William Shakespeare is possibly the most famous writer from the western world and is a fundamental part of high school English lessons. Despite being regarded as one of the greatest writers of all time, you wouldn’t be alone if you found his work confusing, hard to follow or filled you with dread. Luckily, Shakespeare is one of the most adapted writers, influencing many modern films taking their own spin on his classics. If traditional Shakespeare wasn’t your thing in school, here are 10 of the most accessible Shakespeare adaptations for you to enjoy.

Top 10 Shakespeare Misquotes

10 Things I Hate About You (1999)- The Taming of the Shrew

The Taming of the Shrew has all the traits for a successful teen rom-com- “difficult” teenage daughter, younger daughter with male interest, overprotective father- which is possible why 10 Things I Hate About You works so well.

Possibly the most popular modern Shakespeare adaptation, 10 Things I Hate About You gives us a 90s twist to the classic; with Julia Stiles as “difficult” Kat- the independent, empowered young woman that teenage girls everywhere aspired to be- and bad boy turned sweetheart Patrick (Heath Ledger). The movie takes Shakespeare’s script and adds just enough twists to keep a loyal fanbase 22 years after its release. I have no doubt that has a lot to do with Heath Ledger’s rendition of ‘Can’t Take My Eyes Off You’.

9 Hamlet (2000)

The danger of adapting a play like Hamlet to the screen is the melancholy lead can translate as boring and have very little entertainment value. Moving Hamlet out of the royal court and into the world of business (and the aptly named ‘Denmark Corporation’) keeps the essentially very slow story of Hamlet (sorry Shakespeare!) interesting to a modern audience. Julia Stiles makes her second appearance on this list, albeit in an inferior film.

It may not be the greatest film on this list, but the concept cannot be knocked. The theme of corporate corruption is both ingenious and recognisable to a modern audience, not forgetting Hamlet’s famous monologue is performed in a video store of all places. How very noughties!

8 She’s The Man (2006) – Twelfth Night

The identity swap in Twelfth Night was always going to make a good comedy, the simplicity in its concept makes it easily transferable. She’s The Man takes advantage of gender reversal with well executed comedy (though admittedly with some low hanging fruit with tampon jokes). The classic mistaken identity is pretty much a guaranteed laugh and the added layer of rejection to gender norms through football allows for the stock characters that Shakespeare created to have more depth.

Suddenly ‘The Duke of Illyria’ is transformed into college student Duke (Channing Tatum) who values women beyond the physical and does not treat them as objects or possessions like his Shakespearean counterpart. Minor character Malvolio is altered into meddling Malcolm (with a pet tarantula named Malvolio as a nod to his Shakespearean counterpart) who continues to add comedic value to the plot and the addition of Monique adds another level of deception, mistaken identity and comedy, not forgetting some of the most iconic scenes to the film.

7 O (2001) – Othello

O captures the undercurrent of racism of Othello brilliantly in the context of an elite boarding school. We see our “Othello” character Odin, the only black student and star basketball player, pressured to constantly be the “perfect” student and boyfriend.

The biggest stray O makes from Shakespeare’s play is giving Iago (in this Hugo) a sad backstory to supposedly explain his actions. What makes Iago such a powerful villain is his seemingly lack of motive for his deceit. Adding a backstory to Hugo may add depth to make a more fleshed out and well-rounded character. But it also gives the audience a reason to feel a degree of sympathy for him, something he really doesn’t deserve given the level of destruction he causes.

The boarding school is the perfect setting to perpetuate the pressure on Odin to be the golden boy of the school. Not only that, but a school is the perfect brewing ground for rumours and lies to spread and have the tragic impact that they do in Othello.

6 Romeo and Juliet (1996)

The 1996 Romeo and Juliet is certainly one of the best known Shakespeare adaptations, and it’s not just Leonardo DiCaprio and Clare Danes that have made it so successful! The use of the original script juxtaposed with a 90s Miami vibe creates this strange world at Verona Beach that is oddly familiar to the audience.

This version of Romeo and Juliet doesn’t restrict itself to the expectations of Shakespeare in the traditional sense. Instead, it brings multicultural, queer and diverse characters, gun fights and ecstasy-fuelled partying. A Shakespearean tragedy is transformed into an action-packed film with an epic soundtrack that includes The Cardigans, Radiohead and Garbage.

This film pushes boundaries and proves that, when done well, the opportunities to adapted Shakespeare are limitless and is the standard that all future adaptations should be measured against.

5 Deliver Us from Eva (2003) – The Taming of the Shrew

The Taming of the Shrew and modern rom coms really do go hand in hand and Deliver Us from Eva is another that gets the formula spot on. Remaining true to the original story, Gabrielle Union is our difficult lead Eva, whose overbearing nature and involvement in her sisters’ lives drives their partners to hire Ray (LL Cool J) to date Eva and give themselves some relief from her. Naturally, Ray falls in love with Eva and a whole mess unravels.

Deliver Us from Eva ticks every rom com box, with the classic modern characters of the powerful “bossy” woman and the “player” male lead who eventually settles down. This film is the perfect tribute to Shakespeare in the format that us as a modern audience is accustomed to.

4 West Side Story (1961) – Romeo and Juliet

West Side Story is, in its own right, a phenomenal film. From the iconic opening sequence, to the standout performances from Rita Moreno and George Chakiris (both of whom won Academy Awards for their roles as Anita and Bernardo) it is an epic combination of violent rivalry and beautiful choreography. As a Shakespeare adaptation, it changes the feuding families of Capulets and Montagues into rival gangs, the Puerto Rican ‘Sharks’ and white American ‘Jets.’ Instantly this is more recognisable than two upper class families. The rivalry in West Side Story seems more well-established than that in Romeo and Juliet, with a backstory rooted in prejudice as opposed to the ambiguous ‘ancient grudge’ that we get as an explanation from Shakespeare.

The addition of characters like Anita give our Romeo and Juliet characters, Tony and Maria, much closer units which only adds to the tragedy. Replacing the minor roles that the parents play in Romeo and Juliet, West Side Story gives us two close knit family units with character traits beyond hating their rivals and musical numbers that show the wider story surrounding the characters (hello ‘America’!) and not limiting itself to the love story.

