Stephen King Pushes Back on Claim Kubrick's The Shining Beats His Book
Stephen King replied on X to a user who called Kubrick's The Shining a better movie than his novel is a book, saying "that doesn't make it so."
Stephen King responded on X on October 11, 2026, to a user who argued that Stanley Kubrick's The Shining is a better movie than King's novel is a book. According to comingsoon.net, King replied: "But that doesn't make it so."
In a second post the same day, King added: "You can say what you want. Free country, and all that."
Kubrick directed the 1980 film adaptation of King's novel, with Jack Nicholson playing Jack Torrance.
King has long been critical of the adaptation and the changes it made to his story. In an interview with Deadline, he said Nicholson's Jack Torrance appears "crazy as a shit house rat" from his first scene, leaving no tragic arc, unlike the book, where the character struggles with his sanity before losing it.
King also noted that in his book the hotel blows up at the end, while in Kubrick's film it freezes.
Quick answers
What did Stephen King say about Kubrick's The Shining?
On October 11, 2026, King replied on X to a user who said Kubrick's film is a better movie than his book is a book, writing, "But that doesn't make it so."
Has Stephen King criticized Kubrick's The Shining before?
Yes. King has long been critical of the adaptation and its changes to the story, and told Deadline that Jack Nicholson's Jack Torrance appears "crazy as a shit house rat" from his first scene.