Stephen King has given his official verdict on one of this summer’s newest sci-fi movies.

The acclaimed author is no stranger to stories involving ordinary people facing extraordinary and terrifying circumstances. While his stories are being adapted into television or movies, the iconic author regularly goes on social media to share his thoughts on current pop culture. One of the summer movies is The End of Oak Street, which follows a family whose life turns upside down when their suburbia is transported to prehistoric times filled with dinosaurs.

Recently, on X, King highly recommended The End of Oak Street, starring Ewan McGregor and Anne Hathaway. He exclaimed, “What a glorious throwback to summer movies as they were back in the day. Total fun.“

You should see THE END OF OAK STREET on the big screen. What a glorious throwback to summer movies as they were back in the day. Total fun.

His review comes not long after the new dinosaur thriller was released in theaters. Ahead of its release, The End of Oak Street reviews were very positive, with critics and audiences praising the fast pacing, straightforward narrative, the high-stakes action, and the cast performances, particularly Hathaway’s strong matriarch.

Additionally, The End of Oak Street‘s ending and one jaw-dropping moment have sparked conversations, with many noting the thriller’s daring nature and bold storytelling moves. The movie holds a strong 85% on Rotten Tomatoes and became one of the best dinosaur flicks in the 21st century.

The dinosaur premise naturally invites comparisons to Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park and theories that it’s connected to the Cloverfield universe, which producer J.J. Abrams debunked. In fact, Spielberg’s 1993 classic was similarly released in the summer, adding to the parallels between the two dinosaur flicks and King’s emphasis on a “glorious throwback to summer movies.”

At the time, Jurassic Park became the highest-grossing movie of all time before being dethroned by Titanic four years later. Unfortunately, The End of Oak Street couldn’t replicate the financial success of the ’90s dinosaur classic.

Although the general audience approval is a solid 77%, the new survival thriller struggled at the box office. With an estimated $80 million to $92 million budget, The End of Oak Street had a lukewarm opening weekend of $21 million domestically, falling behind Spider-Man: Brand New Day and The Odyssey.

Given its undeserved box-office struggles, King’s praise becomes a huge endorsement for the thriller ahead of its second weekend in theaters against new releases like Insidious 6 and Mutiny. The author has built his career around finding horror and wonder in familiar settings, often placing supernatural or science-fiction threats into small towns and ordinary communities. The End of Oak Street similarly takes something recognizable — a quiet suburban street — and turns it into the setting for an enormous dinosaur adventure.

Although word of mouth could improve the movie’s box-office potential, the chances are unlikely. However, it’s not total doom for The End of Oak Street. Thanks to strong reception and King’s glowing review, the dinosaur thriller has a second chance to find success when it becomes available on video-on-demand and streaming.

Directed and written by David Robert Mitchell, The End of Oak Street is expected to stream on HBO Max, but Warner Bros. has not announced official home release dates. Until then, moviegoers still have a chance to see one of the most acclaimed dinosaur thrillers as the summer nears its end.

The End of Oak Street is now playing in theaters.

Release Date

August 14, 2026

Runtime

100 minutes

Director

David Robert Mitchell

Writers

David Robert Mitchell

Producers

Chris Bender, J.J. Abrams, Tommy Harper, David Robert Mitchell, Jake Weiner, Matt Jackson, Joanne Lee