After a brief retirement, the prolific horror writer is busier than ever. A film based on his novella The Mist opens Nov. 21
Following The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile, The Mist is the third major film you've done with writer-director Frank Darabont. Are you soul mates?
He does [my stuff] really well. Frank will say, "I have the world's smallest specialty. I only do prison movies written by Stephen King."
There have been so many movies made from your books. Do you try to maintain quality control?
No. I'd go crazy. I try to get good people involved. You start with the idea that it's like baseball: you put the best team you can on the field. That doesn't mean that you're not going to have the occasional train wreck.
Why do you think filmmakers are so fond of your work?
Because it's visual. I grew up at the movies. My first editor used to say, "Steve King has a movie projector in his head." Filmmakers react to that because they're visual creatures themselves.
What are you working on now?
I have a book coming out in January called Duma Key and then Ghost Brothers of Darkland County [a musical he's writing with John Mellencam], which we'll open next year, I hope.