A long-buried Stephen King vampire film is set to rise from the grave this year.
Stephen King, a luminary in the horror genre, has created numerous iconic and chilling stories, from the deranged father in The Shining to the terrifying clown in It.
Despite the plethora of film and TV adaptations of King's works—some more successful than others—one of his most overlooked novels is finally making its long-awaited debut.
King’s 1975 novel Salem's Lot, a tale of vampires in the quaint town of Jerusalem's Lot (Salem's Lot), Maine, is being adapted into a film scheduled for release on Max (formerly HBO Max) this October.
The novel, which follows writer Ben Mears as he uncovers a vampire infestation in his hometown, was nominated for the World Fantasy Award in 1976 and the Locus Award for All-Time Best Fantasy Novel in 1987.
Salem's Lot has previously been adapted for television twice: first as a two-part miniseries on CBS in 1979, and again in 2004 for TNT.
The film adaptation was originally set to premiere in September 2022 but was postponed due to Warner Bros.
Discovery’s restructuring, which also led to the cancellation of other projects like Batgirl and Looney Tunes: Coyote vs. Acme.
Concerns arose among fans and King himself about the film’s future. King addressed the issue on Twitter, stating, “Between you and me, Twitter, I've seen the new Salem's Lot and it's quite good.
Old-school horror filmmaking: slow build, big payoff. Not sure why [Warner Bros.] is holding it back; not like it's embarrassing, or anything. Who knows. I just write the fg things.”
Fortunately, Salem's Lot will finally premiere this year, just in time for Halloween.
Although a specific release date is yet to be announced, Gary Dauberman, who has previously worked on It and It: Chapter 2*, serves as both writer and director, ensuring that the film is in capable hands.
Dauberman expressed his excitement to Variety, saying, “I’m excited it’s finally getting out there and people can see it.”
