Rob Reiner is an unabashed Stephen King fan. His third movie was Stand by Me, based on King’s story “The Body.” Shortly after that film’s release, he formed his own production company, Castle Rock Entertainment, named after a fictional Maine town central to many of King’s tales. Over the years, Castle Rock produced several adaptations of King’s works, including The Shawshank Redemption, Misery, The Green Mile, Needful Things, Dolores Claiborne, Hearts in Atlantis, and Dreamcatcher — ironically not producing the King-adjacent series Castle Rock, which was by J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot.
At San Diego Comic-Con, Reiner shared behind-the-scenes stories from his acclaimed King adaptations, Stand by Me (1986) and Misery (1990), the latter earning Kathy Bates a Best Actress Oscar — the only King-based film to win an Academy Award.
“For Misery, I never made a thriller before,” Reiner said. “I studied Hitchcock and every thriller I could to learn the grammar of thrillers: ‘Cut to the insert of the key,’ ‘The foot hits the ground.’”
Casting was difficult, with many A-list actors like Warren Beatty, Robert De Niro, Michael Douglas, Harrison Ford, and Al Pacino declining the lead role of Paul Sheldon. Eventually, James Caan was cast. Finding the female lead was also challenging; Anjelica Huston and Bette Midler turned down the role before Kathy Bates was recommended by screenwriter William Goldman.
Reiner recalled almost making Bates cry during her audition but quickly reassured her: “I said, ‘No, no. You can do it. You have the part.’”
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Despite backstage tensions—Bates loved to rehearse while Caan preferred freedom—they found balance. Misery became a hit and earned an Oscar, but Stand by Me remains Reiner’s favorite film.
Reiner shared that Stand by Me was his first film that reflected his personal voice, mixing humor, nostalgia, and melancholy drama. He related a scene where Gordie (Wil Wheaton) cries over his father, reflecting Reiner’s own relationship with his father, comedy legend Carl Reiner.
“That film validated my career choice. It showed that a mixture of things could be successful and accepted,” Reiner said.
