‘Salem’s Lot’ Will Drop Later This Year On Max, Moving Away From A Planned Theatrical Release

The long-gestating Stephen King adaptation, Salem’s Lot, finally has a released date–but there is a catch.

The film, which is based on King’s 1975 novel, will no longer be released in theaters as previously planned, and it will instead drop on Max from the jump. It will land on the streamer sometime later this year. The movie had several prior planned theatrical release dates but was often delayed due to COVID-related production woes.

Salem’s Lot stars Lewis Pullman as Ben Mears, Alfre Woodard as Dr. Cody, Makenzie Leigh as Susan Norton, Bill Camp as Matthew Burke, Spencer Treat Clark as Mike Ryerson, Pilou Asbæk as Straker, and John Benjamin Hickey as Father Callahan.

According to the logline, “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.”

Gary Dauberman writes, directs, and executive produces with James Wan and Michael Clear for Atomic Monster and Roy Lee for Vertigo alongside Mark Wolper. Other executive producers are Michael Bederman, Vertigo’s Andrew Childs, and Atomic Monster’s Judson Scott.

News of the film’s Max release date comes as King recently revealed that he didn’t know what was going on with the project and two years after production wrapped.