As if James Wan’s schedule wasn’t busy enough already, the Saw and Conjuring director is now putting together a new adaptation of Stephen King’s Salem’s Lot.
The 1975 novel tells the story of a writer who goes back to his childhood home in Jerusalem’s Lot and finds that everyone he used to know is now a vampire. As fans will recall, it was first adapted for television in 1979 by Texas Chainsaw Massacre director Tobe Hooper, before being turned into a miniseries in 2004.
Regular Wan collaborator Gary Dauberman is on script duties while Wan, Roy Lee and Mark Wolper are producing. Up until now, the project’s been without a director, but Deadline brings word today that Dauberman has decided to get behind the camera as well. And though he doesn’t have a ton of experience when it comes to directing – he’s known more for co-writing It, It: Chapter Two and Annabelle, among others – he did helm Annabelle Comes Home.
Suffice it to say, Dauberman is a trusted name in the genre, and with Wan overseeing things from a producing standpoint, the project should be in good hands. Of course, it remains to be seen who’ll be getting in front of the camera, but with two bonafide horror powerhouses steering the ship, an enviable cast will no doubt be assembled.
After all, the studio will surely be hoping for an It-sized hit here, especially given the current Stephen King craze, and with both Wan and Dauberman on board, they’re certainly off to a good start. Fingers crossed, then, that Salem’s Lot turns out to be another impressive adaptation of the beloved author’s work, and not another stinker. Because we all know things can go either way when it comes to movies based on Stephen King books, right?
