Garnering a dignified reputation as the King of Horror, American renowned authorStephen Kingis responsible for a surfeit of successful novels, many of which have been adapted for numerous films and television miniseries. With that in mind, the upcoming reboot ofSalem’s Lothas horror fans widely speculating all of its juicy details.Salem’s Lotfirst debuted as a two-night TV miniseries on CBS in 1979, based on the 1975 novel by King. The beloved Stephen King tale quickly became a television sensation, and has attracted a strong cult following over the years. Moreover, an influx of modern fans has sparked a new intrigue into the world of King’s storytelling.
In 2004, a two-part American TV miniseries starringRob Loweattempted to recreate the magic of the original, yet similar success was never met. However, a reintroduction of the supernatural horror into the newest generation presents a range of possibilities. After all, there’s never a better scare than a Stephen King scare. Recently,Salem’s Lotreceived a significant release date of September 2022, though the crippling anticipation has fans eagerly itching for further updates. Here’s everything we know about Stephen King’sSalem’s Lotremake.
What The Salem’s Lot Remake Will Be About
Salem’s Lot,both the novel and the television miniseries, follows Ben Mears, a successful author who returns to his hometown of Jerusalem’s Lot to write a new book. Mears plans to borrow inspiration from the old Marsten House, a local estate with a deeply haunted past. Unbeknownst to Ben, the eerie fictionalMaine townis swirling with dark secrets. Upon his return, Ben realizes that the Marsten House has been bought by Richard Straker, a reserved man with a clear purpose to open an antique shop with his business partner, Kurt Barlow, who is consistently absent. Moreover, Ben realizes that townspeople are disappearing and returning as creatures of the undead.
The Creative Team Behind the Remake
In 2019,The Hollywood Reporterannounced that Gary Dauberman officiallysigned on as the screenwriter for the Stephen King adaptation. No stranger to the massive horror genre, Dauberman found success while writing films withinThe Conjuringuniverse, including his directorial debut withAnnabelle Comes Home. Dauberman’s continued expertise saw him co-writeITandIT: Chapter Two, based on Stephen King’s critically acclaimed 1986 novel. In 2020, Dauberman was also announced as the director of the upcoming film. Additionally, filmmaker James Wan, notorious forThe ConjuringandSaw, is set to produce the Stephen King adaptation, along with producers Roy Lee, Michael Clear and Mark Wolper. The film’s distribution will be conducted by Warner Bros. Pictures, with an expected release date of September 2022.
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The Confirmed Cast of Salem’s Lot & More
New Line announced a cast of young, up-and-coming actors that will headline the supernatural horror extravaganza, while several acting veterans will serve complimentary secondary roles. American actorLewis Pullmanis set to star inSalem’s Lotas Ben Mears, with many critics believing the role will be the actor’s breakthrough. Actors also signed on for the project include Makenzie Leigh as Ben’s love interest Susan Norton, Bill Camp as teacher Matthew Burke, Spencer Treat Clark as Mike Ryerson, William Sadler (The Shawshank RedemptionandThe Green Mile) as vampire Kurt Barlow, Pilou Asbæk as the mysterious Richard Straker and Alfre Woodard as Dr. Cody.
Official principal photography for the adaptation took place in September 2021 in Boston, followed by several filming locations in Massachusetts, including Ipswich, Sterling and Clinton. The Princeton Public Library was also utilized as a location during filming.
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What Else To Expect
DevotedStephen Kingfans can expect the newest film adaptation to strongly adhere to the novel’s plot and finer details. According to Dauberman, the novel and original miniseries provide an excellent source material for the upcoming remake, though adding its own elements to fit better in the realm of modern cinematic horror. However, certain detailed elements from the novel will obviously be excluded due to time constraints of a feature film. Nevertheless, director-writerGary Daubermanand producerJames Wanintend to keep the story relatively the same.
As previously mentioned,Salem’s Lotcurrently boasts an expected theatrical release date of July 15, 2025, followed by streaming onHBO Max45 days after. Contrary to the belief of October-released horror movies proving to be more successful, horror movies released during the month of September generally perform much better.Salem’s Lot’srelease comes after a plethora of recent Stephen King adaptations, includingCastle Rockand the upcoming remake ofChristine.WithSalem’s Lotrapidly approaching, many fans are wondering just how successful and credible the remake will prove to be. Regardless, Stephen King fans have something to certainly look forward to.
