It’s been a while since we heard anything about the remake of Stephen King‘s horror movie Salem’s Lot, but Warner Bros have confirmed that it is still on course to meet its September 9, 2022 release date. This will be the first theatrical release for a Salem’s Lot movie, as previous adaptations were made-for-TV.
Gary Dauberman (the writer of the three Annabelle films, plus The Nun) is writing and directing. Dauberman also wrote the screenplays for It and It Chapter Two, so King clearly trusts him with his source material. The cast includes Alfre Woodard, Lewis Pullman, Makenzie Leigh, Bill Camp, John Benjamin Hickey, Nicholas Crovetti, Jordan Preston Carter, William Sadler, Spencer Treat Clark, Cade Woodward, Debra Christofferson, and Pilou Asbaek.
Salem’s Lot is about author Ben Mears, who is haunted by his past and returns to his hometown of Jerusalem’s Lot in search of inspiration for his next book. He discovers that the town is being preyed upon by a bloodthirsty vampire and his servant. Tobe Hooper directed the first adaptation of the book in 1979.
We haven’t really heard anything about the new version for the past year, and obviously don’t have a poster or trailer yet, so King fans will be keen for a first look at the vampire design. King adaptations are pretty hot right now, with recent examples including TV shows Castle Rock, The Stand, The Outsider, 11/22/63, and Lisey’s Story. We’ve also obviously had the It movies, Doctor Sleep, and Pet Sematary in recent years, plus 2022 also sees the release of Firestarter starring Zac Efron.
It seems as though people are never going to get sick of seeing Stephen King’s novels adapted for screens both big and small, and the prolific author is still churning out books on a regular basis, so the well will not run dry for some time to come.
If you’re in the market for something spooky, check out our guide to the best ghost movies.