Get into the spooky season spirit this weekend with a little help from the “King of Horror.” In a special edition of our weekly streaming guide, here are six movie and TV adaptations of works by Stephen King now available to watch.
‘Castle Rock’
The fictional Maine town featured in many of King’s stories served as the inspiration for the short-lived horror series “Castle Rock,” which ran for just two seasons on Hulu. Blending elements and lore from across the author’s most popular titles, the show reimagined characters like Annie Wilkes from “Misery,” with Lizzy Caplan stepping into the role made famous by Kathy Bates in the 1990 film. The series also featured appearances by several King adaptation alums, including Sissy Spacek (“Carrie”) and Bill Skarsgård (“It”). Available on Hulu
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‘Carrie’
King’s debut novel, “Carrie,” turned 50 last year, and the horror tale about a high school girl with psychic powers who gets revenge on her bullies remains one of the author’s most beloved stories. Spacek, of course, played the titular role in the iconic 1976 adaptation, with the part earning her an Oscar nomination for best actress. Angela Bettis took on the role in the 2002 remake, while Chloë Grace Moretz played Carrie in the 2013 adaptation. Available on AMC+ and MGM+
‘The Dead Zone’
Body horror aficionado David Cronenberg brought King’s hit 1979 novel to life in the 1983 film adaptation of “The Dead Zone.” Christopher Walken stars as Johnny, a man who wakes up from a five-year coma and discovers he has psychic powers, like seeing the future after touching a person, and isn’t sure what to do with them. The film also stars Martin Sheen, Brooke Adams, and Tom Skerritt. Available on AMC+ and Pluto TV
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‘It’
A group of kids in Maine become the targets of a creepy, demonic clown in King’s 1986 novel, “It.” While Tim Curry left his stamp on the nefarious villain Pennywise in the 1990 miniseries, Skarsgård has made the role his own since stepping into the clown shoes for the 2017 film and its 2019 sequel (both available to stream on HBO Max). The actor is back as the evil clown in the upcoming prequel series, “It — Welcome to Derry,” premiering later this month. Available on HBO Max
‘Misery’
An obsessive reader turns into a frightening caretaker of an injured, popular author in King’s 1987 novel, “Misery.” Director Rob Reiner helmed the 1990 film adaptation of the book, with the late James Caan starring as bruised and battered writer Paul Sheldon, and Bates playing his hammer-wielding, No. 1 fan, Wilkes. Bates won the 1991 Oscar for best actress for her haunting role in the film. Available on HBO Max
‘The Shining’
King infamously wasn’t a fan of Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation of “The Shining,” and yet, it’s possibly his most famous book-to-screen project. The story centers around Jack Torrance, played by Jack Nicholson in the 1980 movie, a writer who becomes the caretaker of a remote, haunted hotel, and slowly descends into madness as his family watches in horror. While the classic film, which also starred Shelley Duvall, didn’t receive any Oscar nominations, it was inducted into the National Film Registry in 2018. Available on HBO Max
Matt Juul is the assistant digital editor for the Living Arts team at the Boston Globe, with over a decade of experience covering arts and entertainment.
Matt Juul can be reached at matthew.juul@globe.com.