With remakes ofFirestarterandSalem’s Lotbeing released in 2022 and 2023, it seems like a good time to revisit some other popular stories by the beloved Stephen King.The Shininggot an updated film withDoctor Sleepin 2019, and it seems like it would be a good idea to rebootMisery, which was released in 1990 and remains one of the greatest horror films from that decade. The story of author Paul Sheldon (James Caan) being kidnapped by his biggest fan Annie Wilkes (Kathy Bates) is a classic and feels more relevant than ever before.
There are many reasons why aMiseryremake would work, including the potential to tell this story in a contemporary way that utilizes social media and what being a fan means.
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Back in 2020, there was buzz about a remake ofMisery. According toWe Got This Covered, there was a remake reportedly in development at that time. But beyond that news, there isn’t much information available about this, so it’s unclear if this is actually still happening. In a 2021 interview withMen’s Health, Jamie Foxx talked about having an idea for aMiseryremake: “Opportunity gets me moving. Great idea, then I went to sleep and I woke up and that sh*t was in my dream. Now, I wrote the BlackOcean’s Eleven,or I just rewroteMisery."
A remake ofMiseryshould definitely include a diverse cast, and it could also lean into social media.Scream (2022)talks about the concept of fandomand the brilliant filmIngrid Goes West(2017) talks about a young woman’s obsession with another woman on Instagram. A newMiseryfilm could take both of these ideas and create something great. Perhaps it could focus on an author who is great at using Instagram and TikTok and has many followers online, or a TikTok star or Instagram influencer whose biggest fan shows up and kidnaps them.
Fans have even more access to their favorite creators than ever before, thanks to following them on social media, attending virtual book tours, and being able to send DMs on Instagram and Twitter, along with Facebook. It feels like the general idea behindMiseryis super relevant in the 2020s and would make for an interesting remake.
TheNetflix seriesClickbaithas a huge plot twistand sees the main character Nick Brewer (Adrian Grenier) being kidnapped and kept in an unknown location. A video of him goes viral as he holds up a sign saying that if he gets 5 million views, he will die. This propels the story and makes it impossible to look away. Maybe if there was aMiseryremake, the main character who is the fan would film the whole thing, which would allow the whole world to watch what happened.
The2019Pet Semataryremake makes the mistakeof presenting a story that is too similar to the original. A remake ofMiseryshould skip that mistake and say something interesting about what being a fan is like today. WhileScream (2022)explains that the two Ghostface killers Amber Freeman (Mikey Madison) and Richie Kirsch (Jack Quaid) are huge fans of the slasher franchise, the movie doesn’t lean into social media too much. A newMiserycould make a statement about how people are used to seeing their favorite creators and influencers 24/7 and feel like they know everything about them. It’s definitely a strange, unique concept unique to living in the 2020s.
Miseryis ahorror movie with a satisfying endingas James escapes from Annie and survives. In the chilling final scene, he sits in a diner and thinks that he sees Annie but he’s just seeing things. Paul has some trauma that he has to work through now which, of course, is understandable given this terrible ordeal. It’s an ending that feels right.
This ending makes a newMiseryfeel even more important as a remake could have a more in-depth and detailed discussion of mental health. The main character would need to be victorious against their creepy fan and then the last few moments could thoughtfully discuss how someone can process the emotions of trauma, heal, and move forward.
Stephen King likes the 1990 adaptation ofMisery, once listing his most beloved films based on his work: “ButStand By Me,Shawshank Redemption,GreenMile' are all really great ones.Miseryis a great film.Delores Claiborneis a really, really good film.Cujois terrific,” according toNola.com. Since King is a fan ofMisery, it seems like a remake would be a great idea and something that horror fans and critics alike would be interested in seeing.
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