A Stephen King Reboot Looks Like It’s Getting Canceled By Warner Bros.
Apparently, not even Stephen King is safe from the recent Warner Bros. Discovery rampage of canceled projects.
Following the news of Warner Bros. Discovery reshuffling upcoming release dates, Salem’s Lot has disappeared from the calendar. Originally set for theatrical release this September the film, based on Stephen King’s 1975 novel of the same name, recently got pushed to April 21, 2023. At the time, the studio (via Deadline) cited delays from pandemic-related issues as well as required reshoots. But now it’s unclear if the movie will make its way to cinemas at all.
Fittingly billed as supernatural horror, Salem’s Lot is being adapted for the big screen by Gary Dauberman who also serves as writer and director on the Stephen King project. It is produced by New Line Cinema, Atomic Monster Productions, and Vertigo Entertainment. The novel had already adapted into a miniseries in 1979. While that version thrilled horror fans at the time, new Stephen King features like 2017’s It and 2019’s Doctor Sleep have created renewed interest in the author’s back-catalog.
The latest version of the Stephen King story follows Ben Mears, a writer who returns to his childhood home of Jerusalem’s Lot in search of inspiration. But once he arrives, he discovers that his hometown is being preyed upon by a vampire. He then teams up with a ragtag group of locals to fight the creature. The film features Lewis Pullman as Ben Mears, Makenzie Leigh as Susan Norton, Bill Camp as Matthew Burke, Spencer Treat Clark as Mike Ryerson, and Alfre Woodard as Dr. Cody. William Sadler, Pilou Asbæk, John Benjamin Hickey, Jordan Preston Carter, Nicholas Crovetti, and Cade Woodward also star.
Along with the remake of Stephen King’s Salem’s Lot, Warner Bros. confirmed delays for several highly anticipated movies. This includes Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom and which have moved to December 25, 2023, and March 17, 2023, respectively According to Deadline, the delays are the result of some titles needing to spend more time in post-production. There’s also James Cameron’s Avatar: The Way of Water, which will finally arrive in theaters this December.
Fortunately, there is some hope for Stephen King fans as the release date for Salem’s Lot remains listed as TBD. Hopefully, that means the studio is just deciding if it deserves a cinematic run or should be downgraded to a streaming release. But with Warner Bros. Discovery publicly moving away from HBO Max content, several titles initially announced as streaming exclusives have either been canceled or moved to theaters. Perhaps the company is prioritizing those changes rather than scheduling the remake, which is still in post-production.
Additionally, the upcoming It prequel series might be diluting the Stephen King market which would explain Warner Bros’ indecision. But maybe there could still be a place for it sometime in 2023. Meanwhile, fans who want to experience an echo of Salem’s Lot can catch up on the first season of Chapelwaite. Based on King’s Jerusalem’s Lot short story, the Epix series is written by Peter and Jason Filardi. The story follows, Captain Charles Boone (Adrien Brody) who returns to the small town of Preacher’s Corners with his children flowing the death of his wife. Once there, they are haunted by a dark family history and a colony of vampires.
