Summary
- King fans can enjoy 2025 movies like The Running Man & The Monkey adaptation.
- King shares favorite horror movies & TV shows on social media like HBO Max's The Pitt.
- The Pitt stands out with realistic storytelling structure & relatable main character despite character-driven horror stories.
From The Running Man to the dark and funny Osgood Perkins adaptation of The Monkey, there are several 2025 movies based on Stephen King's brilliant stories that fans can enjoy. Although some King short stories haven't been made into movies, it's safe to say that most of King's work has been translated to the big screen. Considering his knack for scaring audiences and introducing memorable characters, that's definitely no surprise.
King often shares his favorite horror movies on social media, and he talks about the TV shows he's enjoying, too. In the past, he has shared his love for From and Silo. In February 2025, King posted on Threads about a new TV show he loves, and his fans should check the series out.
This 2017 Netflix Movie Is One Of Stephen King's Most Underrated Adaptations
Stephen King's beloved sci-fi and horror novels have been adapted for the big and small screen countless times, and one movie is particularly great.
Stephen King Loves HBO Max's The Pitt
On February 23rd, 2024, Stephen King posted on Threads that he's a huge fan of the HBO Max medical drama The Pitt. He wrote, "Forget those other doctor shows" and praised the series for being "realistic" and "heart-wrenching."
King loves The Pitt because it combines shocking and scary situations with moving moments between characters. This is definitely what sets apart compelling hospital dramas from more forgettable ones. Since these series have a formula, there needs to be a big hook, whether that's a fascinating main character or relationship drama. Although King's books, short stories, and novellas focus on small towns in Maine with terrifying and unexpected creatures and other supernatural events, he never forgets the importance of character development. From the creepy grandmother in the short story "Gramma" that inspired Harlan Ellis's The Twilight Zon e episode to the lonely teenage girl in Carrie, his characters are always distinct and well-written.
What Is The Pitt About?
The Pitt follows Dr. Michael "Robby" Robinavitch (Noah Wyle), who is a senior attending at Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Hospital. Right away, it's clear he's a unique medical drama character as he's coping with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Several TV shows aired during that time and showed doctors working in hospitals, including Grey's Anatomy which featured a few storylines about the virus. However, The Pitt stands out because Robby is still doing his job while reflecting on that high-pressure and terrifying environment. He's a great main character since while not everyone has the same career as him, they can still relate to the highs and lows that he experiences.
There are a lot of great new 2025 TV shows, but The Pitt has a particularly smart storytelling feature: every episode covers one hour in the emergency department. By the end of season 1, fans will have watched 15 hours in this environment. Stephen King called the show "realistic" and the format definitely plays into that. The beloved TV action drama 24 had a similar format, and whether or not there is a 24 movie about Jack Bauer, fans of TV shows that take creative risks will love The Pitt.
The Pitt is also a great show for fans of E.R., which aired 15 seasons on NBC from 1994 to 2009. Wyle played John Carter on that beloved medical drama, and it's still one of his most recognizable roles. While hospital dramas have a reputation for having soap opera-like storylines, which is certainly the case with several recent shows, E.R. And The Pitt do feel more grounded. In an interview with USA TODAY, Wyle shared that when an E.R. Reboot didn't work out, he talked to creator/showrunner R. Scott Gemmill and executive producer John Wells about doing something else. Wyle said:
"I said, 'Hey, I know you don't really want to do the show again. I don't, either. But there's another story. We recognized what we had to lose, a legacy we'd built up over 15 long years. What we had to gain was, at our ages, seeing if we could dig deep and reinvent the genre one more time."
Where And When To Watch The Pitt
The Pitt is currently streaming on HBO Max and every new episode is available on the streaming platform at 9 PM ET (or 6 PM PT) on Thursdays. There are 15 episodes in The Pitt season 1, and the season 1 finale, "9:00 P.M.," will air on April 10th, 2025.
From the best animated series on HBO Max to originals such as The Pitt, there are a lot of reasons to subscribe to the service. Of course, fans will also want to check out The Last Of Us season 2 when it arrives on April 13th, 2025 on HBO Max.
I Think The Duffer Brothers' Favorite Stephen King Book Should Inspire Stranger Things Season 5
The Duffer Brothers are huge Stephen King fans, and I want one element from a particularly dark King story to be included in Stranger Things season 5.