He is described as the King of Horror, a moniker that is rightly justified as his books have sold more than 350 million copies worldwide over a career spanning more than 5 decades. His works have scared generation after generation and with 65 novels to date and another, Holly, set for release this September, 75-year-old Stephen King shows no signs of slipping quietly into retirement. Unsurprisingly, he is the most adapted author of all time with more than 80 film and TV shows being guided to screens large and small by over 50 directors.
With a new documentary King on Screen coming to theatres on 11 August, our very own Dr Sleep (because he’s a master at napping!) Ashley Northey, got the chance to sit down with its director Daphne Baiwir who, she tells him, first discovered King at the tender age of 10 years old, devouring his classic supernatural horror The Shining in just two days.
Told warmly from a fans (and friends) perspective and featuring the likes of Mick Gariss (The Stand TV series), Mike Flanagan (Dr Sleep), and the wonderfully engaging Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption), Baiwir’s loving documentary eschews a standard chronological approach because, “it would have lost some kind of humanity”. It also unusually features a fictional introduction that’s brimming with a wealth of easter eggs for fans to spot.