Stephen King’s novels and bestsellers have been reworked into movies and tv series since his booming success with Carrie in the 1970s, his first novel to hit the big screens. Ever since the 1976 release of the movie Carrie, Hollywood, and moviegoers can’t seem to get enough of King’s skillful storytelling and his extremely disturbing but enlightening symbolic films and books. The movie horror genre has much to attribute to King’s life and legacy. 

King’s novel Pet Sematary, published in 1983, quickly became a bestseller, and Hollywood producers scrambled for the rights and budget to make a film about it. Since then, three movies have been made, all revolving around King’s book, and now fans of the cult classic films are thrilled for the upcoming release of the latest film Pet Sematary: Bloodlines. Below is everything fans need to know about the upcoming film based on the beloved horror story. 

The Story of the Haunted Sematary

Pet Sematary is perhaps one of King’s best books to date. The story is unique and masterfully created, making it the perfect example of King as a writer. It follows a young family- Louis and Rachel plus their two kids, Ellie and Gage, and their cat Church-as they move and settle into a new and strange small town, Ludlow, Maine. The family befriends their neighbor Jud Crandall, who shows them a pet cemetery located just beyond their backyard.

The family is warned that the dirt on the cemetery grounds is “sour.” Still, after tragedy strikes the family, Louis ignores the caution and discovers the true power of the ancient burial ground. It’s a tale full of twists and turns that make for a perfect Hollywood film. 

The History of Pet Sematary

The first Pet Sematary film hit theaters in April 1989. The film was directed by Mary Lambert in collaboration with producer Richard Rubenstein and starred Dale Midkiff, Fred Gwynne, and Denise Crosby. Although the reviews for the movie were a mixed bag, the film’s box office score of 89.5 million surpassed its budget of 11.5 million, and  Pet Semetary 2 was quickly put into production. 

Mary Lambert also directed Pet Sematary 2, which is loosely connected to the first movie (and therefore not based upon any of King’s writings) and produced by Ralph Singleton. Pet Sematary 2 hit US theaters in August 1992 and collected 17 million at the box office, surpassing its 8 million dollar budget. However, reviews were not as glowing for Pet Sematary 2, and nothing was made until 2019 when directors Kevin Kolsch and Dennis Widmyer decided to remake the classic tale into another movie. 

Lorenzo Di Bonaventura produced Pet Sematary (2019), which stars Jason Clarke, Amy Seimetz, and John Lithgow, and grossed 113.1 million at the box office against a 21 million dollar budget. Pet Sematary (2019) received mixed reactions, and though a few details of the story differed from the original novel (including a different, darker ending), the main concepts and storyline stayed true.