Stephen King is an author familiar with the adaptation process, but one whose stance has changed over the years.
While he was famously disappointed with films like Kubrick’s The Shining (when it was released), and has often detached himself from other adaptations, which have a history of faring much worse than his books.
In fact, although almost all of King’s written work has been on bestseller lists around the world, most of the film and television adaptations have struggled to make a profit.
Notable exceptions include Kubrick’s The Shining, which has become a cult classic, and 1408 (2007) which made back almost the film entire budget in its opening weekend.
Even critically acclaimed films like The Shawshank Redemption (1994) and The Green Mile (1999) struggled to meet box office goals when they were released.
And beyond the numbers, there is also the ire of millions of Stephen King fans to contend with when his works are changed from page to screen.
But despite the history of King adaptation failure in some way or another, production companies and television networks continue to invest in bringing new life to his work.
Last year it was A&E’s two-part miniseries, Bag of Bones, which was received badly by the media and King fans alike.
But this year CBS has a more optimistic outlook, after commissioning the 13-part television series series Under the Dome, based on King’s 2009 book by the same name.
While the 13-part adaptation premiered in the US on June 24 to mixed reviews, with some fans of the book critical of key plot changes, the reviews from film and TV critics suggest it could be a big hit.
As well as having “storytelling promise” the production is led by the likes of Steven Spielberg, Neal Baer and Brian K. Vaughan and fronted by solid actors including Mike Vogel (Blue Valentine, Pan Am), Rachelle Lefevre (Twilight), Dean Norris (Breaking Bad), Beth Broderick (Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Lost) and Colin Ford (Supernatural, We Bought A Zoo) – an ensemble that would prove strong even without bestselling source material.
But CBS has one more significant advantage over most other adaptations: Stephen King himself is on board as an executive producer. While King has produced a handful of adaptations in the past, he has taken a stand with Under The Dome, defending this version against critical fans.
In a recent Official Stephen King Newsletter, the author responded to concerns that the CBS series was shaping up to be very different from the book, reminding readers that “if you loved the book when you first read it, it’s still there for your perusal,” while the new series is another way to explore the world he created.
“Many of the changes wrought by Brian K. Vaughan and his team of writers have been of necessity, and I approved of them wholeheartedly,” he wrote. “Some have been occasioned by their plan to keep the Dome in place over Chester’s Mill for months instead of little more than a week, as is the case in the book. Other story modifications are slotting into place because the writers have completely re-imagined the source of the Dome.”
King also stressed that a lot of the re-imagining was influenced by his own concerns over how the series would work. “If the solution to the mystery were the same on TV as in the book, everyone would know it in short order, which would spoil a lot of the fun (besides, plenty of readers didn’t like my solution, anyway).”
He said the only element that had to stay the same in each version of Under the Dome was the dome itself. Apart from that, it is the situation, and the main characters that drive this story. Like most King stories, the situation drives so much of the drama and the tone and themes of the book become more and more apparent in the CBS show, as the cast of characters try to feel their way through the given circumstances.
Like any adaptation, comparisons between King’s original novel and this television series are inevitable. But this time the author is taking a more philosophical stance to the changes.
“It’s best to think of that novel and what you’re seeing week-to-week on CBS as a case of fraternal twins. Both started in the same creative womb, but you will be able to tell them apart. Or, if you’re of a sci-fi bent, think of them as alternate versions of the same reality.”
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