3 Richard III (1995)

With a cast that included Ian McKellen, Maggie Smith, Robert Downy Jr and Jim Broadbent, the 1995 Richard III was already off to a strong start. But there is a big challenge adapting Shakespeare’s second longest play into a feature film that is easy to follow with several Kings, Queens, Dukes, Duchesses, Earls, Lords and Ladies to keep track of.

Director Richard Loncraine does this well, not only by merging and eliminating some of the less significant characters but setting the film in a recognisable setting of 1930s Britain. In Loncraine’s take on the play, Richard (McKellen) is a fascist trying to take over the throne in an alternate timeline. The somewhat confusing Shakespearean plot that often puts off students is helped by the familiar British setting, allowing all of us to follow the film a lot easier. The use of accurate period costumes, with standard British Armed Forces & Air Force uniforms vs. SS inspired elements for Richard and his followers is a clever detail that resonates with any modern audience.

2 The Tempest (2010)

The lowest rated film on this list is the 2010 adaptation of The Tempest which is only rated 30% on Rotten Tomatoes. Regardless, it has earned its place on this list. Writer and director Julie Taymor’s biggest change is the gender of the main character from Prospero to Prospera (Helen Mirren). Taymor doesn’t make the mistake of making this a throwaway action and instead shows the consequences of the gender switch.

Prospera is the wife of the Duke of Milan (a shift from the Duke himself in the original), accused of killing her husband with witchcraft. Taymor states that ‘she had her whole life taken away from her because she was a woman’ and wanted to avoid this happening to her daughter in the future. The shift in gender changes the dynamic between parent and child, with Prospera viewing Miranda less as property as Shakespeare’s Prospero does, and casting Djimon Hounsou as Caliban makes for an eery but obvious parallel with colonialism.

It may not be the most critically acclaimed film on this list, but its visual effects- especially regarding its magical element- and costume designer Sandy Powell (who received an Oscar nomination for Best Costume Design) alongside Helen Mirren’s lead make this film worthy of a watch!

1 The Lion King (1994) – Hamlet

A staple in any Disney lover’s collection, The Lion King is a timeless classic. Perhaps not automatically associated with Shakespeare (a hula dancing meerkat and his warthog best friend doesn’t exactly scream Elizabethan tragedy) and when we think of Simba, it’s hard to relate him to the melancholy Hamlet.

Clearly, Simba doesn’t meet the same tragic end as Hamlet, but we do see a lot of the same themes as the original. With a fight to the throne, family betrayal and even identity issues of the protagonist, Disney does an excellent job of bringing across the main, and sometimes complex, themes of Hamlet in a simple and refreshing way.

Studying Shakespeare may have been something you loathed in school, but don’t let the thought of reading Elizabethan scripts put you off exploring what Shakespeare’s work has evolved into. As Ian McKellen said ‘when you put this amazing old story in a believable modern setting, it will hopefully raise the hair on the back of your neck, and you won’t be able to dismiss it as “just a movie” or indeed, as “just old-fashioned Shakespeare.”’

10 Things High Schools Don’t Teach About Shakespeare’s Life

Creatures evolved into all the wild and wacky forms we know today for many reasons. These included alterations of ecosystems, changing food supplies, and the appearance of new niches that were opened by the deaths of predators or competitors.

Sometimes, however, Mother Nature got day-drunk and cooked up something really weird, even according to those scientists who uncover strange old things for a living.

10 Amazing Evolutionary Discoveries In Prehistoric Creatures

10 The Tooth-Beaked Dinosaur-Bird

Birds are basically dinosaurs. But the transition between the two happened in such a gradual, piecemeal way that sorting it out is a huge headache.

A new creature has been discovered from this headache-inducing period of animal evolution: the Ichthyornis dispar. It’s a missing link–type animal known as a “stem bird” because it straddles the line (and weirdly) between dinosaur and bird.

It occupied Kansas 100 million years ago—in the days when Kansas was an inland sea. And even though it had a long beak, I. dispar hadn’t yet lost its dinosaurian teeth.

Instead, it combined the best of both worlds to terrorize ancient sea life. It pinched fish from the water with its birdly pincer beak and then crushed its prey into a delicious paste with its well-muscled dinosaurian jaw.^[1]

What’s inside its head is just as important. I. dispar had a surprisingly large brain to go with its imposing beak. This doesn’t agree with hypotheses which argue that jaw muscles should shrink as skulls (and brains) grow more massive.

It’s no wonder that the smart and deadly I. dispar and its ilk had a bright future.

9 The 1,000-Kilogram (2,200 lb) Guinea Pig That Stabbed Enemies With Its Massive Tusks

Three million years ago, prehistoric rodents packed serious muscle. The Uruguayan Josephoartigasia monesi was the mightiest, with a hulking 1,000-kilogram (2,200 lb) body that could stand shoulder to shoulder with a bull.

Of all the rodents’ distinctive features, oversized front teeth are the most obvious. The maxed-out guinea pig J. monesi was a king among beasts in dental regards as well, with 30-centimeter (12 in) incisors that resembled tusks more than rodent teeth.

Just seeing these teeth wasn’t enough for scientists, who wanted to know how they handled. Using CT scans, virtual reconstructions, and computer simulations, researchers recreated J. monesi’s bite and found it was capable of delivering a bite about as strong as a tiger’s—even though J. monesi’s chompers could bear forces three times as great.^[2]

That’s probably because it did more than bite. J. monesi probably used its tusklike incisors to gore anything that ticked it off. The creature also used its teeth to root about the ground and dig up hidden foodstuffs like an elephant would. Overall, very impressive for the cousin of the guinea pig.

8 The Amazing Pig-Nosed Turtle

Turtles are among the planet’s oldest creatures, having graced Earth for more than 250 million years. However, despite sizing disagreements, nature has been fairly conservative with prehistoric turtle design.

The exception?

A slight evolutionary hiccup 76 million years ago which produced the goofy, pig-nosed Arvinachelys goldeni.

