Eli Roth Almost Directed A Major Stephen King Flop

If there’s a book with Stephen King’s name on it, you can bet Hollywood will do its best to adapt it. Unfortunately, for every beloved adaptation of the author’s work, there’s been the odd misfire that fans would rather forget. One such stain on the record of King transfers is “Cell,” a movie starring John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson which, according to Rotten Tomatoes, is the worst adaptation from King’s book shelf. Directed by Tod Williams, the film sees a signal spread across cellular devices, turning any users at the time into feral monsters. Universally battered by critics, there might’ve been a chance for the story to actually turn out okay, had it stayed on the desk of the film’s original director, Eli Roth.

Initially the first choice to direct the project, Roth expressed immense excitement about handling the book’s opening, which saw the lead character get off a flight and see an airport gradually descend into chaos as a signal infiltrated the minds of its occupants. The “Hostel” director even told /Film back in 2007 how he had it all mapped out. Unfortunately, the horror Roth had in his head didn’t come to pass, and the line went dead on his version of “Cell,” replaced with a movie that proved to be a horrifying watch for very different reasons.

In 2009, ShockTillYouDrop received an update from Roth regarding his version of the film, which never came to pass. “I walked off ‘Cell’ kind of quietly,” he admitted. “There was just sort of a difference in opinion on how to make the film and what the story should be, and there’s a different direction the studio wants to go with it.” The creative disagreement was a mild one that led to an epiphany for Roth and his own direction going forward. “I said, ‘I’m not really interested in doing the film this way. You guys go ahead and I’m going to make my own films.’ I’ve also learned that I really am only interested in directing original stories that I write, that’s another thing I learned through that whole process.” 

There’s really no telling if “Cell” staying on Eli Roth’s to-do list would’ve been better or worse than the film we ended up with. As much as Williams’ take on the film was torn to shreds, it’s worth noting that the original directing choice has had some big misses over the years, as well. The “Hostel” director got his groove back with holiday-focussed horror, “Thanksgiving,” but this was quickly followed up with video game adaptation “Borderlands,” which became the biggest box-office bomb of 2024. Maybe if Roth had picked up “Cell” we might’ve had a hit on our hands. Perhaps though, there are just some Stephen King stories that should have never left the page to begin with.