Hear Stephen King Share His True Thoughts on ‘The Shining’ With David Letterman
King has nursed a grudge against Stanley Kubrick’s film for decades.
In 1980, he explained to David Letterman why it left him so cold. If we take William Shakespeare out of the running, Stephen King might very well be the most frequently-adapted author of all time.
Counting theatrical and made-for-television films, King’s works have made it to the screen over 100 times, leaving only a relatively meager handful of novels that have yet to be adapted.
As his fans are aware, King hasn’t always been happy with how some of those titles have been reinterpreted by filmmakers.
The most infamous example is Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining, the 1980 feature based on King’s 1977 novel of the same name.
King has long bemoaned how Kubrick chose to relate the story of Jack Torrance, a writer who agrees to act as a winter caretaker for the remote and possibly-haunted Overlook Hotel with his wife and son.
Author's summary: Stephen King shares his thoughts on The Shining.