The turtle inhabited Utah way back in the day when North America was a big island known as Laramidia. Utah itself also looked radically different during the Cretaceous. Its deserts were replaced by hot and humid swamps which extended into floodplains, bayous, and rivers for the pig-snouted turtle to splash in.^[3]

A. goldeni deepens an existing evolutionary enigma from Laramidia. Creatures from the north and south ended up looking too different. This showcased an unexpected level of differentiation, especially with the lack of obvious factors separating the two populations. This mystery was not at all cleared up by the appearance of the pig-turtle.

7 The Pug-Faced Mega-Hyena

Pachycrocuta brevirostris is known as the “short-faced hyena” thanks to its snub-nosed pug face. But don’t let the goofy visage fool you. P. brevirostris is the baddest hyena to ever walk the Earth.

It’s a hyena with the mass of a lion. And all that hateful mass is packed into a body no taller than that of today’s spotted hyena. P. brevirostris‘s dense, chunky body, stout limbs, and jaw were built for scavenging supremacy.

Its low, stooping stature gave it excellent leverage to tear slabs of meat from large, meaty carcasses. Then P. brevirostris dragged its meal away to eat in peace and safety before repeating the hit-and-run maneuver.^[4]

P. brevirostris forced its way onto the evolutionary scene about three million years ago in Africa and Asia. Then it sauntered into Europe about a million years later.

Unfortunately, that coincides with similarly minded migrations undertaken by our ancestors. There’s evidence that early man and hyena inhabited the same places. This wasn’t so great for our side, according to mangled Homo erectus remains from the Dragon Bone Hill site in China.

6 The Dolphin That Thought It Was A Swordfish

Scores of strange creatures appear and disappear every time the oceans warm and cool. Among the weirdest of these animals was a dolphin that attacked prey with a swordlike nose—like a swordfish.

The longest-snouted mammal of all time, Zarhachis flagellator arrived at the evolutionary party 20 million years ago during the Neogene Period. This creature sported a schnoz five times longer than its skull. This Pinocchio nose of a snout was more than 1 meter (3 ft) long, and it swept through the water as Z. flagellator searched for prey. Once it locked onto an unfortunate meal, Z. flagellator clubbed its victim silly with its weaponized snout.

Scientists know this after studying the structure of the snout to estimate the forces it could withstand. Researchers also compared Z. flagellator‘s physiology to similar prehistoric dolphins as well as modern marlins.^[5]

But the climate eventually snuffed out Z. flagellator around the beginning of the Pliocene Epoch. A brutal glaciation period altered the creatures’ habitat and food supply, wiping out the long-snouts by 2.5 million years ago.

15 Unusual Prehistoric Creatures

5 The Cold-Blooded Goat

Myotragus balearicus, a 46-centimeter-tall (18 in) dwarf goat from the Balearic Islands, survived millions of years by adopting a strategy from the reptilian evolutionary playbook: cold-bloodedness.

Its ancient goat bones stunned scientists, who had never expected to find the treelike growth rings within. Since warm-blooded creatures are continually building their bones, they don’t exhibit this skeletal quirk. But cold-blooded animals grow their bones in spurts when resources allow.

Those resources didn’t allow much wiggle room on the barren, unfruitful island of Majorca. So the Balearic goat became smaller and borrowed some reptilian biology. Now it could laze around in the sun all day and not constantly worry about food.

However, its reduced size and metabolic rate came with a drawback: M. balearicus couldn’t fight or even effectively run away from its predators. Luckily for the goat, it didn’t have any predators on the little island.^[6]

So this puny, defenseless, nonathletic goat enjoyed its Mediterranean paradise for 5.2 million years; that’s twice the average reign of mammal species. M. balearicus was eventually killed off 3,000 years ago when humans arrived.

4 The Walking Crocodilian

Dinosaur lore is full of mysteries. For example, how did dinosaurs survive their reptilian competitors, the proto-crocodilian-like rauisuchians?

Unlike crocodiles with their splayed limbs, rauisuchians (related to a predecessor of crocodiles) held their legs straight below their bodies. The more upright orientation would have made walking easier and faster while traveling on four feet as rauisuchians were apparently wont to do.

This quadrupedal bias was one of the reasons that dinosaurs outlived their Triassic fellows. It seemed that dinosaurs had the advantage of bipedalism, which is a faster and more efficient form of locomotion. But science has found out that at least some of the rauisuchians also walked on two feet. One specimen that did so is the dinosaur-impostor Poposaurus gracilis.

The 225-million-year-old P. gracilis was approximately 4 meters (13 ft) long with a mouthful of backward-curved teeth to shred its prey. It had comically small arms but made up for them with a long, tapered tail which allowed the creature to walk and run upright like its more resilient dinosaurian counterparts.

Thanks to P. gracilis, the mystery of dinosauric dominance is reignited.^[7]

3 The Ferociously Vegetarian Cave Bear

The European cave bear, so-called for its fondness of caves, weighed up to 500 kilograms (1,100 lb) and rivaled the largest living bears. But unlike modern omnivorous, picnic basket–snatching bears, the ancient variant was “exclusively herbivorous.”

These bears roamed Europe and Asia from 300,000 to 25,000 years ago, dying out around the Last Glacial Maximum. Even though its environment was dry and cold, Ursus spelaeus managed to forage for enough vegetation to support its large, 3.5-meter-long (11.5 ft) frame on salad.

How do scientists know?

They analyzed the bones—some of which date back to nearly 50,000 years ago—of six bears discovered at three cave sites in Romania. Scientists zoomed in on the fossilized collagen within the skeletal remains and compared it to bone collagen from carnivores, herbivores, and cave bears from other parts of Europe.

Based on the ratio of different types of nitrogen in the amino acids within the collagen, researchers concluded that U. spelaeus was a strict vegetarian.^[8]

2 The Armored Basking Fish

The armored fish (placoderm) Titanichthys was one of the largest sea dwellers of the Devonian Period 380 million years ago. Titanichthys grew to more than 5 meters (16 ft) in length and boasted a 1-meter-long (3 ft) jaw. But that jaw was a surprisingly weak and toothless one with no cutting edge.

