Several TV shows pull inspiration from the work of notable horror authors, effectively bringing their frightening stories to life on the small screen. Adapting a horror novel into a film orTV showcomes with its risks, as strong special effects, costuming, and performances are often required for audiences to be moved by the eerie tales. Anne Rice and Stephen King are just a few of the celebrated authors who’ve had their books turned into successful TV shows.
Each series adapted from a horror novel varies when it comes to its faithfulness to the events of the original text. Changes made to a character’s appearance or a story’s setting aren’t always harmful, as these revisions often help modern audiences better connect with horror narratives.Horror series likeThe StrainandHannibaldo right by the novels they’re based on, satisfying both their fans and admirers of the horror genre alike.
Bag of Bones
Cast
Bag of Bones is a two-part miniseries based on Stephen King’s novel, starring Pierce Brosnan as Mike Noonan, a grieving novelist who retreats to his lakeside cabin after his wife’s death. He becomes embroiled in a supernatural mystery involving a deceased singer and a custody battle over her daughter. The miniseries explores themes of loss, retribution, and the unseen connections between past and present.
A relatively faithful adaptation of Stephen King’s 1998 novelBag of Bones, the miniseries starsPierce Brosnan as Mike Noonan, one ofKing’s many characters with psychic powers. The first of two episodes begins with Mike, a novelist, unable to work and grieving the recent loss of his wife. Hoping to get his life back on track, Mike visits the couple’s summer home in Maine.
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The series has elements of horror and mystery, with the central enigma being Mike’s sudden disturbing visions and his connection to the residents of the town in Maine. WhileBag of Boneswas a success for King, the miniseries earned less praise. Still,the series has a consistent and effectively chilling atmospherethat rarely lets up, making the quick watch a pleasant one.
Dead Ringers
Dead Ringers is a 2023 film centering on twins Elliot and Beverly Mantle, who share an intense bond characterized by shared drugs, lovers, and a commitment to advancing women’s healthcare, even at the cost of ethical boundaries in medicine.
The story of Stewart and Cyril Marcus, identical twin gynecologists who were found dead together in 1975, is the subject of Bari Wood and Jack Geasland’s novelTwins. The mystery behind the twins' death makes for a fascinating story, inspiring David Cronenberg’s 1988 filmDead Ringers. The movie was recently turned into a miniseries on Prime Video.
Admittedly,Dead Ringersleans more towards being a psychological thriller than a pure horror show, but there are some disturbing elements throughout the show that warrant its inclusion with the other series mentioned.The series differs fromTwinsand Cronenberg’s film in a few ways, mainly in that the lead twin gynecologists are women, played by Rachel Weisz. The Mantle twins represent opposing beliefs in their line of work, which only causes tension to build in their relationship as the series progresses.
The Exorcist
The Exorcist, released in 2016, follows two priests with contrasting approaches as they confront a family’s harrowing encounter with demonic possession. Set within the bounds of a chilling supernatural narrative, the series explores themes of faith, resilience, and the battle between good and evil.
Of the TV shows mentioned, Jeremy Slater’sThe Exorcistdiffers the most from the original book it’s based on. The series serves as a direct sequel to William Friedkin’s seminal, Oscar-winning film, which itself is based on William Peter Blatty’s novel of the same name. The original story is about the demonic possession of a young child. Being unlike anything else out at the time,The Exorcisthad a great impact on cultural conversationsand remains one of the scariest horror films today.
While the show doesn’t hold the same weight or cultural impact as the film it follows, the story is still entertaining, and there are enough scares to satisfy horror fans.
The additions toThe Exorcistfranchise in the years that followed failed to live up to Friedkin’s film, including Fox’s TV show. The seriesfollows two priests (Alfonso Herrera and Ben Daniels) who look into various cases of demonic possession. While the show doesn’t hold the same weight or cultural impact as the film it follows, the story is still entertaining, and there are enough scares to satisfy horror fans.
The Strain
Dr. Ephraim Goodweather (Stoll), the head of Center for Disease Control Canary team, and his colleagues are tasked with investigating a viral outbreak in New York that has the characteristics of an ancient and evil strain of vampirism. The Strain was created by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan and stars Corey Stoll, David Bradley, and Kevin Durand.
