Though for most of its running time it's a faithful adaptation, in the last five minutes Darabont takes The Mist in a completely different direction from the way it finishes in King’s story. I loved it, but it's the kind of finish that's almost certain to inspire equal parts hatred and adoration among moviegoers.

One person who loves the new ending is Stephen King. That's right, he couldn't be happier with Darabont's new finish to his tale of terror. At a press conference today to promote the film, King talked about Darabont's take, and had nothing but superlatives to say about it. He says: "Frank wrote a new ending that I loved. It is the most shocking ending ever and there should be a law passed stating that anybody who reveals the last 5 minutes of this film should be hung from their neck until dead."