So, if its jaw wasn’t built for combat or ripping bloody chunks out of its prey, what was it designed for? It turns out that this fearsome fish wasn’t so terrifying after all. Instead, it made its living as a “suspension” feeder, like a basking shark.

For all its apparent ferocity, Titanichthys employed a lazy (but efficient) feeding method called “continuous ram feeding.” It just floated about with its mouth gaping open, scooping up the tiny critters that inhabited an ancient sea that is now the Moroccan Sahara Desert.^[9]

The trendsetting Titanichthys is the earliest known species to “bask,” preempting the more famous basking animals, like baleen whales, by a whopping 350 million years.

1 The Anchovy With A Sabertooth

Fossils sometimes sit in museums for many years before being properly described. Two such fossils sat on a shelf for 20 years before recently revealing that anchovies weren’t always the little chumps they are today. While modern anchovies eat plankton and grow to about 15 centimeters (6 in) long, the prehistoric Monosmilus chureloides was about 1 meter (3 ft) long and ate other fish.

It also had a sabertooth—as in a single sabertooth poking from its upper jaw to complement a row of sharp fangs on its lower jaw. That’s right, M. chureloides was a predatory anchovy that impaled its prey.^[10]

The 45-million-year-old M. chureloides hails from the Paleogene when a surprising number of fish transformed into ruthless killers. The niche for ferocious fishes opened up when larger sea terrors were killed off by the dinosaur-obliterating asteroid 66 million years ago.

Like its brethren species, the ancient anchovy from the Eocene Epoch evolved into a beast to fill that niche and feast on lesser fishes.

10 Strange Features Recently Discovered In Prehistoric Creatures

About The Author: Ivan writes things for the Internet. You can contact him at [email protected]

Stephen King, the undisputed ruler of the horror genre, is no stranger to having his books turned into movies. His debut novel, Carrie, was released as a film only two years after its initial publication in 1974 and the trend has continued unabated ever since, with countless King stories adapted for screen over the years.
As fans of the author will know, these efforts were more often misses than hits. There are some notable exceptions, like 1994’s The Shawshank Redemption, but these just go to prove the general rule – King movies are often terrible. Or, rather, were terrible. Things have changed of late, and recently we’ve seen some excellent movies and TV series based on King’s work. With many more set for release in the coming years, there’s good reason for fans to get excited, and what better way to do so than by looking back at the top 10 King screen adaptations of the last decade.

Top 10 Modern Horror Novels More Terrifying Than A Stephen King Book

10 Carrie (2013)

Since Carrie was King’s first novel and the first to become a movie, there’s no better place to start than the excellent 2013 remake. The story, in essence, is about retribution as Carrie White ultimately uses her telekinetic powers to exact brutal revenge on those who wronged her. There’s so much more going on here though, as the lead character, expertly played by Chloe Grace Moretz, evokes strong feelings of pity despite her homicidal actions at the end. Julianne Moore rounds out a strong cast with her portrayal of Carrie’s mother, proving that the strength of King’s story lies always in its characters.

Throughout the girl’s troubled teenage years we’re given a heartbreaking portrayal that’s both relatable and all too easy to believe. True, Carrie’s telekinesis is fictional but her struggles with bullying at school, abuse and mental illness at home, and a general longing to fit in are all too real and relatable. Kimberly Pierce, one of the few prominent female directors in Hollywood, proves her worth with the depth of subtlety and nuance she packs into every scene. But make no mistake, this is a horror story through and through, and the blood-soaked final scenes leave no doubt that this is vintage King.

9 Mr. Mercedes (2017)

In his 62nd novel, King went in a new direction, leaving the supernatural behind and opting rather for a straightforward detective story. Mr. Mercedes features no fanciful elements, just strong characters, an engaging plot, and a viscerally shocking opening scene. These elements come through strongly in the popular 2017 TV series, possibly because this kind of character-driven investigative plot is perfectly suited to episodic storytelling.

After Brady Hartsfield murders several people by driving a Mercedes sedan into a crowd of job seekers one cold morning and disappears without a trace, detective Bill Hodges is unable to solve the case. Later, in retirement, he’s taunted by the killer in a series of messages and picks up the hunt once more, this time without the burden of a badge. Starting with a bang as it does is a risky move as everything that follows could come across as anticlimactic, but Mr. Mercedes is spared this fate by its colorful cast of characters and a plot that moves along briskly, engaging the viewer as it does. The story might be fairly standard, bordering on predictable, but for purposes of pure entertainment, it performs admirably.

8 1922 (2017)

Stephen King’s 2010 collection of four short stories, entitled Full Dark, No Stars, was popularly received by fans. Not too surprisingly, three of these stories have been subject to screen adaptations and, of those, 1922 is the best of the bunch. Released as a Netflix exclusive and backed up by an impressive 91% Rotten Tomatoes rating, the departure from the contemporary setting, not something King does too often, works well in narrowing the focus of the plot to the most critical aspect – the main character’s descent into insanity.

In a very Poe-like way, the story begins with Wilfred James holed up in a hotel, the threat of rats in the walls, and his own guilty conscience, driving him to recount his grizzly tale of spousal murder and how the deadly dead cost him his unwitting accomplice – his son. The story unfolds as more of a slow-burn psychological thriller but the strong character development sees the viewer quickly invested in the plot, and there are more than enough hair-raising moments to remind one that Stephen King knows exactly how to mesmerize and terrorize as he spins a yarn, be it in book or movie form.

7 Pet Sematary (2019)

Pet Sematary, one of King’s more shocking stories, deals with the issue of death and resurrection. The book was made into a movie in 1989 and, even though the author wrote the screenplay, the effort was thoroughly forgettable. The story was brought back to life in a 2019 reboot and this time, it’s a vast improvement. “Sometimes dead is better,” claims one of the characters in the story, but this is not one of those times. Like things buried in the titular pet sematary, the movie has come back from the grave changed, but these changes are mostly for the better.

