Paramount Pictures has released the first Pet Sematary trailer for the highly anticipated new Stephen King adaptation. Starry Eyes filmmakers Kevin Kölsch and Dennis Widmyer direct the new horror film from a screenplay by Jeff Buhler (Nightflyers) which revolves around a doctor (Jason Clarke) and his family who move from Boston to rural Maine and discover a mysterious burial ground. When tragedy strikes, the doctor turns to his unusual neighbor (John Lithgow), setting off a series of terrifying events.
King’s novel was published in 1983 and remains an iconic piece of horror literature. The original 1988 film adaptation has remained a fan favorite over the years, especially Fred Gwynne's paternal performance as the friendly neighbor with a dark past, but this first trailer makes it pretty clear that Kölsch and Widmyer are looking to bring a rather different, updated spin on the material. For one thing, Jud doesn't have an accent!
For a teaser trailer, there's actually a decent amount to dig into here. We get to see the Creeds scoping out their new digs, we get to see a glimpse of Church in action -- this time he's a fluffy tortie, and we even get to see the Pet Sematary! And man, it looks good. I was lucky enough so see the location when I visited the set earlier this year, and it's a damn fine production that's bound to make book fans happy. And yes, Smucky the Obedient is in there. Naturally, the film's still keeping a lot of the iconic imagery under wraps, which means there's no Pascow, no transformed Gage, and no glimpse at what might lie beyond that deadfall, but there's a lot here to comb through and get excited about.
Take a look at the Pet Sematary trailer below and for more on the movie, click here to read our set visit report. The film also stars Jeté Laurence and Hugo & Lucas Lavoie. Pet Sematary hits theaters on April 5, 2019.
Here’s the official synopsis for Pet Sematary:
Based on the seminal horror novel by Stephen King, Pet Sematary follows Dr. Louis Creed (Jason Clarke), who, after relocating with his wife Rachel (Amy Seimetz) and their two young children from Boston to rural Maine, discovers a mysterious burial ground hidden deep in the woods near the family’s new home. When tragedy strikes, Louis turns to his unusual neighbor, Jud Crandall (John Lithgow), setting off a perilous chain reaction that unleashes an unfathomable evil with horrific consequences.
