No Kings: Stephen King Movies Struggle in Brutal Box Office Year

It’s good to be Stephen King.

Not only has he spent decades burnishing his brand as the culture’s go-to horror voice, but Hollywood remains obsessed with bringing his tales to screens large and small.

HBO Max’s “It: Welcome to Derry” is the latest attempt to wring content from King’s imagination.

Except movie goers may be tiring of their King.

Breitbart News’ John Nolte notes that four King-based stories hit big screens this year. All four have under-performed or, in two cases, bombed in spectacular fashion.

• “The Running Man” – $17 million U.S. opening weekend 
• “The Life of Chuck” – $6.7 million stateside haul despite two separate release dates
• “The Long Walk” – $35 million via U.S. run
• “The Monkey” – $39 million

The combination of King’s name, the “Running Man” fan base and Glen Powell seemed like a sure thing. Think again.

“The Monkey” turned a profit thanks to its modest budget – reportedly in the $10-11 million range. Still, that King name, plus the rising appeal of horror director Osgood Perkins, should have combined for a box office smash a la “Smile,” “M3GAN” or “The Black Phone.”

No such luck.

Now, compare those figures to the box office results for “It,” a two-parter based on King’s beloved ’80s novel.

• “It” (2017) – $328 million US.
• “It: Chapter 2″ (2019) – $211 million

Thus, “It: Welcome to Derry” is greenlit. Hollywood is still gunning for the next King blockbuster.

The King brand remains in demand, at least to studio executives. It’s still not a lock to draw people to movie houses. Does that explain why Warner Bros. Discovery sat on its “Salem’s Lot” remake before dumping it onto HBO Max last year?

Or the rush to skip theaters entirely for future King yarns?

RELATED: IS ‘MISERTY’ THE BEST STEPHEN KING ADAPTATION?

The upcoming “Carrie” miniseries, based on the King story that spawned the Sissy Spacek’s 1976 classic and a forgotten 2013 reboot, will find a cushier home on Prime Video next year. A new take on “Cujo” is in the works from Team Netflix.

And then there’s the factor that Variety and co. won’t touch.

King’s far-Left political views, and aggressive attacks on President Donald Trump and the GOP, have soured some on him. He shares some divisive jabs on X with his 6.8 million followers, and he doesn’t always get his facts straight.

The American public has grown numb to sexual crimes. If the Epstein business had come out against Trump in 1985, even 2005, Donny J would be gone like Enron.

— Stephen King (@StephenKing) November 16, 2025

George Orwell said the face you show the world at 50 is the face you deserve. Take a good look at Donald Trump’s. It’s the puffy, pouch-eyed face of an aging satyr.

— Stephen King (@StephenKing) November 12, 2025

Trump says he won’t invite either team playing in the World Series to the White House. He can’t rise above his petty political concerns even for the great American game. If anything shows what a louse he is, that’s it.

— Stephen King (@StephenKing) October 26, 2025

And, in between, he helps promote his film and TV projects on social media.

King shows no signs of retiring, let alone slowing down. Hollywood will continue to bring his stories to life and, when necessary, reboot them.

Just don’t expect them to keep crashing the cineplex if current trends continue.