Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 adaptation of The Shining is slated to depart its current home on AMC on September 27, 2026, just days before the peak of the Halloween season.
While the film is widely regarded as a masterpiece of world cinema and a cornerstone of the horror genre, its legacy serves as a reminder of the decades-long friction between the director’s vision and the author’s original intent. Stephen King has been vocal about his dissatisfaction with Kubrick’s interpretation for over forty years. King famously described the film as a great big beautiful Cadillac with no motor inside, praising its visual technicality while arguing that it lacked the emotional core of his novel.
The Core of King’s Disdain
King’s primary objections center on the thematic shifts Kubrick made during the adaptation process. In the novel, the protagonist Jack Torrance is a tragic figure who is slowly corrupted by the malevolent forces of the Overlook Hotel. In contrast, King has argued that Jack Nicholson’s portrayal in the film suggests the character is unstable from the very first scene, stripping away the tragic arc of a “good man” losing his mind.
The author has also criticized the film’s treatment of Wendy Torrance, played by the late Shelley Duvall.
Context of Recent King Adaptations
The status of The Shining on streaming platforms comes during a period of varying commercial success for King’s work on the big screen. The 2025 adaptation of The Monkey, directed by Oz Perkins, proved highly profitable, grossing $68.9 million against a modest budget of approximately $11 million. Similarly, Francis Lawrence’s The Long Walk, released in September 2025, and Mike Flanagan’s The Life of Chuck—which won the People’s Choice Award at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival—have maintained the author’s critical and commercial relevance.
However, not every recent project has met with the same success. Edgar Wright’s 2025 take on The Running Man struggled to find its footing at the box office, grossing $69 million against a substantial $110 million budget while receiving mixed reviews from critics.
Max’s October 2026 Lineup
Max is planning an expansion of horror titles for the 2026 spooky season. Films joining the platform include the original 1973 The Exorcist, the stop-motion favorite Coraline, and the slasher crossover Freddy vs. Jason. These additions provide a focus for the platform’s seasonal curation.
