James Wan Producing New ‘Salem’s Lot’ Adaptation

In 2017, audiences were given a new adaptation of Stephen King‘s IT, one of his most beloved stories. King’s tales regularly lead to success, though fans were apprehensive about how the production would pull off adapting such a well-known story, especially given a previous adaptation debuted in 1990. Not only did the film earn praise from audiences and critics alike, but IT went on to be one of the biggest hits of the year, earning more than $700 million worldwide. The film’s accomplishments have resulted in more of King’s stories that have already been adapted into live-action getting new films, with Salem’s Lot being the latest project to get a reboot.

The Wrap confirmed that James Wan, Roy Lee, and Mark Wolper will be producing the new film, which will be written by Gary Dauberman. The outlet describes that the film “follows a writer who returns to the town of Jerusalem’s Lot, where he lived as a young boy, only to discover everyone he used to know is now a vampire.”

In 1979, Texas Chain Saw Massacre director Tobe Hooper delivered audiences a TV movie based on the novel, while a miniseries was released in 2004.

This is only the latest King project that Wan has been attached to, as it was announced last year that he would also be developing a new iteration of The Tommyknockers, which earned a miniseries in 1993.

Earlier this year, a new adaptation of Pet Sematary landed in theaters, which previously earned an adaptation in 1989. King previously revealed that there could be more of his stories getting updated adaptations.

“I don’t know what to make of it, really. Every day I get another contract, another option, word that somebody is making this or that,” King shared with Entertainment Weekly when speaking about how frequently his works are adapted. “I see scripts. Let’s put it this way, I’m in a seller’s market right now. There’s a huge hunger for story, because there’s so many different platforms now. It isn’t just the movies.”

The author noted that it was the success of IT, which had previously been adapted into a miniseries in 1990, that inspired filmmakers to look back through his many stories to see if something that has already been adapted could be brought to life in a new way.

“What happened to me, I guess, was that It was such a big success that people decided well, there must be gold in some of that old sh—,” the author joked. “A lot of the old stuff, maybe, is gonna get remade. And there’s also an issue with some of the old option deals expiring, and the studios either make them or don’t make them, and they have to hurry up. I think that was a factor in The Stand, with CBS All Access. If Warner Bros. wanted to be involved, they had to do it quick, or [the rights] were gonna be all mine again.”

Stay tuned for details on Salem’s Lot.

Are you looking forward to a new adaptation of the novel? Let us know in the comments below or hit up @TheWolfman on Twitter to talk all things horror and Star Wars!

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