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‘Pet Sematary’ Remake Enlists Jason Clarke for Lead Role
It seems that Jason Clarke has taken a liking to the horror genre. After dealing with Helen Mirren’s ghost-busting shenanigans in Winchester, Clarke is eyeing the lead role in another spooky story: The new adaptation of Pet Sematary, one of Stephen King’s most terrifying (and devastating) novels, from the filmmaking duo behind Starry Eyes.
According to THR, Clarke is currently in talks to play Creed family patriarch Louis, a very irresponsible dad who lets his adorable toddler son wander off into the street and get hit by a semi-truck — kidding, kidding (kind of). Clarke is in negotiations to take on the role previously played by Dale Midkiff in the 1989 adaptation of Pet Sematary directed by Mary Lambert. That version also starred the late, great Fred Gwynne.
The story, based on Stephen King’s chilling 1983 novel of the same name, centers on Louis Creed, a doctor beset by tragedy after he moves his family to a small town in — where else — Maine. When the family cat dies, Louis’ kind elderly neighbor Jud Crandall convinces them to bury it in the old pet cemetery — a place known for bringing dead things back to life. Shortly after their cat returns from the dead, Louis’ toddler son Gage is killed in a tragic accident, and, well, you can see where this is going (nowhere good).
If you haven’t seen the 1989 adaptation, the story behind King’s original novel should give you some idea about what to expect from the new version:
Pet Sematary is a powerful, terrifying story about grief and guilty; a story so upsetting that Stephen King initially decided against publishing it after receiving feedback from his wife, Tabitha, and his dear friend, fellow author and occasional collaborator Peter Straub — both of whom felt the novel was too depressing and cynical. It was only a few years later, when King needed a final novel to close out a contract, that his wife convinced him to dust Pet Sematary off and have it published.
Kevin Kolsch and Dennis Widmeyer, who previously directed the 2014 indie horror fave Starry Eyes, are co-directing Pet Sematary for Paramount. The studio plans on releasing the film in 2019.
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