''Salem's Lot'' is a 2024 American
supernatural horror film
Supernatural horror film is a film genre that combines aspects of supernatural film and horror film. Supernatural occurrences in such films often include ghosts and demons, and many supernatural horror films have elements of religion. Common them ...
written and directed by
Gary Dauberman
Gary Dauberman is an American screenwriter and director. He is best known for writing The Conjuring Universe horror films ''Annabelle (film), Annabelle'' (2014), ''Annabelle: Creation'' (2017), ''The Nun (2018 film), The Nun'' (2018), and ''Annab ...
, based on
the 1975 novel by
Stephen King
Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author. Dubbed the "King of Horror", he is widely known for his horror novels and has also explored other genres, among them Thriller (genre), suspense, crime fiction, crime, scienc ...
. The film stars
Lewis Pullman
Lewis James Pullman is an American actor. A son of actor Bill Pullman, he began his acting career with the film '' The Ballad of Lefty Brown'' (2017), starring his father. His subsequent film credits include supporting roles in '' The Strangers: ...
,
Makenzie Leigh
Makenzie Leigh (born August 8, 1990) is an American actress, noted for playing the protagonist's romantic interest Faison Zorn in Ang Lee's '' Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk'' (2016).
Early life
Leigh was born in Dallas, Texas on August 8, 1990. ...
,
Alfre Woodard
Alfre Woodard ( ; born November 8, 1952) is an American actress. Known for portraying strong-willed and dignified roles on stage and screen, she has received various accolades, including four Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and three Scree ...
,
John Benjamin Hickey
John Benjamin Hickey (born June 25, 1963) is an American actor and director with a career in stage, film and television. He won the 2011 Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play for his performance as Felix Turner in '' The ...
,
Bill Camp
Bill Camp (born ) is an American actor. He has played supporting roles in many films such as '' Lincoln'' (2012), '' Compliance'' (2012), '' Lawless'' (2012), ''12 Years a Slave'' (2013), '' Love & Mercy'' (2015), '' Loving'' (2016), ''Molly's G ...
, Jordan Preston Carter, Nicholas Crovetti,
Spencer Treat Clark
Spencer Treat Clark (born September 24, 1987) is an American actor. He rose to prominence for his roles in the 2000 films ''Gladiator'' and '' Unbreakable''. He has since appeared in the films '' Mystic River'' (2003), '' The Last House on the ...
,
William Sadler, and
Pilou Asbæk. It is the first feature film adaptation of the book, preceded by
miniseries versions from 1979 and
from 2004. The plot centers on a writer who returns to his hometown of
Jerusalem's Lot in search of inspiration, only to discover the presence of a
vampire
A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the Vitalism, vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead, undead humanoid creatures that often visited loved ones and c ...
.
''Salem's Lot'' was announced in 2019 and shot in 2021, with additional photography in 2022. The film's release was delayed multiple times. The film had its world premiere as the opening film at the
Beyond Fest on September 25, 2024, and was released on
Max
Max or MAX may refer to:
Animals
* Max (American dog) (1983–2013), at one time purported to be the world's oldest living dog
* Max (British dog), the first pet dog to win the PDSA Order of Merit (animal equivalent of the OBE)
* Max (gorilla) ...
on October 3, 2024. The film received mixed reviews from critics.
Plot
Writer Ben Mears returns to his hometown of
Jerusalem's Lot to write a book about his childhood. He befriends and starts a romantic relationship with Susan Norton, a local who has an overbearing mother and dreams of leaving town. Meanwhile, middle school student Mark Petrie finds himself the target of a school bully and meets school teacher Matt Burke. A strange European man called
Straker opens an antique store in town and moves into the long-abandoned Marsten House, which has a history of murders. Straker has a large coffin shipped into the house and placed in the basement. Straker kidnaps one of Mark's friends Ralphie and sacrifices him to his master, a vampire called
Kurt Barlow. A search party is unsuccessful in finding the boy and the residents blame newcomer Ben. An unseen creature attacks Ralphie's brother Danny and he later dies, apparently from
pernicious anemia
Pernicious anemia is a disease where not enough red blood cells are produced due to a deficiency of Vitamin B12, vitamin B12. Those affected often have a gradual onset. The most common initial symptoms are Fatigue, feeling tired and weak. Other ...
. After his funeral, Danny emerges from his coffin, now a vampire, and bites gravedigger Mike.