That’s not to say the movie was popularly received, nor that it’ll go down as a horror classic. It shines only in comparison to the previous attempt and as a faithful adaptation of an excellent novel that goes all out in its efforts to terrify. While part of this impact is lost in the movie, some clever foreshadowing and one or two heart-stopping moments stand out, as does John Lithgow’s convincing performance as Judd Crandall, the old neighbor who sets all the chaos in motion. King claims his stories are like fast food – nothing fancy but they fill a need. The same could be said for this movie. Its sole objective is to entertain and in that, it succeeds beyond doubt.

6 In the Tall Grass (2019)

In the Tall Grass is a collaborative novella written by Stephen King and his son, Joe Hill. Horror fiction connoisseurs will know that Hill tends to up the ante when it comes to the fright factor and his stories are some of the scariest around. Writing as he does in the shadow of his illustrious father, he seems to go out of his way to differentiate his approach and the effective colliding of two unique styles is likely what attracted seasoned director, Vincenzo Natali, to this project.

Following a brother and sister who get lured into a field of tall grass in the middle of nowhere on a cross country road trip, the movie starts strongly with Natali expertly using his signature visual-poetry style to add a deep sense of foreboding and tense expectation to proceedings. From there, it deteriorates somewhat into the expected thrills and spills of the genre as the movie follows the general arc of the novella, getting decidedly weirder as it progresses. Any structural flaws here, though, are not the fault of the film but rather can be attributed to the story being an experimental collaboration that perhaps signals the passing of the baton from one King to another.

5 Doctor Sleep (2019)

Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 film, The Shining, drew strong praise or harsh criticism depending on who you asked. Fans of the book and, famously, Stephen King himself, hated the movie because, while some license-taking is expected, Kubrick altered not just vital plot elements but the overall feel of the story as well. When King wrote a sequel in 2013, he must have had higher hopes for the film version, and, fortunately for him, Mike Flanagan picked up the project and delivered an excellent movie in 2019’s screen adaptation of Doctor Sleep.

Flanagan had the unenviable task of connecting the opposing visions of King and Kubrick in the direct sequel that follows a grown-up Danny Torrence as he battles his psychic abilities in a journey that takes him, inevitably, back to the scene of his childhood nightmare – The Overlook Hotel. That the place was destroyed in the novel but not in the movie of The Shining is one example of the kind of challenges Flanagan had in marrying the two in a single film, and he succeeds admirably, catering to both sets of fans and to horror lovers in general. Add in some strong acting by Ewan McGregor and Rebecca Fergusson, and you have one of the better King adaptations to ever grace the silver screen.

4 IT: Chapters 1 & 2 (2017 & 2019)

Yes, this is technically two for the price of one, but since the recent film translation of King’s classic horror novel is a single story, divided only for convenience, they can’t really be separated and so appear as one on this list. Given the formidable length of the book, a single movie could never work, which is why the previous attempt to televise the tale took the form of a miniseries back in 1990. Needless to say, it wasn’t spectacular, although it did bring the terrifying form of Pennywise, the murderous clown, to a whole new generation. And now, thanks to Andres Muschietti’s efforts, we have a screen version that does the chilling tale justice at last.

If you’ve read the book you’ll know that its allure is far more than just that of a scary story. Within, we find an engaging account of the enduring bond of childhood friendship, of bullying, abuse, loss, unhealthy family dynamics, and banding together to defeat our demons with the power of love. This is less cheesy than it sounds when one of said demons is a literal shape-shifting monster. King often comes under fire for his weak endings, and the ending of IT is not just weak but also bizarrely obscene. Thankfully, the movie changes it, removing the elements of underage intercourse and going for a more traditional conclusion that even the author agrees is a vast improvement.

3 Gerald’s Game (2017)

We’ve already discussed Mike Flanagan’s excellent work on Doctor Sleep and here we find proof that that movie wasn’t the first time he worked wonders with a King story that wasn’t exactly film-friendly. Gerald’s Game, considered one of King’s least successful novels, was never a likely candidate for a movie version. The majority of the story takes place in a single room, with the protagonist handcuffed to a bed, and most of the plot unfolding by way of internal dialogue, visions, and flashbacks. But, a lifelong King fan and having long ago pledged to attempt the project, Flanagan brings all his talent to bear on this excellent 2017 movie.

The director knows exactly what confines he’s operating within when it comes to the plot and, rather than change key elements as many others would’ve done, he seeks to amplify the feel of isolation and confinement of the novel with some excellent cinematic effects. Here again, King’s inability to finish off a story to the satisfaction of the reader is evident, as many feel Gerald’s Game unravels in the final third. But, committed to a faithful remake as he was, Flanagan boldly sticks to the script and pulls it off excellently, making Gerald’s Game not just an excellent movie, but a fitting tribute to the source material, just as it was intended.

2 The Outsider (2020)

Following the success of the Bill Hodges trilogy (of which Mr. Mercedes was the first installment) King used some of the same characters in The Outsider, released in 2018. Naturally, it was picked up by HBO and made into a series two years later. While Mr. Mercedes is a pure detective story, The Outsider blends elements of crime and horror fantasy in a more traditional King way, and the series received widespread acclaim, despite being terminated after only one season.

The plot involves a mysterious, shape-shifting creature that commits gruesome murders disguised as innocent civilians, leaving the poor individuals to deal with the aftermath. Terry Maitland, played excellently by Jason Bateman, is one such, and his efforts to clear his name lead him ultimately to a confrontation with the horrific creature. Along the way, he enlists the aid of Holly Gibney, the very woman who spectacularly stopped Mr. Mercedes in his tracks. Each episode is fresh and engaging and rockets along to a satisfying conclusion. As season one concluded the events of the story, no follow-up was planned. The recent release of King’s short story If It Bleeds, a direct sequel to the Outsider, gives us hope that a second season may now be possible.

1 The Stand (2020)

King fans would’ve been delighted to hear of the recent miniseries based on the author’s epic 1978 novel. Not because it deals with a pandemic (although it does) nor because the previous televised effort in 1994 was terrible (although it was) but simply because The Stand is a deeply engaging story packed with memorable characters, making it a prime candidate for a TV series adaptation. Josh Boone and Benjamin Cavell obliged and, aided by an excellent cast and King himself as a consultant, the result is every bit as engaging as fans had hoped.

