After a rather quiet year for Stephen King on the big screen (just the one - the Carrie remake - in 2013) but 2014 promises to be a bigger year for the famed author at the multiplex.

With around a gazillion films in the offing (rough estimate), we've boiled it down to the four which you should be putting in your diaries next year.

A Good Marriage

We've got a good feeling about this one. The psychological thriller about a woman who finds out that her husband has been harbouring a sinister secret has already assembled an impressive cast with Joan Allen, Anthony LaPaglia and Kristen Connelly (House of Cards) all onboard. It also boasts a screenplay written by King himself and just to top it off, he saw it last week and loved it!

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Mercy

Based on a short story called Gramma, it's not the first time this story has been adapted. Originally, the tale of two boys who discover their grandmother is a witch, was turned into an episode of The New Twilight Zone in 1986. Now it's being turned into a big screen horror with Frances O'Connor (A.I.), Mark Duplass (Safety Not Guaranteed), Dylan McDermott (American Horror Story) taking on grown up duties while Joel Courtney (Super 8) and Chandler Riggs (The Walking Dead) playing the kids.

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Cell

One of the most highly anticipated on the list, this adaptation of a full-length King bestseller is promising for a number of reasons. Firstly, the cast boasts John Cusack and Samuel L Jackson, who previously starred in 1408, one of the finer King movies of recent years. Secondly, it has some decent horror credentials with director Tod Williams (Paranormal Activity 2) and screenwriter Adam Alleca (The Last House On The Left) on board. And finally, you can't go wrong with the source material, which tells of a terrifying infection that turns a phone signal into chaos.

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The Ten O'Clock People

Although he might have been out of the spotlight for a while, writer-director Tom Holland has an impressive background in the horror genre. Involved in Fright Night, Child's Play and previous King adaptations The Langoliers and Thinner, he knows his stuff. So he's a wise choice to take on this short story which follows a group of smokers who uncover a terrifying secret about the nature of society. The cast features This is The End's Jay Baruchel and GI Joe's Rachel Nichols.

(Images: Rex Features, All Star)