The Untold Stephen King Adaptation: Exclusive Revelation by Renowned Director Sparks New Controversy
The Langoliers holds a cherished place among Stephen King adaptations, amassing a devoted fanbase Its exclusion from a beloved documentary has left fans wondering about the reasons behind its omission
Summary
Daphné Baiwir's documentary King on Screen explores the history of Stephen King adaptations, including interviews with directors like Mike Flanagan and Frank Darabont.
Baiwir had to remove her beloved Stephen King adaptation, The Langoliers, from the documentary, but she still holds an immense appreciation for it. She believes that audiences may unfairly judge the film due to its constrained budget. Nonetheless, The Langoliers has garnered a devoted fanbase over time. It has been commended for its intentional pacing and faithfulness to the original material, despite receiving mixed feedback from reviewers and having outdated visual effects.
Covering various renowned Stephen King adaptations in her film, Daphné Baiwir explores the reasons behind excluding her favorite adaptation from King on Screen. In this documentary, Baiwir delves into the history of King's works being brought to the screen, starting from Brian de Palma's iconic Carrie and includes interviews with several directors involved in these projects. These directors not only discuss their own films but also provide insights into others included in the documentary. Notable filmmakers featured in the film include Mike Flanagan, director of Doctor Sleep, Frank Darabont, who has written and directed three King adaptations, and Mick Garris, holding the record with seven adaptations.
During an exclusive interview with Screen Rant, Daphné Baiwir sheds light on the process of selecting specific titles for King on Screen. The director specifically mentions The Langoliers as her personal favorite adaptation that she regretfully had to exclude, and she expresses concerns about potential criticism audiences might have towards the miniseries. Read what Baiwir shared below:
Why The Langoliers Remains A Cult-Favorite King Adaptation
The movies of Tom Holland were truly captivating to me, particularly when delving into The Langoliers and Thinner. Although The Langoliers may have received criticism for its imperfect CGI, even Tom Holland himself acknowledges this fact. It boils down to budget constraints, which sometimes leads people to unfairly judge certain films by saying, "It's not the director's fault, it's because of the budget." Nevertheless, The Langoliers is the film that I truly enjoy discussing as it was remarkable. In hindsight, I wish we had explored it more in the documentary, as there were plenty of intriguing anecdotes to share.
The Langoliers, based on a novella in King's anthology Four Past Midnight, was brought to the screen by Tom Holland, the creator of Fright Night. This thrilling adaptation focuses on passengers aboard a red-eye flight. They unexpectedly pass through a mysterious light, resulting in the disappearance of most of them. The remaining survivors find themselves in an eerily empty airport, infested with lethal creatures. Released in 1995, during the peak of King's popularity, along with the IT miniseries and The Stand, this adaptation received mixed reviews from critics due to its pacing and visual effects.
The Langoliers, despite facing criticism from some critics, has gained a dedicated fan base over the years since its debut. Audiences appreciate the deliberately paced storytelling, which effectively builds suspense and stays true to the original material. The outdated visual effects have become a major talking point, with some viewers ironically enjoying their flaws, while others choose to overlook them in the grand scheme of things.
The popularity of The Langoliers among fans has sparked demands for a remake of King's novella. King himself has contacted Rob Savage, the director of The Boogeyman, expressing his interest in collaborating again, and Savage is enthusiastic about adapting the story once more. Although Baiwir, the producer of King on Screen, may not have the opportunity to bring her vision for the adaptation to life, her ideas for a potential sequel and a King documentary could introduce the miniseries to a new generation in the future.