By fans, however, I mean fans of the book. As long as the novel is, a nine-part miniseries was always going to leave aspects out, and the only letdown here is that the story wasn’t extended into multiple seasons. Character progression is a crucial aspect of the novel, as is the linear plot. The producers of the series opted for a rather confusing past/present shift reminiscent of Lost, which is exactly how anyone not familiar with the book must have felt during the first few episodes of The Stand. These complaints, however, are minor. Even the uninitiated will be drawn in and the diverse array of characters and constant intrigue make this an excellent screen adaptation of one of Stephen King’s finest books.

Top 15 Stephen King Books

Dozens of Stephen King’s short stories and novels have been adapted into film and television, and it seems every one has its own love affair with the rest of King’s work.

The various King adaptations are packed with easter eggs and references to other titles, and it’s no surprise—King constantly does the same in the books themselves. Maybe it’s the oft-shared settings in and around Maine, maybe it’s King’s patchwork attempts at establishing a shared universe, or maybe it’s just self-congratulatory fun. Regardless of why King always references King, the same holds true for his movies and television shows.

This list is dedicated to ten of the cheekiest of those self-referential winks, times when King and his adaptors posed the question, “Say, do you remember King and his adaptors?”

Related: 10 Easter Eggs You Might Have Missed In Famous Crime Films

10 The Dark Tower – Pennywise

Stephen King always intended The Dark Tower to unite his many works into one shared multiverse, so pulling easter eggs from it feels like cheating. But because the movie was a Nikolaj Arcel adaptation, I’m calling it open season. Of its many easter eggs, it’s the unmistakable It reference that stands out.

At one point in the film, the young shine-empowered hero Jake Chambers finds himself stumbling through the ruins of the universe known as Mid-World. There, he wanders into the ruins of an ancient theme park. What remains is a half-buried statue with its clown hand emerging into the surface, holding Pennywise’s trademark bunch of balloons, as well as a theme park ride, labeled oh-so-subtly “Pennywise.”

9 Castle Rock – “Wanna See a Body?”

Let’s continue with getting the easy easter eggs out of the way first. Like The Dark Tower, Castle Rock’s TV show is also meant as a bridge between King’s various stories. Many locations, props, and even characters themselves are direct references to various King books. However, some of the show’s easter eggs are more subtle and unexpected, like one brief nod to Stand By Me.

As King has come to be known as a master of horror, some forget that he also penned the story that became the classic coming-of-age film Stand By Me. The movie’s inciting incident is young Vern’s sincere question to his gang of friends, “You guys wanna go see a dead body?” The same line shows up in Castle Rock episode five, when the Kid stands atop a roof, overwhelmed by a deluge of internal voices. Amidst the crowded chorus, one voice cuts through the rest and says, “Wanna see a body?”

8 It – Turtles

Fans of King lore will know of Maturin, the massive, god-like turtle that birthed at least one of the universes and who doesn’t look very highly upon Pennywise. In the novel, Maturin makes direct appearances, communicating with Bill and offering the boy advice and encouragement. Though its parts were cut from the movie, director Andy Muschietti included a few winks to the divine reptile.

Throughout both movies, during pivotal or emotionally charged scenes, turtles find their way onto the screen. They come in the form of a turtle sticker, turtle Lego bricks, turtle statues, and conversations about actual turtles. However, the most subtle reference (because it’s never stated in the movie) is that the root Mike obtains from the Native Americans to guide him on his journey is itself named Maturin. As director Muschietti said, “Maturin’s still there in the movie. It’s just not personified by a giant turtle.”

7 Pet Sematary – Cujo

The original Pet Sematary novel contained an overt reference to Cujo and its titular murderous St. Bernard. In the book, old neighbor Jud Crandall tells the protagonist, Louis Creed, about a rabid dog that killed four people a few years ago. The same story made its way into the 2019 film adaptation, but the story became even darker.

In the movie, Jud again tells the story, but this time to a guest in the middle of a child’s birthday party. It’s an inappropriate story for that setting and makes you question Jud’s judgment. More than that, it makes you wonder how that version of Maine could have so much bad luck with pets in just a few years.

6 The Mist – Gunslinger Roland

The 2007 big-screen adaptation of King’s The Mist was a tense and violent horror that provided some solid commentary on partisan factionalism. Perhaps the most notable part of the film is its ending: a bleak, anguish-laden sequence that pulls a complete 180 from King’s original, happier ending. As far as easter eggs go, however, it’s the opening shot that wins a spot on our list.

The very first shot is of protagonist David Drayton, painting Roland the Gunslinger from The Dark Tower. The painting is unmistakable, between the gun in the figure’s hand, his bandoliers, the solitary red rose, and the literal dark tower behind him. The figure looks like Clint Eastwood, reflecting the early Dark Tower cover art that portrayed Roland as a carbon copy of Eastwood.

5 The Shining – Hedge Maze Foreshadowing

Stanley Kubrick’s film version of The Shining is likely the best King adaptation ever, and ironically the one King likes the least. Regardless, it’s a classic. Its heavy use of symbolism, combined with Kubrick’s reputation as an obsessive auteur, has caused fans to pick over every frame of the film for symbols, allusions, foreshadowing, and even evidence that the moon landing was faked. Whether all or any of it is real, there is no end to the theories. One such clever observation is how the film cleverly foreshadowed its hedge maze ending.

For one thing, there’s Jack’s first tie, a decidedly forest-green affair with a large, exaggerated knit pattern that crisscrosses over itself, forming what looks eerily like a hedge maze. For another, there are the cartoons Danny watches. The first cartoon he watches shows Wile E. Coyote chasing the Road Runner through a literal maze of train tracks. The following cartoon Danny turns on features the same Looney pair, this time accompanied by a song that goes, “The coyote’s after you, Road Runner. If he catches you, you’re through.”

4 It: Chapter 2 – “Here’s Johnny!”

Speaking of The Shining, It: Chapter 2 references the horror classic that is unusually obvious for a non-multiverse-driven King film. Perhaps the single most famous piece of dialogue from The Shining comes from Jack Torrence as he breaks down a bathroom door, sticks his head through, and yells, “Here’s Johnny!” It: Chapter 2 repeats the line and shot almost exactly.

