‘Pet Sematary’ Director Working on All-New Restoration

In addition to next year delivering audiences an all-new adaptation of Stephen King‘s Pet Sematary, it also marks the 30th anniversary of Mary Lambert’s previous live-action adaptation. Lambert recently confirmed that she was in the process of restoring the original film, possibly leading to a new release.

The filmmaker shared on Twitter, “I spent #FemaleFilmakerFriday working at Paramount Pictures on the restoration of Pet Sematary. HDR Color Grading & Dolby Vision. Looks gorgeous!! Their team is amazing! I’d love to direct another project for Paramount one day. Xo.”

It’s unclear if Lambert’s comments hinted at a potential home video release or a theatrical release, but, given the attention the film will get in anticipation of the new iteration on the way, we wouldn’t rule out the possibility of repertory screenings taking place to honor the film.

The upcoming film’s official synopsis reads as follows:

“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.”

King’s stories have regularly made for exciting horror films, though the passage of time will often allow new filmmakers to put their stamp on a concept. One of last year’s biggest hits was IT, which was previously adapted into a miniseries in 1990. We won’t be surprised if this new incarnation of the story follows a similar trend and delivers audiences a horrifying vision of the dead coming back to life.

The previous incarnation of the story is full of many memorably horrifying sequences, though the new film’s writer, Jeff Buhler, thinks this film could not only surpass the previous adaptation but could also become the most effective King adaptation of all time.

“I will say this, if you love the book, you’ll love this movie,” Buhler previously shared with Dread Central. “[Directors] Dennis [Widmyer] and Kevin [Kolsch] are both such visionaries in terms of how they’ve approached it, from not only a horror standpoint but also a character standpoint, and it’s been really gratifying to work with those guys. I think we’re on track to it make one of the scariest Stephen King adaptations ever! That’s our goal anyway.”

Pet Sematary lands in theaters on April 5, 2019. Stay tuned for details on Lambert’s restoration of the original film.

What are your thoughts on this first trailer? Let us know in the comments below or hit up @TheWolfman on Twitter to talk all things horror and Star Wars!

[H/T Twitter, TheMaryLambert]