Be warned: This trailer and post have some significant spoilers, so if you want to go in clean, steer clear!

Paramount Pictures has released a new trailer for Pet Sematary, the new adaptation of Stephen King celebrated horror novel about on seriously dangerous road and the horrors of human mortality. 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.

This trailer reveals a pretty significant shakeup to the source material -- this time around, it's not poor little Gage who comes back deadly, it's older sister Ellie. It's a big twist on the story, but I'm actually here for it. Giving the undead role to an older child actor means you can do a lot more with it than you can with toddlers and in terms of storytelling, it also opens the door to a more nuanced dynamic between her and the parents. It's a bold swing, but I'm in! Oh, and look: Zelda! Pascow! And holy heck, there's a Wendigo in this one -- a major piece of the mythology in King's novel that he excised from the screenplay for the 1989 adaptation.

Take a look at the Pet Sematary trailer below followed by the new poster, and for more on the movie, click here to read our set visit report. The film also stars Amy SeimetzJeté Laurence and Hugo & Lucas LavoiePet Sematary will premiere at SXSW before hitting 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.

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Image via Paramount
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Image via Paramount Pictures

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