Stephen King, best-selling author, wrote a touching tribute to the late director Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner. The couple tragically passed away in their Los Angeles home on Sunday, December 14.
Reiner directed two of the most acclaimed King adaptations, “Stand by Me” and “Misery.”
King’s Statement on Reiner’s Passing
In a December 15 statement posted on X, King wrote:
“Iâm horrified and saddened by the death of Rob Reiner and Michele. Wonderful friend, political ally, and brilliant filmmaker (including 2 of mine). Rest in peace, Rob. You always stood by me.”
‘Stand by Me’
GettyThe beloved coming-of-age film “Stand by Me” is adapted from King’s novella “The Body.”
“Some friends were developing Stand By Me for the director Adrian Lyne but he left the project. They took it to me to read. I connected with the characters, loved the time period and everything about it. ‘Maybe Iâll take a shot at this,’” Reiner told The Guardian while discussing the making of the film with Kiefer Sutherland. He called King’s account of his experience a “wonderfully observational piece.”
“Once I hit on the idea of Gordie (Wil Wheaton) being the one that goes through this big emotional upheaval, then I hooked into it. In the book, Gordie was just an observer; once I decided to make him the main character, it all fell into place,” Reiner said.
“River (Chris) was 13 and like a young James Dean. There was so much soul there. He had this great wisdom for a guy that age,” Reiner said of River Phoenix, who played Chris in the film.
“Stand By Me means more to me than any of the other films Iâve made. It was the first time I did a film that reflected my own personal sensibility; it had a mixture of melancholy, humour and nostalgia. I was 12 in 1959 so the music was the music I listened to and the feelings I had in relation to my father, I injected into the film. When it came out and was accepted it validated me. It gave me a big boost to press forward,” Reiner concluded.
‘Misery’
GettyReiner’s “Misery” is based on King’s 1987 novel of the same name. The psychological thriller earned actress Kathy Bates the Oscar for Best Actress in 1991 for her unforgettable portrayal of Annie Wilkes, an obsessive fan who holds famed novelist Paul Sheldon (played by James Caan) captive.
Reiner made a key change from the original King novel in his film. In the book, Wilkes chops off Sheldon’s feet to permanently entrap him in her home. However, Reiner thought Sheldon should just be badly injured. Screenwriter William Goldman disagreed, and the two went back and forth on the issue, but Reiner won out in the end. In the final film, Wilkes “hobbles” Sheldon, using a sledgehammer to crush the bones in his ankles.
But Reiner clarified his reasons for the decision at the 2025 TCM Classic Film Festival. “It wasnât because I wanted it to be less gruesome,” he told TCM host Dave Karger. “He goes through this whole experience of being essentially tortured and jailed by this number one fan. Heâs written this other book, which she makes him burn.”
“My thought was he always wanted to go beyond ‘Misery’ and I wanted him to leave being intact,” Reiner continued. “Heâs still hobbled and all that, but heâs now a full person, so I didn’t want to have him not have feet at the end.”
Bates, on the other hand, was disappointed in the change. “Everybody said you shouldnât have to lose something after youâve learned something,” she said. “I didnât feel that way at all. Because I thought it was so beautiful.” She went on to add that she thought it had “a beautiful poetic progression,” since Wilkes was a nurse.
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