We have an update on the upcoming film adaptation of Stephen King’s 1975 novel “Salem’s Lot!” After a lot of back and forth and a call out by King, the movie will be switching from a theatrical release to streaming on Max.
The issue with “Salem’s Lot”’s release is that New Line’s parent company WarnerMedia merged with Discovery in the spring of 2022. This merger led the nearly completed “Batgirl” movie to be shelved for a tax write-off. It has also left the fate of “Coyote vs Acme” in limbo.
During this time the release date for “Salem’s Lot” changed from September 2022 to April 2023. Then it was taken off the theatrical release schedule entirely. Which caused concern among horror fans that this film would also become a casualty of the merger.
This concern grew to the point where last month King posted to X (formally Twitter) praising the film. While he also decried Warner Bros. seemingly preventing its release.
King’s novel centers around an author who returns to his hometown only to discover it is being overrun by vampires. It was first adapted into a two-part TV movie in 1979, directed by Tobe Hooper (“Texas Chainsaw Massacre”).
The “Salem’s Lot” reboot is written and directed by Gary Dauberman (“Annabelle Comes Home”). It stars Lewis Pullman (“Outer Range”), Makenzie Leigh (“The Assistant”), Alfre Woodard (“Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur”), and John Benjamin Hickey (“Sublet”). Along with Bill Camp (“Drive-Away Dolls”), Jordan Preston Carter (“DMZ”), and Pilou Asbaek (“Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom”). Producers include James Wan, Michael Clear, Roy Lee, and Mark Wolper.
No release date has been set for “Salem’s Lot” yet, but it MAY be a fourth-quarter release. We’ll keep you posted on updates as they become available.
