Released in 1986 and based on theStephen Kingshort story ‘Trucks,’Maximum Overdriveremains theonly movie the horror author ever directed, and for good reason. It was a critical and commercial flop, earning just $7.4 million at the box officeagainst a budget of $9 million. However, while it’s widely regarded as one ofthe worst Stephen King adaptationsever made, it’s also becomea guilty pleasure of many over the years, includingGiancarlo Esposito, whoappeared briefly in the movieearly on in his career.
Speaking withCinemaBlend, Esposito took time to reflect onMaximum Overdrive, saying that at the time he thought King was“brilliant in directing that film.”Esposito appeared as ‘Videoplayer’ in the movie, getting electrocuted by the ‘Star Castle’ arcade gamewhen the machines start becoming sentientafter earth passes through the tail of a rogue comet.
“Oh my goodness. I mean,I thought Stephen was brilliant in directing that filmand thought he would have a long career as a director. He’s prolific as a writer of course, and [I] love what he writes. But that film had… he was really good with the team of artisans who were making it. You know, art department, transpo in that movie was very, very important. Moving parts of lawnmowers and trucks. And, you know, ‘Milli Estevez of course, in that movie as well.”
Maximum Overdrive
During Esposito’s scene inMaximum Overdrive, his character finds himself in an arcadewhen all hell starts to break loose. Bathed in a red glow, the glass breaks on a pinball machine, causing the defiant Esposito to shout,“Your mama!”It would be his one and only line in the film, as he’s quickly dispatched thereafter. Just 27 at the time, the now 66-year-old actor who appears next inMaXXXinesaysit was a“great honor”to work with Stephen King.
“And me at that pinball machine, ‘Your Mama!’ [Laugh] And that pinball machine is not acting right.It was a great honor to be there and work with him. And I’m a huge Stephen King fan.”
Stephen King Has Repeatedly Apologized for Maximum Overdrive
Debuting on July 12, 2025,Maximum Overdrivealso starred the likes of Emilio Estevez, Pat Hingle, Yeardley Smith, and Frankie Faison, with Stephen King himselfappearing in a cameo roleas ‘ATM man.’ It was the author’sfirst outing as a directorafter signing a three-picture deal with Dino De Laurentiis,but would prove to be his lastfollowing the film’s disastrous production.
It’s no secret that Stephen King was bothan alcoholic and a drug addictat the time he shot the movie, which came at the height of his addictions. The author hasn’t been shy about his past struggles, which he abandoned the following year, saying that he was“coked out of my mind”during the production ofMaximum Overdrive, and had no idea what he was doing. He’srepeatedly apologized for the whole ordeal, including to starEmilio Estevez.
10 Recent Horror Movies Stephen King Praised
If Stephen King says it’s good, then it must be. These are the recent horror movies that the king of horror books has praised.
In a 2021 interview withVanity Fair, Estevez said thatMaximum Overdriveis theone movie he regrets appearing in, but at the time he – like Giancarlo Esposito – really wantedto work with Stephen King. In the years that have followed, the actor says that anytime he runs into King,the author frequently apologizes.
“I’m not speaking out of class becausehe knows it’s a terrible movie, but Stephen King often talks about his one directorial experience on Maximum Overdrive, which I was in. The few times that I’ve connected with him over the years, he’s like,‘Can you forgive me for that?'"
Still, whileMaximum Overdrivemay have beena box office disasterand panned by critics at the time, in retrospectit’s a fun movie to watch, if for nothing more than seeing the awesome Green Goblin truck get destroyed by Emilio Estevez.
