The new trailer for the upcoming Pet Sematary remake has a few surprises in store, not least for those who’ve read the 1983 source material or seen Mary Lambert’s 1989 film adaptation. Though the general premise of an ancient burial ground with the power to raise the dead remains more or less the same, writer Jeff Buhler has thrown a bit of a curveball into the mix when it comes to who actually does the dying.
Given Stephen King’s continuing dislike of Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining and the liberties that the 1980 film took with his work, there was no guarantee that he’d be too happy with the new Pet Sematary. In a recent tweet, however, the renowned author gave the movie his stamp of approval, writing:
“This is a scary movie. Be warned.”
Since horror is one of the few genres where a ‘warning’ can be considered an endorsement, this bodes well for Kevin Kolsch and Dennis Widmyer’s film, which has so far managed to pack some legitimately creepy moments and strong performances into its various trailers and TV spots.
The latest preview, for instance, boasts an intense and unsettling turn from Jason Clarke as grieving father Louis Creed. The Dawn of the Planet of the Apes star appears opposite such award-winning talent as Amy Seimetz (Upstream Color) and John Lithgow (The Crown), and from the look of things, the young Jeté Laurence may also be leaving her mark on a lot of filmgoers as Louis’ daughter Ellie.
You can judge for yourself if Pet Sematary lives up to King’s warning when the film hits theaters on April 5th, 2019, before the author sees another of his works return to cinemas when It: Chapter Two comes out on September 6th.