As a director, Guillermo del Toro is celebrated for his storytelling and striking imagery in the dark fantasy and horror genres, making it no surprise that his work as an author is just as extraordinary. In 2009, del Toro and Chuck Hogan’s vampire novelThe Strainwas released, and in 2014, a TV adaptation of the book began airing on FX.
Differing from other TV shows and films about vampires,The Strainworks as both a horror and a medical mystery series. Like the novel, the series revolves around the CDC’s Dr. Ephraim Goodweather (Corey Stoll), who discovers the viral outbreak that’s connected to a strain of vampirism. Running for four seasons,The Strainhas a compelling narrative and is full of gory visuals that’ll please fans ofdel Toro’s scariest work.
Brand New Cherry Flavor
Brand New Cherry Flavor is a Drama and Horror series created for the Netflix streaming platform by Nick Antosca and Lenore Zion. The premise follows Lisa Nova (played by Rosa Salazar), an aspiring director that ends up falling down a supernatural rabbit hole filled with all sorts of strange things.
While he may not be the most well-known horror author, Todd Grimson has contributed some fascinating novels to the genre, includingStainlessandBrand New Cherry Flavor. The latter was adapted into a Netflix miniseries in 2021, starring Catherine Keener, Manny Jacinto, and Rosa Salazar as protagonist Lisa Nova. Taking place in the 1990s,Lisa isan aspiring filmmaker exposed to the dark side of Hollywoodfairly quickly upon her entrance into entertainment.
Brand New Cherry Flavor’s perplexing scenesand oddities, which include strong body horror and the vomiting of kittens, guarantee audiences will have a unique viewing experience. However, the series' revenge story and timely themes about harassment and misconduct in Hollywood help ground the show. For its zany elements and compelling story,Brand New Cherry Flavoris certainly one ofthe best horror TV shows in recent years.
Mr. Mercedes
Based on Stephen King’s Bill Hodges novels, Mr. Mercedes is a crime drama series starring Brendan Gleeson, Harry Treadaway, and Kelly Lynch. It tells the story of retired detective Bill Hodges and his quest to bring down a psychopathic killer who mowed down a crowd of people using a stolen car.
Pulling from three of Stephen King’s novels is the seriesMr. Mercedes. LikeDead Ringers,Mr. Mercedesisn’t a downright horror show and presents itself more as a crime thriller. Still, it remains one ofthe scariest TV adaptations of King’s workdue toits exploration of the human psyche and its exclusion of supernatural elements or monsters. The show primarily revolves around the cat-and-mouse game between retired detective Bill Hodges (Brendan Gleeson) and killer Brady Hartsfield (Harry Treadaway).
Mr. Mercedesbalances its mystery and horror components well and is strongly led by the engrossing on-screen dynamic between Gleeson and Treadaway. Airing for three seasons, the series moved at a quick pace, and its narrative explored some of the darkest parts of humanity while the abundance of twists and turns kept audiences on their toes.
Interview with the Vampire
Based on Anne Rice’s novel series that began in 1976, Interview with the Vampire is a gothic horror fantasy series that explores the life of Louis de Pointe du Lac through an interview with a journalist. Told through flashbacks of Louis' life during the interview, the series examines Louis' relationship with the vampire that turned him, Lestat de Lioncourt, and a teenage girl named Claudia, whom he turns. The series is the first of Anne Rice’s Immortal Universe media franchise.
Taking creative liberties to modernize the story in Anne Rice’sThe Vampire Chronicles, AMC’sInterview with the Vampireis still a strong adaptation. Earning its name from the first book in the series, the TV show moves between the past and present as journalist Daniel Molloy (Eric Bogosian) interviews Louis de Pointe du Lac (Jacob Anderson). Louis shares the story of his life and recalls his relationship with the vampire Lestat de Lioncourt (Sam Reid).
Interview with the Vampirehas a 98% rating onRotten Tomatoes.
