4 new Stephen King adaptations (and 1 new book) releasing in 2025

It's a great time to be a Stephen King fan. The 77-year-old actor has written dozens of books across his illustrious career, many of which have been adapted into books, movies, podcasts, and even stage plays!

This year was slightly lackluster with King adaptations, as one of the only ones released was Max's poorly received Salem's Lot. But thankfully, 2025 is shaping up to be an especially exciting time for longtime "constant readers" (IYKYK).

Not only will we be getting the long-awaited television adaptation of The Institute and a new series set in the world of the It universe, but King is also releasing a new novel! Keep reading to find out all of the King adaptations currently in the works for 2025.

It: Welcome to Derry

While not technically a full-on adaptation, It: Welcome to Derry is a prequel series based on the popular novel It by King. The novel has been adapted multiple times, first in the 1990 miniseries with Tim Curry as Pennywise, and then more recently with Andy Muschietti's 2017 film It and the 2019 follow-up, It: Chapter Two.

Set in the same universe as Muschietti's movies, It: Welcome to Derry is a prequel series that takes place before the events of the films, drawing inspiration from the 1986 novel. Bill Skarsgård will reprise his role as Pennywise in the show after playing him in both the 2017 and 2019 movies. Additional cast members include Chris Chalk, Taylour Paige, Jovan Adepo, and Stephen Rider. No release date has been announced yet, but HBO confirms the series will consist of nine episodes.

The Monkey

Longlegs director Oz Perkins is back and collaborating with Neon once again for an adaptation of King's short story, published in his anthology collection Skeleton Crew. The Gentlemen star Theo James takes on dual roles in this horror movie, portraying twin brothers Hal and Bill.

As children, the brothers find one of those creepy, cymbal-banging toy monkeys in the attic of their family home. Somehow, that discovery seems to connect to a sudden series of gruesome deaths. Scared of whatever possible curse they might have triggered, Hal and Bill discard the toy and agree to live separate lives. When the deaths start again, they're forced to work together to find and eliminate the monkey once and for all.

Releasing in theaters on Feb. 21, 2025.

The Institute

MGM+ is producing this series based on King's 2019 novel about an institution that houses children with abilities like telepathy and telekinesis. It has been in the work for some time. Finally, during the recent Content London event, MGM+ debuted a new image and footage from the show in their 2025 sizzle reel.

In some more exciting news, the cabler revealed that King himself boarded the project as an executive producer. According to Variety, the trailer provides a peek at the Institute, described as a "brutalist-style building." The show stars newcomer Joe Freeman and Mary-Louise Parker as the villainous Ms. Sigsby.

The Life of Chuck

Mike Flanagan directs this sci-fi drama film starring Tom Hiddleston, Mark Hamill, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Karen Gillan. The story is based on King's novella, found in his If It Bleeds collection. The Life of Chuck made its world premiere at this year's Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), where it received positive reviews. It is a genre-bending story about the life of an ordinary man named Charles "Chuck" Krantz (Hiddleston), who dies of a brain tumor at 39.

Releasing in theaters on May 30, 2025.

Never Flinch

And finally, King is releasing his next highly-anticipated novel in 2025! His upcoming book Never Flinch features the return of popular recurring character Holly Gibney, first introduced in King's Mr. Mercedes trilogy before appearing in other titles like The Outsider, If It Bleeds, and her own book, Holly. In Never Flinch, Holly is tasked with deciding whether a letter threatening mass murder is real or not, and she gets hired as a bodyguard for an outspoken activist with a stalker.

Never Flinch will be published on May 27, 2025.