The Big Picture
- Gary Dauberman’s Max adaptation of the classic Stephen King vampire novel Salem’s Lot is back from the dead.
- The film stars Lewis Pullman as Ben Mears, who uncovers a sinister presence in his hometown.
- Originally slated for theatrical release, Salem’s Lot faced delays but will now premiere on Max this October for horror fans to enjoy.
After years of being buried alive by Max, Salem’s Lot is finally rising from the grave this fall. Gary Dauberman‘s adaptation of the classic Stephen King vampire novel will be released on the streaming service in October. Lewis Pullman and Alfre Woodard star in the tale of a town overrun with the undead.
Directed, written, and executive produced by Dauberman (Annabelle Comes Home), the film stars Pullman as Ben Mears, a writer who returns to his hometown of Jerusalem’s Lot, Maine, hoping to find inspiration for his next book. There, he reconnects with old friends, and makes new ones – but soon discovers that something sinister is working its way into the fabric of the town. That evil is Kurt Barlow, a centuries-old Austrian vampire who is slowly transforming the townspeople into an army of the undead. Only Ben and his friends can stop Barlow and his minions before they completely overrun the town. It also stars Makenzie Leigh, Bill Camp, Spencer Treat Clark, Pilou AsbĂŠk, and John Benjamin Hickey. It is a production of James Wan‘s Atomic Monster production company, a reliable horror factory in recent years.
Has ‘Salem’s Lot’ Been Adapted Before?
The book was previously adapted for TV in 1979 as a two-part miniseries by The Texas Chainsaw Massacre‘s Tobe Hooper; it starred James Mason and David Soul. A loosely-connected theatrical sequel directed by b-movie maestro Larry Cohen, Return to Salem’s Lot, followed in 1987. TNT adapted the novel into a miniseries again in 2004, with a cast that boasted heavy-hitters like Rob Lowe, Donald Sutherland, Andrew Braugher, and Rutger Hauer. The BBC also adapted the book into a radio drama in 1995, with Hellraiser‘s Pinhead, Doug Bradley, providing the voice of the vampiric Barlow. King’s short story “Jerusalem’s Lot”, a prequel to the novel, was adapted into the TV series Chapelwaite by Epix; starring Adrien Brody and Emily Hampshire, the series ran for a single season on the network in 2021.
Salem’s Lot has undergone a hellish ordeal making it to the screen – even if it will be the small screen, rather than the big one as originally intended. Originally announced in 2019, its intended theatrical release was delayed first by the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, then by Warner Bros Discovery’s brutal cost-cutting – the latter of which doomed the near-complete Batgirl movie. There was some concern that Salem’s Lot would suffer a similar fate, much to the displeasure of King himself: the author praised the film, calling it “old-school horror filmmaking: slow build, big payoff”.
Salem’s Lot will arrive on Max this October; a specific release date has not yet been announced. Stay tuned to Collider for future updates.
Salem’s Lot (2024)
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.
