- Stephen King gives his endorsement to the upcoming Salem’s Lot remake, calling it “muscular and involving” with an “Old Hollywood” feel.
- The author acknowledges changes to the book, some of which he doesn’t agree with, but overall praises the faithfulness of the adaptation.
- The film’s release strategy remains uncertain, with recent reports suggesting it may skip theaters and go straight to streaming on Max.
Stephen King’s Salem’s Lot remake recently received high praise from the legendary author himself, who shared updates on the project via Twitter. King revealed that the new adaptation contains changes to his original novel, some he “doesn’t agree with,” but he remains enthusiastic and optimistic about the film. He stated:
“The Warner Bros remake of SALEM’S LOT, currently shelved, is muscular and involving. It has the feel of ‘Old Hollywood,’ when a film was given a chance to draw a breath before getting to business. When attention spans were longer, in other words.”
King compared the remake’s slow-burn approach to movies like The Great Escape, adding that although he doesn’t agree with some changes, it remains “faithful” to the original:
“It feels like a horror movie version of slow-burn movies, like THE GREAT ESCAPE. It builds very well. There are diversions from the book I don’t agree with, but on the whole, faithful. Best scene: Danny Glick in the hospital, trying to claw down a blood bag. The Glick scene could have been directed by John Carpenter in his prime.”
Despite King’s endorsement, moviegoers’ excitement is tempered by news that the film may skip theaters and head straight to the Max streaming service. Warner Bros. has not yet confirmed whether this strategy will be implemented for the highly-anticipated adaptation.
The cast of the Salem’s Lot remake features several well-known actors, including Lewis Pullman as Ben Mears, Makenzie Leigh as Susan Norton, Alfre Woodard as Dr. Cody, Bill Camp as Matthew Burke, Pilou Asbæk as Richard Straker, Jordan Preston Carter as Mark Petrie, Spencer Treat Clark as Mike Ryerson, John Benjamin Hickey as Father Callahan, Nicholas Crovetti as Danny Glick, and Cade Woodward as Ralph Glick. In a previous interview, Pullman discussed the pressure of remaking such an iconic story, saying:
“It’s a scary thing doing these remakes, man. It’s like, this and [Top Gun: Maverick], there’s such pressure, it’s a hard concoction to conjure up to make it successful. But Gary Dauberman, the director, is really keen on doing justice to the book. But also, the previous adaptation was a two-parter, because it’s such a hefty book and there are so many different moving parts and so many characters.”
Stephen King’s Salem’s Lot tells the story of writer Ben Mears, who returns to his hometown of Jerusalem’s Lot to finish his novel, only to discover that the town is overrun by vampires.