If it seems like just yesterday that we had a new Pet Sematary adaptation, you’re not far off: directors Kevin Kölsch and Dennis Widmyer brought us a fresh take on the classic Stephen King story as recently as 2019. But apparently, that old plot of land is just too attractive to keep away from, because a prequel is currently in the works for the Paramount+ streaming service.
According to Deadline, Jeff Buhler, who wrote the screenplay for the 2019 film, is writing the new instalment. While there are no plot details available yet, this is said to be an “origins story.” Lorenzo di Bonaventura will produce.
First released in 1983, the novel Pet Sematary centres around the Creed family, who move to rural Maine only to discover that their new home is located alongside a deadly highway. When their cat is killed, an elderly neighbour introduces the father, Louis, to an ancient Miꞌkmaq burial ground where the dead can be resurrected, though they come back… changed. Later, when the Creed’s young son is struck and killed by a speeding truck on the highway, a grief-stricken Louis takes his body to the same burial ground—with deadly consequences.
The novel was first adapted in 1989 by director Mary Lambert. Lambert also directed a sequel film in 1992.
Words: Samantha McLaren (@themeatispeople)
