After literally years of waiting, we’re finally going to be able to see the long-gestating new feature film adaptation of Stephen King’s Salem’s Lot – and soon at that. It had previously been confirmed by Warner Bros. that the film, which is written and directed by Gary Dauberman (It, Annabelle Comes Home), would be going straight to the Max streaming service this fall. Now, we finally have a trailer and a release date. Mark your calendars for Thursday, October 3.
This film has had a ridiculously long journey to getting released. Based on King’s 1975 novel of the same name, Dauberman began production in late 2021 and the film has been in the can for nearly two years. Salem’s Lot was officially rated R by the MPAA back in November 2022. It’s been sitting for that long. So why has it just been collecting dust, exactly? It’s not been officially said but one assumes that Warner Bros. got spooked along the way and they didn’t quite know what to do with it.
Luckily, this one didn’t go the way of Batgirl or Scoob! Holiday Haunt. Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav has straight-up shelved several completed films for tax write offs in recent years, which is a dick move. Even though it won’t be on the big screen, this one will at least see the light of day. So, what’s it about? The official synopsis reads as follows:
“Author Ben Mears returns to his childhood home of Jerusalem’s Lot in search of inspiration for his next book only to discover his hometown is being preyed upon by a bloodthirsty vampire.”
“It feels like a horror movie version of slow-burn movies like The Great Escape,” King said of the movie on Twitter last November. “It builds very well. There are diversions from the book I don't agree with, but on the whole, faithful.
We’ve yet to get a full trailer, but that should be coming any time now. Stay tuned as we’ll bring that your way as soon as it’s made available. WB did recently release a clip from the film though. The cast includes Lewis Pullman as Ben Mears, Alfre Woodard as Dr. Cody, Makenzie Leigh as Susan Norton, Bill Camp as Matthew Burke, Spencer Treat Clark as Mike Ryerson, Pilou Asbæk as Straker and John Benjamin Hickey as Father Callahan.
Look for Salem’s Lot on Max beginning October 3. For more, check out Fango’s original review of 2004’s Salem’s Lot miniseries.
