Ready for another Stephen King film remake? After the success of IT last year, another one of the horror author’s novels will find a re-adaptation next year. A Pet Sematary remake is in the works, after a delayed production period. John Lithgow will star as Jud Crandall.
Lithgow is the second actor to be announced for the film, as Jason Clarke will star as Doctor Louis Creed. Lithgow has appeared in many films over the years, but he is best known for his television roles on 3rd Rock From the Sun, Dexter, and The Crown. EW mentions an interesting tidbit connecting Lithgow’s role in The Crown to Pet Sematary. In The Crown, Lithgow played Winston Churchill, which is coincidentally the name of the cat from Pet Sematary. Technically the cat’s named Church, short for Churchill.
In the original 1989 film, Fred Gwynne played Jud Crandall. The film was based on the 1983 King book of the same name. The story focuses on Doctor Louis Creed who moves to a small town with his family. After meeting neighbor Jud Crandall, the later shows him a Native American burial ground behind the town’s pet cemetery. It turns out that any animal buried there comes back from the dead, for the most part. When Creed’s son passes away, he buries him there to bring him back. And he does come back. For the most part.
Dennis Widmyer and Kevin Kolsch will direct the new Pet Sematary. Jeff Buhler took on writing duties. The film will shamble into theaters on April 19, 2019.
