My brain is littered with trivia from the half-century relationship between Stephen King and Hollywood, and among my favorites is a strange connection between the author and director Sam Raimi. While the filmmaker has never taken the helm of a King movie, he’s had on-camera roles in two of adaptations: 1994’s The Stand and 1997’s The Shining. It’s a fun little oddity – but fans of both men know that their connection goes far deeper than that.
Raimi’s new film Send Help is arriving in theaters this week, and CinemaBlend’s own Jeff McCobb recently had the chance to talk with him about the special influence of Stephen King on his career… though the filmmaker admits he doesn’t love the likening of the 2026 movie to Misery. That story and a 20th anniversary reflection on the 2006 novel Cell comprise this week’s edition of The King Beat, so let’s dig in!
