn’t love this one. It has an 18% score on Rotten Tomatoes, one of the lowest on this list.
You can stream Lawnmower Man 2: Beyond Cyberspace on Tubi
5 The Mangler (1995)
Production Budget: $1.5 Million – Box Office Gross: $1.8 Million
The Mangler is another story about machines with a mind of their own, only this time it’s just an ancient laundry press machine. Aptly called the Mangler, the machine appears to be involved in some suspicious deaths that agent Hutton and his brother-in-law, Mark, can’t solve. But apparently, Bill Gartley, the owner of the laundry service, has a past that can justify the machine’s thirst to kill.
Directed by horror legend Tobe Hooper, The Mangler is a polarizing Stephen King adaptation that some fans love while others despise. The performance by Robert Englund as Gartley and the production design are some of the few bright points that can be salvaged from the film, which holds a 27% score on Rotten Tomatoes.
4 Cell (2016)
Production Budget: $20 Million – Box Office Gross: $1.3 Million
Cell is Stephen King’s cautionary tale about the excessive usage of technological devices. After Clay Riddell tries to call his family using a pay phone, he realizes everyone else in the airport is turning into a zombie. The only thing they had in common was they were using their cell phones, whose network now hosts an electronic signal that turns everyone into a flesh-eater.
At first, Eli Roth was attached to the project, but then he left it because of creative differences. Relatively unknown director Tod Williams jumped in, and alongside John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson, he made what most consider to be Stephen King’s worst film adaptation, and one of this list’s greatest failures when it comes to comparing the production budget with box office performance.
Currently holding an 11% score on Rotten Tomatoes, Cell had a very limited release in theaters after fading away in the straight-to-video underworld.
3 Children of the Corn (2020)
Production Budget: $1.5 Million – Box Office Gross: $575,000
In Children of the Corn, the town of Rylstone is going through the hardships of crop failure. The leaders decide to burn the crops and ask for government help, but Eden, an orphan, is not very happy. The children hold a mock trial to condemn the adults, but Eden means business and begins killing them one by one. She’s following orders from an entity called He Who Walks, who orders the children to sacrifice all the adults.
A modern adaptation of King’s story, Children of the Corn is the 11th film in the series and the franchise’s first time back in theaters after the 1992 sequel Children of the Corn II: The Final Sacrifice. The problem is that it didn’t impress everyone, and it only made half a million in its 18-day theatrical run. It has a 12% score on Rotten Tomatoes.
2 Riding the Bullet (2004)
Production Budget: $4 Million – Box Office Gross: $264,505
Riding the Bullet follows a young artist and student named Alan Parker, who is obsessed with death. He’s convinced his girlfriend will leave him, so he plays with suicide, summoning the Grim Reaper. However, Alan is accidentally saved. The next day, Alan is forced to hitchhike to see his ill mother, and while on the road, he has a series of encounters and visions that blur the line between the living and the dead.
The 2004 film by Stephen King’s frequent collaborator, Mick Garris, is loosely based on the author’s novella, but it lacks the thrills and the ghouls as Garris attempted to make a more sober version of the story. Riding the Bullet would end up being a forgettable King adaptation that only made just over $250,000 in a few days and earned a very low 23% score on Rotten Tomatoes.
You can stream Riding the Bullet on Tubi
1 The Night Flier (1997)
Production Budget: $3 Million – Box Office Gross: $126,000
In The Night Flier, journalists Richard Dees and Katherine Blair are trying to investigate a series of strange murders that take place near airfields. They each take their own path to explore, but eventually, Dees realizes they’re facing an otherworldly creature who likes to drain the blood off of his victims while flying planes.
The film’s release schedule involved a forced premiere on TV before landing a theatrical run one year later. It was instantly panned by critics (33% on Rotten Tomatoes), and most viewers didn’t bother to give it a chance when it played in theaters. The absurd premise results in some good moments in the film adaptation, but overall, it remains Stephen King’s biggest box office flop.