When Bev ends up stuck in a bathroom stall, Pennywise tries to force his way in, taking on the forms of the people closest to Bev and pushing on the door. In the form of bully Henry Bowers, Pennywise sticks his head through the cracked door and delivers the classic Nicholson line. The shot is even framed the same way as the original Kubrick shot.

3 It – Tim Curry Cameo

Tim Curry delivered a memorable performance as Pennywise in the 1990 It miniseries, and the 2017 film was essentially guaranteed to shout him out in some way. It did indeed, in the form of an unmistakably Curry-styled Pennywise doll.

In the film, Richie finds himself trapped in a room with dozens of frightening clown dolls, all variations on the Pennywise theme. One clown on the left has the exact hair, makeup, and outfit that Curry’s Pennywise wore, and the reference is clear.

2 Doctor Sleep – Original Danny

Many easter eggs are obvious and easy, but the reason this particular egg from Doctor Sleep gets the number two spot is that it seemed like the absolute last thing that would ever make it into the film.

During a little league game in which the villainous True Knots scouts out a young player with shine, the camera shifts to a conversation between two onlookers in the stands. One of those two men is actually a grown-up Danny Lloyd, who played the original Danny Torrance as a child. As fun as that is, it becomes much more impressive when you find out that Danny Lloyd retired from acting after The Shining and his Doctor Sleep cameo was his first acting job in 38 years.

1 It: Chapter 2 – Bad Endings

Perhaps the best easter egg from any King-based film comes in It: Chapter 2 in the form of King personally roasting himself. Throughout the film, a running gag is that Bill, now grown up and a successful writer, is talented and beloved—aside from his crappy endings. This is a nod to probably the most common criticism King gets in real life: that his books are wonderful but never end satisfactorily.

Taking it even farther, King himself cameos in the film and personally says to Bill that his endings stink. It shows a lot of endearing humility on King’s part, or if looked at another way, a bird flipped to his constant critics. Either way, it’s a fun easter egg and a natural culmination to King’s long career of referencing himself.

It’s common for avid readers to think, “Wow, I hope this novel gets a film adaptation someday,” after delving headlong into a new book. However, movies and TV shows based on literature can often be a gamble, as the adaptation medium is dicey at best—looking at you, Netflix. Thankfully, there’s a far better track record if you’re on the other side of the pond as a manga reader.

Whenever you fall for a new manga series, it is easy to get worked into a frenzy of excitement over the thought of an anime adaptation. This is especially true right now, as there are plenty of comics that leave readers salivating at the thought of their animated forms.

The following ten manga are the best examples, with promising newcomers and veteran classics galore. Yet, no matter the context, they all share one thing in common: the potentially massive impact of their adaptations. By reading this list, you can get your hands on plenty of new manga to read or impress your friends by predicting the most successful anime of the future. Talk about a win/win.

Related: Video: 10 Comic Book Heroes Who Could Theoretically Exist

10 Takopi’s Original Sin (Taizan 5)

Some people enjoy a healthy dose of masochism in storytelling, delighting in being dealt a brutal blow to the heart. If that’s you, you’d better keep an eye out for this almost inevitable anime as Takopi’s Original Sin is—without hyperbole—one of the bleakest comics of the past decade.

It tells the story of a goofy little alien (the titular Tapoki) from Planet Happy as he ventures on a mission to bring happiness to the galaxy. But, when landing on Earth, he runs into Shizuka, a suicidal girl bullied by her classmates and neglected by her family. The alien soon discovers that making her smile will be no easy feat.

There’s a harshness to this manga that makes it tough to read, but at the same time, it’s impossible to put down. Seeing as the story is told in only a few volumes, it would make for a perfect one-season anime show that would have viewers wincing in despair and grabbing the tissues.^[1]

9 Dandadan (Yukinobu Tatsu)

There’s a girl who believes in ghosts but not aliens and a boy who believes in aliens but not ghosts. However, together, they discover that both are real, and things get a little wild. If you’re not sold already, you must have a heart of steel.

Dandadan is one of those mangas that grabs your attention right away, with a compelling set-up and a fascinating dynamic between the leads. Ken and Momo are diametrically opposed, yet there’s a chemistry between them that leaps off the page, and if it were put into animated form, it would set the illustrator’s hand on fire.

This series is just as ludicrous as it sounds, with battles against ghosts, aliens, and even kitchen sinks. It’s essentially the X-Files on acid, but at its core, it always makes sure to tell a compelling story grounded by a simple coming-of-age tale. It’s hard to believe an anime adaptation wouldn’t cause a stir.^[2]

8 Mashle: Magic and Muscles (Hajime Komoto)

Everyone loves Harry Potter, at least according to box office records. But imagine if you were watching that series, and the famous forehead scarred boy didn’t have a whiff of magic about him. Instead, he just used brutish strength to complete spells, breaking things along the way and causing plenty of damage. That’s pretty much what you get here.

Mash is a strong young man with hopes of becoming a Divine Visionary to help his adoptive father. Unfortunately for him, you need to be a top-ranking student at the illustrious Easton Magic Academy to do that, and he has no magical skill whatsoever. Still, he signs up anyway and tries to prove that muscle can outweigh magic.

This series is an absolute blast thanks to the comedy of the lead character and the creative ways he performs his spells (?)—let’s call them tasks instead. The comic has a delightful irreverence, and an anime adaptation would surely capture that same magic.

It’s also got plenty of mainstream appeal—thanks to the HP meets One Punch Man comparisons—and needs to happen sooner rather than later.^[3]

7 My Hero Academia: Vigilantes (Hideyuki Furuhashi, Betten Court, Kohei Horikoshi)

If you love anime, chances are you’re already a fan of My Hero Academia. The Observer even reported it as the second most-watched TV show of the pandemic’s early days. Thanks to this roaring success, there’s plenty of potential to branch the story out, and luckily for My Hero, a spin-off manga already exists.

