When it comes to adaptations of Stephen King's work, the results can be decidedly mixed. On one hand, you have iconic films like Stand By Me, The Shining, and The Shawshank Redemption. On the other, there are less successful efforts such as Pet Sematary (1989), The Dark Tower, and even the more recent Pet Sematary (2019). Given the numerous delays and the scrapped theatrical release plans in the U.S., one might be inclined to think that Gary Dauberman's forthcoming adaptation of King's vampire tale, Salem's Lot—already adapted as a miniseries in 1979—would fall into the latter category. However, the atmospheric new trailer for Dauberman's sophomore directorial effort, following his work on IT Chapter One and Two, suggests that we might actually be in for a King-worthy hit.
In the trailer, Lewis Pullman's character, horror writer Ben Mears, muses, "I've always written stories about things that are so terrible you'll run away until your brain won't remember." This is interspersed with shots of a young boy fleeing through a dark forest from a glowing-eyed creature. As Gordon Lightfoot's 'Sundown' plays in the background, Mears begins inquiring about any unusual occurrences in the tranquil town of Jerusalem's Lot. The subsequent series of increasingly unsettling images—including sheet-draped bodies rising, bones breaking, and, notably, actual vampires—indicate that there is very little that is ordinary about this town, and running away might indeed be a wise move for Ben.
The official synopsis for the film, which also features a strong ensemble cast including Alfre Woodard, William Sadler, and Pilou Asbæk, reads: "Author Ben Mears returns to his childhood home of Jerusalem’s Lot in search of inspiration for his next book, only to discover his hometown is being preyed upon by a bloodthirsty vampire (Sadler) and his familiar (Asbæk)."
While Dauberman's directorial debut, Annabelle Comes Home, showed promise but ultimately failed to deliver a truly scary experience, his involvement in Andy Muschietti's IT duology—coupled with Stephen King's own endorsement of this project—gives us ample reason to believe that this will be a horror film done right. We'll see if Salem's Lot truly sinks its teeth into the genre or if it falls flat when it releases in the UK on October 11th.