Rice’s first book was adapted into the 1994 film of the same name, with Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt portraying Lestat and Louis, respectively. The TV show, developed by Rolin Jones, isa remarkable improvement from the ’90s film in almost every aspect.Interview with the Vampire, which was renewed for a third season in 2024, has earned continuous critical acclaim, with specific praise being given to the series' valuable alterations to Rice’s original story and its themes of race and sexuality.
Hannibal
Created for TV by Bryan Fuller, Hannibal is a TV adaptation/reimagining of Thomas Harris' Red Dragon novel. The show follows the exploits of FBI criminal profiler Will Graham (Hugh Dancy) and psychiatrist Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Mads Mikkelsen) and their perpetual game of cat and mouse that unfolds over the series. When a string of murders in Minnesota requires a brilliant mind to crack the case, Will Graham is called in to investigate - but due to the intimate and terrifying nature of the crimes, he is appointed Dr. Lecter to act as his psychiatrist. The truth of Dr. Lecter is that he is Will’s target - but to complicate matters, he’s the only person that can truly understand him.
The horror seriesHannibalfeatures characters from a few of Thomas Harris' novels, includingRed Dragon,Hannibal, andHannibal Rising. The series focuses on the evolving relationship between FBI special investigator Will Graham (Hugh Dancy) and forensic psychiatrist Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Mads Mikkelsen), who also happens to be a secret serial killer and a cannibal. Despite airing on NBC,Hannibalboasts tons of violenceand a decent amount of gory imagery.
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Theshocking deaths inHannibal, combined with its unexpected bits of humor and strong character development, made the series a hit with audiences, and it was critically acclaimed. Having been canceled after three seasons,the series did end on a cliffhanger. Still,the series continues to be celebratedfor its writing and Mikkelsen’s approach to the title character, and some fans are hopeful for a fourth season sometime in the future.
The Haunting of Hill House
The Haunting of Hill House is a 2018 horror drama series that interweaves the past and present narrative of a family grappling with traumatic occurrences from their former residence. The story explores the psychological and supernatural elements of their experiences as they contend with haunting memories and events.
Mike Flanagan has served as the showrunnerfor several Netflix horror series, includingThe Haunting of Hill House. The series is loosely based on Shirley Jackson’s novel of the same name and alternates between two timelines. The central Crain family’s past revealstheirconfrontations withparanormal phenomena at the titular house. In the present, the remaining Crain siblings reunite with their father to confront their shared loss and traumatic past.
Following its 2018 release,The Haunting of Hill Housequicklyearned acclaim from critics and audiences. The performances from the series' leading cast are outstanding, and Flanagan’s show seamlessly explores grief, avoidance, and tragedy while presenting a truly terrifying horror series. The numerous jump scares and frightening imagery throughout the show leave an enduring mark on audiences and tie in well with the Crain family’s navigation of loss.
Salem’s Lot
Ben returns to his hometown of Salem’s Lot to write a book about the supposedly haunted Marsten House, which sits on a hill. His project is interrupted, however, when he discovers that someone has bought the long-empty property. When people around Marsten House start dying mysteriously, Ben discovers that the owner of the mansion is actually a vampire.
Stephen King’s’Salem’s Lothas been adapted into a handful of seriesand movies throughout the years, but the best is undoubtedly the 1979 two-part miniseries. Directed by horror filmmaker Tobe Hooper,Salem’s Lotfollows a successful author’s return to his hometown, wherehe discovers its residents have been turned into vampires. The TV show makes a few changes to King’s story, namely in its depiction of Kurt Barlow, the ancient vampire causing trouble in the small town.
Garnering a cult following and being recognized as one of the best horror miniseries of all time, Salem’s Lot produces plenty of haunting visuals and effective scares to keep horror fans engaged.
Differing from King’s description of Barlow in the book, he appears in the series less as a human and closer to what audiences expect a classic vampire to look like. Barlow’s familiar, Richard Straker, is the more prominent antagonist in the series, played exceptionally well by James Mason. Garnering a cult following and being recognized as one ofthe best horror miniseries of all time,Salem’s Lotproduces plenty of haunting visualsand effective scares to keep horror fans engaged.
