Readers first learned that "sometimes dead is better" when Stephen King's Pet Sematary was published in 1983, and they'll soon learn that morbid lesson again with Paramount Pictures' upcoming reimagining of the heart-wrenching horror novel, which has now added another actor to its ranks.
EW reports that John Lithgow will play the role of Jud Crandall in the new film adaptation of Stephen King's Pet Sematary. Played by Fred Gwynne (The Munsters) in Mary Lambert's 1989 movie adaptation, Jud is a central character in the chilling story of Pet Sematary.
As fans of the book and previous movie know, Jud is the elderly next-door neighbor of Louis Creed and his family, who have just moved into their home in a somewhat secluded region of Maine. Jud is the one who introduces Louis to the ancient burial ground nearby where pets have been laid to rest... and come back from their freshly dug graves. Although his intentions are good, Jud soon realizes that showing Louis the secluded area was a mistake after tragedy strikes the Creed family.
As previously reported, Jason Clarke (Winchester, Terminator Genisys) is in talks to star in the lead role of brilliant doctor, devoted husband, and loving father Louis Creed in the new Pet Sematary movie that will be directed by Kevin Kolsch and Dennis Widmyer (Starry Eyes) from a screenplay worked on by Jeff Buhler (Nightflyers, new The Grudge movie), David Kajganich (writer of the upcoming Suspiria remake and 2007's The Invasion), and Matt Greenberg, who has writing credits on other King adaptations such as 1408 and Mercy.
Expected to begin filming this summer, the new Pet Sematary movie is slated for an April 19th, 2019 theatrical release from Paramount Pictures.
Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Steven Schneider are on board to produce the project, which will be another entry in the strong wave of King adaptations as of late, including IT: Chapter One, Gerald's Game, Mr. Mercedes, and 1922.
Starring Dale Midkiff, Fred Gwynne, and Denise Crosby, Mary Lambert's 1989 Pet Sematary film featured a screenplay written by King and was followed by a sequel in 1992 starring Edward Furlong that was once again directed by Lambert.
We'll be sure to keep Daily Dead readers updated as more details are divulged, and for those unfamiliar with King's Pet Sematary, we have the official synopsis (via Amazon):
"When the Creeds move into a beautiful old house in rural Maine, it all seems too good to be true: physician father, beautiful wife, charming little daughter, adorable infant son—and now an idyllic home. As a family, they’ve got it all…right down to the friendly cat.
But the nearby woods hide a blood-chilling truth—more terrifying than death itself...and hideously more powerful.
The Creeds are going to learn that sometimes dead is better."
Raised on a steady diet of R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps books and Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Derek has been fascinated with fear since he first saw ForeverWare being used on an episode of Eerie, Indiana.
When he’s not writing about horror as the Senior News Reporter for Daily Dead, Derek can be found daydreaming about the Santa Carla Boardwalk from The Lost Boys or reading Stephen King and Brian Keene novels.
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