With remakes of Firestarter and Salem's Lot being released in 2022 and 2023, it seems like a good time to revisit some other popular stories by the beloved Stephen King. The Shining got an updated film with Doctor Sleep in 2019, and it seems like it would be a good idea to reboot Misery, 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 a Misery remake would work, including the potential to tell this story in a contemporary way that utilizes social media and what being a fan means.
Back in 2020, there was buzz about a remake of Misery. According to We 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 with Men's Health, Jamie Foxx talked about having an idea for a Misery remake: “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 Black Ocean’s Eleven, or I just rewrote Misery."
A remake of Misery should definitely include a diverse cast, and it could also lean into social media. Scream (2022) talks about the concept of fandom and the brilliant film Ingrid Goes West (2017) talks about a young woman's obsession with another woman on Instagram. A new Misery film 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 behind Misery is super relevant in the 2020s and would make for an interesting remake.
The Netflix series Clickbait has a huge plot twist and 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 a Misery remake, the main character who is the fan would film the whole thing, which would allow the whole world to watch what happened.
The 2019 Pet Sematary remake makes the mistake of presenting a story that is too similar to the original. A remake of Misery should skip that mistake and say something interesting about what being a fan is like today. While Scream (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 new Misery could 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.
Misery is a horror movie with a satisfying ending as 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 new Misery feel 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 of Misery, once listing his most beloved films based on his work: "But Stand By Me, Shawshank Redemption, Green Mile' are all really great ones. Misery is a great film. Delores Claiborne is a really, really good film. Cujo is terrific," according to Nola.com. Since King is a fan of Misery, it seems like a remake would be a great idea and something that horror fans and critics alike would be interested in seeing.