Another day, another new Stephen King adaptation in the works. This time it’s a new adaptation of Salem’s Lot. THR reports that James Wan and Gary Dauberman, the minds behind The Conjuring franchise, will team up to adapt the novel for New Line Cinema.
Technically, this will be the first feature-film adaptation of Salem’s Lot. It has been adapted twice before for TV. The first was the famous 1979 miniseries (which is often considered the definitive, “cinematic” version) and again in 2004 with Rob Lowe playing the lead.
The story follows a writer (no, really) who returns to his hometown in order to write about the Marsten House, an old mansion. He soon discovers that the mansion has been bought by the mysterious Kurt Barlow, and that the townspeople are being turned in vampires. Together with a small group, the writer attempts to halt the vampiric spread and confront Barlow.
Dauberman is penning the script and serving as executive producer alongside Wan. No director is currently attached, and it doesn’t sound as if Dauberman or Wan will take on the job. Still, the duo should be heavily involved in the project. Regardless of your thoughts of The Conjuring franchise, it has been a monumental success at the box office.
New Line will be very happy to have the guys behind that success developing Salem’s Lot. This rash of King adaptations began, of course, with the incredible success of 2017’s IT, which became the highest grossing horror film of all time. With Wan and Dauberman on board here, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Salem’s Lot have similar success.
Dauberman will make his directorial debut with Annabelle Comes Home, which hits cinemas Friday, June 28. Wan doesn’t have anything officially lined up as a director, but it’s expected he will return for the Aquaman sequel. It’s already set for a December 16, 2022 release.
#Peace.Love.SalemsLot
