Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining (1980) is considered a horror masterpiece, but one person who has never been a fan is Stephen King himself. Despite acknowledging the film’s visual brilliance, King has been vocal about his issues with the adaptation—particularly with how it portrays Jack Torrance.
In King’s novel, Jack is a deeply troubled man battling his inner demons, making his descent into madness a tragic arc. However, King believes that Jack Nicholson’s version lacked depth from the start. “When we first see Jack Nicholson, he’s in the office of Mr. Ullman, the manager of the hotel, and you know, then, he’s crazy as a s*** house rat. All he does is get crazier,” King told Deadline in 2016. In contrast, his novel presents Jack as a struggling father who ultimately loses himself to the Overlook Hotel’s dark influence.
Another key difference is the ending. In King’s book, the hotel is destroyed in a fiery explosion, symbolizing Jack’s final sacrifice to save his son. Kubrick, however, chose a much colder fate—literally—by having Jack freeze to death in the maze. This change, King believes, stripped the story of its emotional weight.
King’s dissatisfaction led him to create his own Shining adaptation in 1997—a three-part miniseries that stayed true to his original vision. While it allowed for a more faithful retelling, its outdated special effects and slower pacing have made it a divisive entry among fans.
Despite his criticisms, King holds no grudges against Kubrick. “I met Kubrick, and there’s no question he’s a terrifically smart guy,” he said. Still, for King, the definitive version of The Shining will always be his own.
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Source: Unilad
Photo Credit: Warner Bros./ABC
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