Maximum Overdrive is a 1986 American science fiction action horror film written and directed by Stephen King. The film stars Emilio Estevez, Pat Hingle, Laura Harrington, and a young Yeardley Smith. The screenplay was inspired by and loosely based on King's short story Trucks, which was included in King's first collection of short stories, Night Shift.Maximum Overdrive is King's only directorial effort, though dozens of films have been based on King's novels.