At any given point in time, there are about a dozen Stephen King adaptations in various stages of production. After all, he is the King of Horror, whose numerous novels and short-stories have proven to be a goldmine for TV and film. With so many adaptations currently in development, it’s easy to lose track. However,the latest adaptation of Salem’s Lot has fans wondering what exactly is going on.
For those unfamiliar with ‘Salem’s Lot, it was King’s second novel, published in 1975. The novel follows writer Ben Mears as he returns to his childhood hometown, Jerusalem’s Lots (or ‘Salem’s Lot, for short), to work on his next book. However, he soon discovers a terrifying phenomenon – the people in the town are turning into vampires. ‘Salem’s Lot has been adapted twice, first as a two-part miniseries in 1979 by Tobe Hooper, then as a 2004 TV miniseries by Mikael Salomon.
In 2019, another ‘Salem’s Lot adaption was confirmed to be in the works with New Line Cinema producing and Warner Bros. distributing. Gary Dauberman, who has written several horror films, including It and It: Chapter 2, was confirmed to be directing the film in 2020. The cast features Lewis Pullman, Bill Camp, Spencer Treat Clark, John Benjamin Hickey, Makenzie Leigh, and Alfre Woodard. Filming began in October of last year, and the film was initially slated for release September 9, 2022, but has hit some hiccups along the way.
What’s going on with Salem’s Lot?
Fans were disappointed when COVID-19 delays did away with the initial release date in 2022 and pushed it back to April 21, 2023. Now however, the film has been pulled from Warner Bros. Discovery’s release schedule for 2023 entirely. Warner Bros. has been undergoing a shake-up since their merger with Discovery. Recently, Warner Bros. Discovery changed their movie line-up, swapping Salem’s Lot out in favor of Evil Dead Rise. Initially, Evil Dead Rise was suppose to be an HBO Max-exclusive release. However, Warner Bros. Discovery chose to give it a theatrical release, slating it for release on April 21, 2023, and leaving Salem’s Lot with no release date.
Now that the Evil Dead Rise has taken Salem’s Lot’s place, the future of the King adaption is unclear. Warner Bros. Discovery has not officially cancelled the film and it may yet receive a new release date. With fans still reeling over the shocking cancellation of the Batgirl film though, many fear for the fate of Salem’s Lot. Right now, all we know for sure is that it is up in the air. It no longer has a release date and it is up to Warner Bros. Discovery to decide what to do with it next. Salem’s Lot still could very well receive a later release date, or it could mark another film cancelled by Warner Bros. in post-production.
(featured image: Warner Bros.)
