‘Roadwork’: The Stephen King Adaptation Fans Deserve

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As a huge movie buff, I’m always amazed by Stephen King. The guy’s written 65 novels and novellas – mostly horror, of course! It’s no surprise filmmakers keep coming back to his work; he’s the second most adapted author ever, only beaten by Shakespeare! A lot of his stories get remade or revisited because they’re just so good and have layers you can really dig into. But it’s kind of cool to know there are still some of his books and short stories that haven’t made it to the screen yet.

To be honest, not every Stephen King book needs to be made into a movie or TV show. While The Eyes of the Dragon is a decent story about a king’s murder, it feels too much like George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire. And Insomnia, about a man suffering from sleeplessness, just isn’t captivating or scary enough. So, which book has the best chance of becoming a hit like The Shawshank Redemption, Misery, Mist, It, and The Green Mile? The answer is Roadwork, originally published in 1981 under the name Richard Bachman – it’s the most deserving of an adaptation.

‘Roadwork’ Reminds Us How Cruel the Hand of Fate Can Be


CBS

The film Roadwork opens with an angry man passionately criticizing the government’s lack of concern for everyday people. He’s interviewed on the street about a new highway project and explains why he thinks it’s a mistake. We later find out this man is Barton George Dawes, and a year after the interview, he purchases two powerful guns. The film reveals that Dawes’ son, Charlie, died from a brain tumor three years prior, and Dawes remains deeply connected to both his job at a laundry and the family home where Charlie grew up. Sadly, both are scheduled to be destroyed to make way for the highway expansion.

Growing increasingly depressed, Dawes quit his job after deliberately disrupting the purchase of a new laundry facility. His wife, Mary, left him when she found out about this and his refusal to look for a new home. Desperate, Dawes attempted to buy explosives from a member of the mafia, but was turned down. He then decided to make his own, creating Molotov cocktails – a common element in Stephen King’s stories – and used them to bomb highway construction equipment. However, his actions only caused a small delay to the project.

Things then take a turn for the worse for the character. At first, he refuses the city’s payment for his house, which they’re taking through eminent domain. But after the city attorney blackmails him, he reluctantly accepts. He quickly spends most of the money irresponsibly. In a desperate act, he rigs his house and garage with explosives and locks himself inside. When the police arrive, it leads to one of the most nerve-wracking confrontations ever shown on film.

‘Roadwork’ Bears Most of Stephen King’s Relished Trademarks


Columbia Pictures

“Roadwork” doesn’t shy away from difficult themes like loss and mental health. While it occasionally feels overly dramatic or preachy, its powerful emotional impact suggests it would be a worthwhile adaptation – though it deserves a closer look. When considering whether a Stephen King story will succeed as a film or TV show, the first question is whether it’s a good Stephen King story. Will it satisfy devoted fans who appreciate his signature style? Does it include his recognizable elements, and does it also offer something fresh that can attract a broader audience? “Roadwork” seems to meet many of these criteria.

Stephen King’s stories often highlight the frightening aspects of everyday life, and Roadwork is perhaps his most powerful example. The novel follows Bart Dawes, who is deeply disturbed by the prospect of losing his home. This isn’t just about the physical loss, but also about letting go of the memories of his deceased son and the comfort of his long-established routine. This struggle is something many people can understand and connect with.

I’m a huge Stephen King fan, and one thing he does incredibly well is show how people fall apart mentally. In books like The Shining, Apt Pupil, and Misery, you see characters really unravel because of things happening to them, and it leads them to make some terrible decisions. A lot of times, these characters refuse to accept what’s happened – they desperately cling to the past or to something they’ve lost, and it just makes everything worse. It’s so realistic and disturbing, and that’s what makes his stories so powerful.

Stephen King’s stories often focus on how harmful systems and institutions are, rather than just scary supernatural events. For example, in The Shawshank Redemption, the main character is wrongly punished by the legal system. The Long Walk and The Running Man show governments forcing people into dangerous and pointless competitions, and in The Mist, the military’s actions actually create the monsters. These themes of institutional harm are also central to the novel Roadwork.

‘Roadwork Is One of Stephen King’s Most Personal Books


@StephenKing / X

Stephen King’s Roadwork would benefit from a new adaptation because it’s a deeply personal story, drawing heavily from his own experiences. You can feel King’s sincerity throughout the book, and he uses unusually direct, diary-like writing that heightens the overall sense of dread. While the story sometimes lacks strong forward momentum and the characters aren’t always fully developed, it’s still a powerfully moving and intelligent exploration of grief, offering a compassionate and eloquent look at a difficult subject.

In The Bachman Books, King reveals that the story was inspired by the death of his mother.

I believe this work was my attempt to understand my mother’s difficult death from the previous year – she suffered from cancer for a long time, and it slowly took her life. After she passed, I was deeply saddened and disturbed by how meaningless it all seemed. This project, ‘Roadwork,’ is a sincere effort to grapple with the problem of human suffering and find some kind of explanation.

Stephen King had mixed feelings about publishing Roadwork. He initially didn’t want it released, but ultimately decided to publish it as a form of personal therapy. Later, in a revised edition of his short story collection, he admitted that Roadwork had become one of his favorite early works.

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A movie adaptation almost happened in 2019. Pablo Trapero was set to direct, and Andy Muschietti, known for the It films, was going to produce. Unfortunately, the project has been cancelled, as it’s no longer listed among Stephen King’s upcoming adaptations on his official website.

It’s very likely that an adaptation will happen! The Long Walk faced many obstacles getting made, but it finally did. Since Hollywood enjoys Stephen King’s work, there’s a good chance we’ll see most of his unadapted stories become films or TV series eventually. Let’s hope Roadwork is next!

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2025-12-25 04:19