- Pet Sematary: Bloodlines has become a major streaming success on Paramount+ despite poor reviews.
- The movie is a prequel to the 2019 horror thriller Pet Sematary, which was adapted from Stephen King’s classic 1983 horror novel.
- Director Lindsey Anderson Beer has ideas for future expansions and potential sequels within the Pet Sematary universe.
The prequel to the 2019 horror thriller Pet Sematary, titled Pet Sematary: Bloodlines, has surprisingly become a major streaming success despite receiving critical backlash. Although the film holds a measly 23% score on Rotten Tomatoes, it managed to break a streaming record for Paramount+ as the most-watched original movie in its first month of release, according to The Wrap.
Directed by Lindsey Anderson Beer and co-written by Jeff Buhler, Pet Sematary: Bloodlines features a strong cast, including David Duchovny, Henry Thomas, Jackson White, Forrest Goodluck, Natalie Alyn Lind, Jack Mulhern, Samantha Mathis, and Pam Grier. The film is a prelude to the original story, following young Jud Crandall as he uncovers dark family secrets that bind him to Ludlow, the small town he yearns to leave behind.
Despite the negative reviews, Pet Sematary: Bloodlines surpassed the previous top title on Paramount+, Teen Wolf: The Movie, just three weeks after its premiere. The film’s success has prompted discussions about potential sequels and expansions within the Pet Sematary universe, and director Beer already has several ideas in mind.
In a conversation with SFX magazine (via GamesRadar), Beer mentioned the possibility of numerous movies within the Pet Sematary universe and expressed interest in delving deeper into the origins of the evil. Without giving too much away, Beer stated that there is more to be explored and questioned in the world of Pet Sematary.
It was revealed that the decision to make Bloodlines a prequel to the 2019 remake had already been in the works before Beer joined the project, focusing on Timmy Baterman’s story, a character who plays a significant role in the novel but is less prominent in the 1989 film adaptation. Beer highlighted the importance of including this previously unexplored aspect of the story and the connection between Jud and the evil force in his past.
Pet Sematary: Bloodlines is now available for viewing on Paramount+.