Stephen King Compares Shelved Salem’s Lot Remake To John Carpenter, Will It Get Released?
Stephen King has recently shared his thoughts on the remake of Salem’s Lot, which has been shelved for years by Warner Bros. In a series of tweets, King sparked renewed interest and anticipation among horror enthusiasts by alluding that this unproduced remake might be among his favorite King film adaptations — a rare feat considering that King rarely compliments the cinematic adaptations of his work. While no theatrical release of Salem’s Lot has been confirmed, recent rumors suggest the film may soon be produced for streaming on Max.
Stephen Compares The Salem’s Lot Remake To Old Hollywood
In the chain of tweets, Stephen King gave fans a glimpse into the film’s potential, drawing comparisons to the legendary director John Carpenter and reflecting on its unique characteristics. In his first tweet, King described the shelved Salem’s Lot as “muscular and involving,” claiming the script invoked a sense of nostalgia for the golden age of cinema when films were allowed to unfold at a more leisurely pace. He noted that the movie has a distinct aura reminiscent of “Old Hollywood,” where storytelling took precedence over quick action sequences, catering to longer attention spans.
King Is Happy To Report That The Movie Is Faithful To His Original Novel
Stephen King went on to liken the remake to classic slow-burn films like The Great Escape, emphasizing its well-paced build-up. He also acknowledged that while there were some deviations from his original Salem’s Lot novel — including some that he didn’t agree with — the overall faithfulness to the source material was commendable. A good sign for purist fans looking forward to the film’s release.
The King Of Horror Says The Film’s Best Scene Could Have Been Pulled From A John Carpenter Project
Stephen King even went as far as to call out his favorite scene in Salem’s Lot script: when Danny Glick is in the hospital and tries to “claw down a blood bag.” King shared that he thought John Carpenter would have executed the scene perfectly in his prime.
Carpenter is the infamous horror writer and director behind classic hits like Halloween and Carpenter’s Apocolypse trilogy: The Thing, The Prince of Darkness, and In The Mouth of Madness. While Carpenter is still active in Hollywood as a writer, he hasn’t directed a feature film since The Ward starring Amber Heard.
It Sceenwriter Gary Dauberman Was Tapped To Direct The Shelved Remake
While Carpenter won’t be resurrecting his directing career to helm the Stephen King remake, the new film will be in good hands. Gary Dauberman, the man who wrote the remake script and who is also the brains behind the Anabelle doll series and the It remake, is set to direct the feature. Although, whether or not Dauberman gets the green light to appear on the Salem’s Lot set remains to be seen as the film has not yet officially been removed from its dusty shelf.
However, with Stephen King’s public approval of Dauberman’s Salem’s Lot script, perhaps there will be a resurgence of interest in this all-American vampire tale among the higher-ups at Warner Bros. Discovery.
Salem’s Lot Remains A Fan-Favoite Stephen King Story Today
Salem’s Lot was Stephen King’s second published novel and hit the bookshop shelves in 1975. It was made into a movie directed by Tobe Hooper in 1979 and a sequel was made in 1987. While the first movie was lauded as a horror movie, the sequel left audiences disappointed, something that maybe the remake will amend if it finally does get made.
