Why Stephen King Hated Kubrick's The Shining So Much

A terrifying story by a master of horror meets the artistic eye of a prolific filmmaker — what could go wrong? Well, according to Stephen King, author of the novel upon which Stanley Kubrick's "The Shining" is based, a whole lot. Released to mostly critical acclaim in 1980, "The Shining" saw Jack Nicholson leap into the shoes of the deranged and murderous Jack Torrance as the spirits inhabiting the Overlook Hotel drive him to insanity. While King's original novel contains all of these elements, his interpretation of the story differs pretty dramatically from that of director Stanley Kubrick. So much so, in fact, that it took decades — and a certain movie by another acclaimed filmmaker — before the horror novelist could come to appreciate his novel's film adaptation. This is why Stephen King hated Kubrick's "The Shining" so much.