Salem's Lot Director "Extremely Thankful" for Stephen King's Support of Reboot

As a die-hard Stephen King fan with a soft spot for his chilling masterpiece, “Salem’s Lot”, I can hardly contain my excitement as the long-awaited adaptation finally graces our screens on October 3rd. The journey to this moment has been nothing short of a rollercoaster ride, filled with delays and uncertainty, but the unwavering support of King himself has been the beacon guiding us through the darkest corners.

After a long wait, the adaptation of Stephen King’s “Salem’s Lot” will finally air on MAX on October 3rd – nearly two years after it was filmed and following numerous setbacks. This is an exhilarating moment for the movie, and for director Gary Dauberman, this wouldn’t be happening without the backing of Stephen King himself. In an interview with Total Film, Dauberman expressed his deep gratitude for King’s support. He didn’t reveal all the details, but he emphasized that it played a crucial role in making the movie’s release possible.

As a devoted admirer, I can’t help but express my profound gratitude for Steve’s unwavering backing. To put it simply, his assistance served as an unexpected boost during the trickier stretches of this adventure, and that’s all I’d like to say on the matter.

Back in early 2022, I couldn’t help but share my admiration for Stephen King’s praise of Dauberman’s “Salem’s Lot” on social media. Intriguingly, he even questioned why it hadn’t been released yet. Initially slated for a September 2022 release, then pushed back to spring 2023, the film eventually lost its scheduled date altogether. But finally, this week, we fans have learned that the film will be making its premiere on MAX!

In a private message, Stephen King expressed his appreciation for the recent adaptation of SALEM’S LOT in February. He praised its traditional horror elements and the effective balance between slow development and impactful climaxes. However, he found it puzzling that Warner Bros. is delaying its release; it doesn’t seem to be a matter of shame or anything similar. As always, he just writes the stories without worrying about their release timing.

King endorsed Salem’s Lot in 2023, stating, “The Warner Bros remake of SALEM’S LOT, which is currently on hold, has a strong and engaging quality,” he said. “It evokes the atmosphere of ‘Classic Hollywood,’ when films were allowed to establish themselves before diving into action. In essence, it’s like a horror movie adaptation of patiently-built movies such as THE GREAT ESCAPE. It develops effectively. There are modifications from the book that I don’t concur with, but overall, it remains faithful. My favorite scene: Danny Glick in the hospital, attempting to tear down a blood bag. The Glick scene could have been directed by John Carpenter at his best.

Dauberman isn’t revealing any extra assistance King may have provided for the release of Salem’s Lot, but King discussing this adaptation is part of a long pattern where the author often talks about movies and TV projects based on his books. Over time, King has been candid about his feelings towards various adaptations. Generally, he supports them before they are released, yet occasionally expresses some reservations. For instance, King has openly criticized The Shining, but in 2019, he also praised the adaptation of its sequel novel, Doctor Sleep. At that time, he stated that Mike Flanagan’s adaptation fixed everything he ever disliked about Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining, and he even predicted that Doctor Sleep would leave viewers amazed. Additionally, King commended It: Chapter 2 in passing.

Even after the airing of television adaptations based on his works, King has shared thoughts on them as well. For instance, with the TV show “Under the Dome,” which aired from 2013 to 2015 on CBS, King expressed in 2020 some parts he felt deviated from his original vision.

In his original statement, King expressed that “Under the Dome” appeared to veer wildly off course for him because the characters behaved in ways that didn’t seem plausible. One aspect that particularly bothered him was the absence of generators despite the characters being isolated and cut off from the world. According to King, if they were truly disconnected, there would be no functional electric power, and the town wouldn’t look so clean and well-maintained as portrayed in the story.

He noted, “For people to embrace those concepts, they need a feeling of authenticity or relatability that draws them in.

On October 3rd, the television series Salem’s Lot, featuring Lewis Pullman, Makenzie Leigh, Alfre Woodard, John Benjamin Hickey, Bill Camp, Jordan Preston Carter, and Pilou Asbaek, will be available on MAX.

2024-09-12 07:09

Salem’s Lot Director “Extremely Thankful” for Stephen King’s Support of Reboot

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