Stephen King’s Desperation has reached Prime Video’s U.S. movie top 10, twenty years after its rough start on ABC. Back then, King attacked the network’s choice to air his horror film against the American Idol finals.
According to ScreenRant, Desperation ranked ninth on October 15, 2026. Meanwhile, it placed below John Wick: Chapter 4 and above Underwater, giving the older movie a spot on the chart.
However, the ranking does not reveal how many viewers tuned in nor the reason why they did.
Why Was Stephen King Angry With ABC Over Desperation?
Before the broadcast, King posted a message about the clash in schedules. In a note preserved by Lilja’s Library, he wrote, “But am I bitter? HELL, YES, I AM BITTER!”
Then, he added: “Oh, well, good work always finds a place in time, and ours may be in the DVD racks eventually.” Still, he urged fans to watch the May 23, 2006 broadcast.
Ultimately, preliminary Nielsen figures showed that Desperation drew 7.5 million viewers. By contrast, American Idol attracted 30.7 million viewers that night, according to The Hollywood Reporter’s coverage reproduced by Lilja’s Library.
While the gap does not prove that the time slot alone caused the film’s weak results, it shows how much larger the singing contest’s audience was.
Originally, King wrote the script from his own 1996 novel, with Mick Garris directing. Ron Perlman plays Collie Entragian, a Nevada officer who traps travelers in a town ruled by an evil force called Tak.
Alongside Perlman, the cast includes Tom Skerritt, Steven Weber, Annabeth Gish, and Henry Thomas. As the captives seek a way out, they face deadly threats and tests of faith.
Today, Rotten Tomatoes lists a 33% audience score, not a critics’ rating. Thus, the streaming rise comes despite a mixed response from viewers.
