Ever since spine-tingling stories from horror novelist Stephen King were transformed into a variety of blockbuster film adaptations back in the ‘80s and ‘90s, modern-day filmmakers have been trying to capitalize on that success with a plethora of updated remakes and fresh-faced projects. But with three of the last Stephen King film adaptations getting critically panned across the internet, it’s worth begging the question as to whether this controversy has stopped the Salem’s Lot remake dead in its tracks.
As many horror fans are aware, the Salem’s Lot remake was initially announced back in 2020, where It director Gary Dauberman first signed on to helm the project. After additional photography, the horror retelling was scheduled to release on Sept. 9, 2022 just in time for Labor Day weekend. However, the movie was soon rescheduled for release on April 21, 2023 — much to the chagrin of fanatics everywhere. But when it was soon confirmed that Warner Bros. had pulled the movie from its release calendar entirely, an understandable sensation of panic began to set in.
Flash forward to now, and it’s certainly no secret that three of the last four Stephen King film adaptations have been unapologetically bashed by critics. As it stands, 2023’s Children of the Corn holds a 11% on Rotten Tomatoes, Firestarter holds with 10%, Mr. Harrigan’s Phone holds 45%, and The Boogeyman — the only positive score in the pack — boasts 62%. And with the latter being the only flick with a score that isn’t completely embarrassing, fans are starting to wonder if Warner Bros. decided to keep Salem’s Lot from the public eye for fear that the project will get bashed like the other three movies.
Considering no mention of Salem’s Lot was made at this year’s CinemaCon, despite the movie unveiling a full trailer last year, it’s safe to assume that something is going on. In a recent thread over on the r/horror subreddit, a handful of Redditors addressed the movie being placed on the shelf, and honestly, I can’t help but agree with most of them. From arguments that Warner Bros. are waiting to see how The Boogeyman performs to others straight-up suggesting the movie “sucks” and that many reshoots had to be done, it’s obvious that the movie is being hidden from the public for one reason or another.
At this point, I think I speak for most of the horror community when I say: Just release it! Whether it’s good, bad, or ugly. Whether Kurt Barlow (the vampire) doesn’t look scary enough or if the dialogue is ridiculously campy, just give it to us already, because truthfully — we’re getting a little tired of waiting.