Stephen King is urging Warner Bros. Discovery for an update on its long-awaited “Salem’s Lot” adaptation.
Legendary horror author King took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to question why the feature adaptation of his book “Salem’s Lot,” which was first announced in 2019 and shot way back in 2021, has yet to be released by Warner Bros.
“Between you and me, Twitter, I’ve seen the new ‘Salem’s Lot’ and it’s quite good,” King wrote on social media. “Old-school horror filmmaking: slow build, big payoff. Not sure why WB is holding it back; not like it’s embarrassing, or anything. Who knows. I just write the fucking things.”
Back in November, King said “Salem’s Lot” was “currently shelved” and offered his first take on the feature.
“The Warner Bros remake of ‘Salem’s Lot,’ currently shelved, is muscular and involving,” King said. “It has the feel of ‘Old Hollywood,’ when a film was given a chance to draw a breath before getting to business. When attention spans were longer, in other words.”
King’s use of the word “shelved” might remind folks of “Batgirl” or “Coyote vs. Acme,” each of which were completed films written off by Warner Bros. Discovery for tax purposes. But there’s no indication right now that “Salem’s Lot” is permanently shelved or will never see the light of day (vampires generally don’t do great in the sunlight). A Warner Bros. rep tells IndieWire merely that “no decision has been made yet about the release plans.”
That’s a repeat of a statement a WB rep first made in October 2023, when Variety reported “Salem’s Lot” was being considered for a streaming release on Max rather than in theaters because Max needed more content amid the then-ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike. The movie was originally planned for a theatrical release in September 2022 but was delayed to Spring 2023 due to post-production delays.
“Salem’s Lot” is directed by “It” screenwriter Gary Dauberman. The film stars Lewis Pullman as a writer who returns to his hometown of Jerusalem’s Lot and is forced to battle vampires. Makenzie Leigh, Bill Camp, Pilou Asbaek, Alfre Woodard, and William Sadler round out the cast. James Wan through his Atomic Monster production banner serves as a producer.
“Salem’s Lot” has only been adapted for the small screen so far. CBS had a two-part miniseries from 1979, and Rob Lowe starred in an Emmy-nominated TNT series in 2004.
Dauberman is currently re-writing the script for “Until Dawn,” a video game adaptation for a feature directed by David F. Sandberg.
King has a few other projects currently in the works, including a “The Dark Tower” adaptation courtesy of Mike Flanagan and a presumed “Running Man” reboot with Edgar Wright at the helm.
Additional reporting by Brian Welk
