James Wan stakes adaptation of Stephen King’s ‘Salem’s Lot
One of Stephen King’s most popular stories to date will finally hit the big screen.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, The Conjuring mastermind James Wan and The Nun screenwriter Gary Dauberman have signed on to adapt King’s 1975 vampire epic, ‘Salem’s Lot. Wan will produce, while Dauberman will both pen the script and serve as executive producer. There is currently no director attached.
This will mark the first time that King’s sophomore novel will hit theaters. Previously, the story was adapted as a 1979 miniseries by the late director Tobe Hooper and later on in 2004 with another miniseries for TNT starring Rob Lowe. So, the fact that we’re finally getting his first legitimate weighty novel on the big screen is a big deal.
The story follows hunky pop writer Ben Mears, who returns to the fictional Maine hometown of Jerusalem’s Lot, where he grew up as a child. Soon enough, however, he discovers the whole place has become overrun by vampires. King later expanded upon the novel with short stories “Jerusalem’s Lot” and “One for the Road”.
(Ranking: Every Stephen King Novel from Worst to Best)
Sadly, Dauberman’s track record is below average — last year’s The Nun is miserable and those Annabele flicks are rough at best — and although Wan is a legitimate force in horror, his style doesn’t really marry the elements of this story. So really, it’ll depend on whoever they secure as director, and if Dauby’s script for It: Chapter Two connects.
Curiously enough, this isn’t the only King property Wan has been circling, either. If you recall, he was previously attached to a reimagining of The Tommyknockers, a much more inferior novel that he would probably be wise to abandon.
In the meantime, stay tuned to The Losers’ Club, our weekly Stephen King podcast, where we’ll 100% be following these developments. Below, you can revisit our early episode on ‘Salem’s Lot in which we cover every facet of the novel, in addition to its various adaptations.
Download | Listen via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Play | Radio Public | Stitcher | RSS
Re-Imagining Stephen King: The Cast
Stephen King's Top Horror Movie
The Come Up: The Music