Vigilantes tells the story of Koichi, a young man who voluntarily uses his quirk to help people. After saving a girl from a thug attack, he’s recruited by the vigilante hero Knuckleduster, and from there, the journey begins.

Part of what makes Vigilantes a worthwhile spin-off is that it has a much darker tone than its sister series. There’s a little more severity here, with harsh bad guys and a nihilistic outlook on the superhero world.

Viewers have seen everything from inside UA, so it would mean a lot to glimpse at life outside that bubble, giving this possible spin-off’s colossal potential.^[4]

6 High School Family: Kokosei Kazoku (Ryo Nakama)

High school is a tough time. You’re just coming into your own as a person. There are lots of eyes on you, you’re not really sure what you want, and your body is changing. It’s full of awkwardness and cringe. So, imagine how much worse it would be if your whole family joined you. Unfortunately, that’s what poor Kotaro has to deal with.

In this goofy series, Kotaro has to go to school alongside his mother, father, and little sister as they all decide they want to attend together. This naturally leads to plenty of ludicrous hi-jinks, and you’ll be rolling on the floor clutching your stomach with laughter.

The comedy in this manga is excellent, but seeing the jokes put into animated form would help them take on a new meaning. For example, watching hilarious scenes like Kotaro’s father telling his boss he’s quitting to go to high school would be side-splittingly funny with movement, color, and creative direction. Overall, this manga is a perfect example of how animation can take a great premise and add a new life to it.^[5]

5 20th Century Boys (Naoki Urasawa)

Some properties are so large that adapting them seems like an impossible task. 20th Century Boys seems to be one such manga. Despite being considered a formative read and even spawning a few (lackluster) live-action movies, it has never been adapted into an anime. Well, it’s time for that to change.

20th Century Boys is a sprawling sci-fi epic set in 20th-century Japan. It follows a man named Kenji who notices the rise of a terrifying cult leader known as “Friend.” He and his own friends discover that the villain plans to destroy the world, which somehow connects to their childhood memories.

There’s a delightful sense of the ordinary becoming extraordinary in this manga, as the lead characters are very relatable. This is made even better by the utterly bombastic narrative that plays with everything from giant robots to prophecies. It’s an utter blast, and an anime adaptation could be an instant classic if it were handled correctly.^[6]

4 Sakamoto Days (Yuto Suzuki)

You’ve likely seen plenty of movies or shows about a former hitman who has left his old ways behind, looking instead to live the peaceful life of a family man. Yes, movies like John Wick and Nobody have turned the concept into a trope that’s been done to death (pun intended). But throw those feelings by the wayside because Sakamoto Days is a manga that makes it feel like the freshest idea on the block.

After living a harsh life as the greatest hitman of all time, Sakamoto falls in love and decides to pack his guns away, becoming a convenience store clerk instead. But, his past life comes back to haunt him, as former peers try their best to take him out, and he must protect himself without breaking his no-killing vow.

Part of what makes this manga so delightful is the two sides of Sakamoto. He’s got such a friendly and warm character design, but seeing him perform killer moves at breakneck speeds is utterly terrifying.

The story bounces between heartwarming comedy and pulse-pounding action like a sock in a washing machine, and seeing that mixture of styles in animated form would be deliciously entertaining.^[7]

3 Goodnight Punpun (Inio Asano)

Inio Asano is one of the most respected manga artists of his day. His titles like Solanin and Downfall are fantastic and carry plenty of weight. Yet, despite this, his work seems to very rarely, if ever, get turned into anime. That, naturally, is a tragedy, and if things are going to change, then his most seminal work would be the place to start.

Goodnight Punpun is a charming but weird story about a young boy coming to grips with his life. The titular Punpun is an awkward little kid who doesn’t look at all like his fellow students. But after he falls In love for the first time, he’s sent on a journey of self-discovery and heartbreak.

This manga is delightfully odd but will pull you in with relatable problems and incredibly well-written characters. As an anime, it would have considerable appeal, as the ubiquitous ideas of puberty and young love would reach the hearts of many.

Putting all that profound stuff aside, it’s also just wacky and weird, meaning the right visual style would turn it into a hilarious oddball comedy for the ages.^[8]

2 Vagabond (Takehiko Inoue)

Like 20th Century Boys, it’s staggering to think this series hasn’t already found itself on the screen. It has attained plenty of accolades, such as the Kodansha Manga Award in 2000, and was a big financial hit, selling over 80 million copies, as reported by Japan Times. Thus, it makes you wonder why no one has touched it yet. Perhaps they are just scared?

Vagabond is an epic story based on the historical Japanese Swordsman Musashi Miyamoto, as he turns from a vagabond (big shocker there) to a legend. You witness as he changes his violent and antisocial ways, becoming not just a better warrior but a better person.

The series is full of grit, danger, and a compelling sense of right and wrong, making it a story with a real point—not just at the tip of a sword. Musashi’s development is compelling, and watching an animated version of it would have the audience eating out the palm of its hands.

This (potential) anime could easily stand alongside fellow sword-wielding classics like Rurouni Kenshin, Inuyasha, and Demon Slayer. So, it’s time to pump the gas before it’s too late.^[9]

1 Kaiju No. 8 (Naoya Matsumoto)

Kaiju No. 8 has barely been on the manga scene for long, but people are already clamoring for it to be reborn in anime form, with internet rumors popping up all over the place. You’ll find no arguments here—quite the opposite, in fact.

This shonen series depicts a world ravaged by giant monsters known as Kaiju. These beasties are handled by an elite squad of fighters known as the Japanese Defense Force, and that’s where you’d think our hero would be, but he’s not.

Kafka, the lead character, is a middle-aged man and a member of the clean-up crew who tidies up after the attacks. But soon, his life takes a drastic turn as he discovers he can turn into a Kaiju.

The switch from a young protagonist to a middle-aged one helps this story feel original. Anime viewers have young protagonists falling out of their ears, but an older man who wants to take control of his life is something fresh and unique.

Alongside that comes some utterly addictive action sequences and a sense of humor that makes every page feel like a treat. Just thinking about seeing that occur with motion and color is enough to make you want to cry.^[10]