CinemaBlend Copy to clipboard As far as Stephen King adaptations go, youâd be hard pressed to find one that deviates further from the source material than director Paul Michael Glaserâs The Lawnmower Man doesnât count). The idea of a dystopian world where bloody violence is a part of reality television is translated from the book to the 1987 film, and the hero and villain names (Ben Richards and Killian) are the same⦠but thatâs pretty much where the links end. In simple terms, itâs much less of a King movie than it is an Arnold Schwarzenegger movie. And while thatâs not meant to disparage what is a legitimately fun action flick, it means that weâve never seen a proper big screen version of what is a dark and thrilling novel.