Iconic authorStephen Kingrecently gave his seal of approval for Paramount+’s upcoming prequel filmPet Sematary: Bloodlines.
The upcoming horror movie serves asa prequel to King’sPet Sematary, which itself was adapted into a much-loved movie in 1989 and again in 2019. The 2019 film was adapted from King’s 1983 horror novel, and starred Jason Clarke, John Lithgow, Amy Seimetz, Alyssa Brooke Levine, Jeté Laurence, and Hugo Lavoie.Pet Sematarywas directed by Kevin Kolsch and Dennis Widmyer and was written by King, Matt Greenberg, and Jeff Buhler. The new prequel takes many of the stylistic choices of the remake into the new movie, which is set decades before Louis Creed discovers the deadly powers of the titular burial ground in the original story.
Prior to the 2019 film, Paramount Pictures released an adaptation of King’s novel in 1989, which is still regarded as one of the best early adaptations of a King story. That version of the movie was led by Dale Midkiff and Denise Crosby, withThe Munsters' Fred Gwynnein the role of Judd Crandall, the focal character ofPet Sematary: Bloodlines.
Sharing his thoughts on his X account, horror master King gave some high praise for the new spin-off tale based on his characters, and singled out star David Duchovny’s performance. King wrote:
“BLOODLINES: In the book, this is the story Jud Crandall tells Louis Creed to try and dissuade him from using the Pet Sematary. The screenplay takes a few liberties, but it’s a fine story. David Duchovny is excellent.”
TheFairy Taleauthor added, “The secret, as always, is caring about the characters.”
RELATED:Pet Sematary: Bloodlines Trailer Unearths the Story of Jud Crandall in Prequel to Stephen King’s Classic Horror
The Upcoming Horror Film Follows a Young Jud Crandall in Ludlow, Maine
Unlike its predecessor,Bloodlinesis not adapting King’s novel, and instead has developed its own storyline from the very bare threads of Jud Crandall’s past that are briefly mentioned in the book.Bloodlinestakes place long before the events of the novel, and follows a young Jud as he uncovers the dark family secrets that force him to forever stay connected to the small town of Ludlow. The upcoming movie was directed by Lindsey Anderson Beer and stars David Duchovny, Jackson White, Samantha Mathis, Henry Thomas, and Pam Grier. Thesynopsis forPet Sematary: Bloodlinesstates:
“In 1969, a young Jud Crandall has dreams of leaving his hometown of Ludlow, Maine behind, but soon discovers sinister secrets buried within and is forced to confront a dark family history that will forever keep him connected to Ludlow. Banding together, Jud and his childhood friends must fight an ancient evil that has gripped Ludlow since its founding, and once unearthed has the power to destory everything in its path. Based on the untold chapter fromPet Sematary, Stephen King’s chilling novel, PET SEMATARY: BLOODLINES is a terrifying prequel and the untold story of why sometimes dead is better…”
King’s praise for the upcoming film is notable as the author is known for not holding back his opinions on the way that his books have been adapted. One famous example of King’s critiques is his blunt tear down of Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 adaptation of King’s 1977 bestsellerThe Shining.
