Following the blockbuster success of his new adaptation of the 1986 horror novel IT, director Andy Muschietti has revealed that he has his eyes on another one of Stephen King’s greatest hits: Pet Sematary.
If you’re unfamiliar with the novel, or the 1989 film adaptation starring Dale Midkiff and Denise Crosby, Pet Sematary follows a family who moves into a new home located next to a busy road and old pet cemetery. Of course, because this is Stephen King, those buried at that cemetery don’t exactly rest in peace—and yes, it is definitely as creepy as it sounds.
The book is a classic, and one of King’s scariest, in my humble opinion, and while “remake fatigue” is definitely a thing these days, Muschietti has my full support. His treatment of IT, with its balance of playful humor and genuine scares, the adolescent and the mature, has given me full confidence in his understanding of King’s world. And it goes without saying, IT is the most successful King adaptation in, well, a while, especially considering one most recent failure…I won’t name any names here, but it rhymes with “Mark Bower.”
It also certainly helps that Muschietti is a huge Pet Sematary fan. The director told Entertainment Weekly, “My affection for Pet Sematary will go on until I die. I will always dream about the possibility of making a movie.”
Paramount Pictures, which released the 1989 film, currently still holds the rights, though whispers of a new remake have been bouncing around for quite a bit. Two years ago, director Guillermo Del Toro tweeted that he would “kill” to get his hands on the project (a tweet that, at the time, I personally remember “liking” with all the strength and vigor my right index finger could click with).
Book of the Day: PET SEMATARY by Stephen King. Unrelentingly dark and emotional. Compulsive reading. Would kill to make it on film.
— Guillermo del Toro (@RealGDT) October 16, 2015
Riding on the wave of IT’s record-breaking victory, however, Muschietti still seems like a great choice. Plus, he just really seems to want it. I say give it to him.
While we’ll have to wait on Pet Sematary, IT’s sequel is more of a certainty, though it has yet to receive the official green light.