The unfairly troubled Salem’s Lot remake from Warner Bros. may be ditching theaters for a straight Max release, but it already has a pretty big fan in its author.
Trouble on the Lot
The movie, written and directed by Gary Dauberman, was initially developed for theatrical release, but myriad issues, some out of its control, have possibly caused Warner Bros. to send it straight to streaming on its Max platform.
The movie suffered post-production woes that saw it shift away from its 2022 release window, and then mysteriously hidden away after missing its Spring 2023 window as Evil Dead Rise took its spot. Currently, it sits shelved as Warner Bros. tries to figure out what to do with it.
But the main reason it is allegedly heading to Max is the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike, which has caused a greater need for streaming content, so Salem’s Lot is a contender, but apparently not alone in being eyed up for an unwanted Max debut. But Variety, who had the exclusive story, got word from a Warner Bros. spokesperson that “No decision has been made about the film’s future distribution plans.”
It’s not alleged to be a slight on the film’s quality, and Stephen King, writer of the original novel it’s based on, took to social media to praise what he’d seen of it, citing an ”old Hollywood” feel to it.
While a streaming release would be disappointing, it’s better than the write-off fate of other shelved Warner Bros. projects, such as Batgirl. King’s comments on the film are interesting, because Salem’s Lot does have a story that requires time to simmer, so it’d be a welcome remake.
The Salem’s Lot remake stars Lewis Pullman, Makenzie Leigh, Bill Camp, Pilou Asbaek, Alfre Woodard, and William Sadler. It tells the story of a writer who goes back to his hometown of Jerusalem’s Lot to pen a tale about a supposedly haunted house and discovers a vampire’s influence corrupts the town. The original novel by Stephen King was first published in 1975 and was adapted for television in 1979 and 2004, respectively.