Matt encounters a sickly Mike at a bar and invites him to stay the night before taking him to a doctor. After noticing a set of strange symptoms, Matt suspects that Mike has been turned into a vampire. After witnessing Danny fly into his house through a window, Matt flees and tells Ben and Susan. Along with Dr. Cody and Sheriff Gillespie, the group examines Mike's now lifeless body although Matt does not tell Cody or Gillespie about what he saw. Later that night, Mike returns, fully turned into a vampire, but Matt is able to ward him off with a cross. Danny attempts to trick Mark into letting him into the house but Mark resists and also fends off Danny. Mark researches how to kill vampires. The next day, Dr. Cody is informed that Danny and Ralphie's mother has been found dead from the same disease that killed her son. After discovering that Mike's body has also vanished, Cody finds an injured Matt and he tells her, Ben, and Susan about the vampires and how to defeat them.
Mark and Matt both break into the Marsten house to kill Barlow but are locked in the basement by Straker. Barlow bites Matt while Straker captures Mark. Meanwhile, Ben, Susan, and Dr. Cody investigate Danny's mother's body at the morgue. She turns and bites Dr. Cody before being destroyed with a cross, but Dr. Cody manages to stop herself from turning by injecting herself with a rabies shot. Barlow's vampires rapidly turn the town's residents. The next day, Mark escapes his bindings and kills Straker. Seeking shelter at the church, Ben, Susan, and Dr. Cody consult the town's priest
Father Callahan about what to do. Mark arrives informing them of what occurred at the Marsten house and about Barlow. They investigate the property and are attacked by a turned Matt in the basement. Ben kills him with a wooden stake. The town is completely overtaken by vampires. Sheriff Gillespie attempts to flee the town while Susan and Ben try to warn Susan's mother. Susan's mother reveals she has taken over Straker's role as human servant to Barlow and Susan is bitten by a vampire. Ben flees with Susan.
Father Callahan attempts to convince Mark's parents of the danger but they are ambushed and killed by Barlow. Mark flees and takes shelter in his treehouse from his former classmates, all now turned into vampires. Ben takes Susan, who is in the midst of turning, to the church which is protected holy ground from the vampires. Dr. Cody is unable to cure her and Susan fully turns, fleeing. Ben gives chase and is attacked by the turned town residents, before returning to the church to seek shelter with Cody. Gillespie's corpse is thrown into the church by the vampires. Mark searches for Barlow and breaks into Straker's antique store where he kills Danny. He is found by Ben and Dr. Cody and the group realize the vampires are sheltering at the local drive-in movie theatre, using the cars as coffins. As they prepare to kill Susan, Dr. Cody is shot dead by Susan's mother. The sun starts to set and the vampires attack Ben. Mark runs over Susan's mother and destroys the theatre screen, exposing the vampires to sunlight and killing them all. Night falls as Barlow emerges from his coffin and attacks Mark. Ben kills Susan and manages to save Mark, killing Barlow with a stake. With the town's residents wiped out, Ben and Mark drive off.
Cast
Production
''Salem's Lot'' is an adaptation of the
1975 novel by
Stephen King
Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author. Dubbed the "King of Horror", he is widely known for his horror novels and has also explored other genres, among them Thriller (genre), suspense, crime fiction, crime, scienc ...
. The feature film from
New Line Cinema
New Line Productions, Inc., Trade name, doing business as New Line Cinema, is an American film production, film and television production company that is a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group, a division of the Major film studios, ...
was announced in April 2019 when ''
The Hollywood Reporter
''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
'' revealed
Gary Dauberman
Gary Dauberman is an American screenwriter and director. He is best known for writing The Conjuring Universe horror films ''Annabelle (film), Annabelle'' (2014), ''Annabelle: Creation'' (2017), ''The Nun (2018 film), The Nun'' (2018), and ''Annab ...
was set to write the screenplay and executive produce and
James Wan
James Wan (born 26 February 1977) is an Australian filmmaker. He has primarily worked in the horror fiction, horror genre as the co-creator of the ''Saw (franchise), Saw'' and Insidious (film series), ''Insidious'' franchises and the creator of ...
was attached as a producer. In an interview, Dauberman was asked if he would apply the same writing approach he utilized for ''
It'' (2017) and ''
It Chapter Two
''It Chapter Two'' is a 2019 American supernatural horror film directed by Andy Muschietti from a screenplay by Gary Dauberman. It is the sequel to '' It'' (2017) and the second of a two-part adaptation of the 1986 novel '' It'' by Stephen Ki ...
'' (2019), adaptations of
King's novel ''It'', to which he replied "I like to be as true to the story as I possibly can until it gets a little too unwieldy for a movie."
In April 2020, Dauberman closed a deal to become director. In August 2021,
Lewis Pullman
Lewis James Pullman is an American actor. A son of actor Bill Pullman, he began his acting career with the film '' The Ballad of Lefty Brown'' (2017), starring his father. His subsequent film credits include supporting roles in '' The Strangers: ...
was selected to portray the film's lead role.
On September 6,
principal photography
Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production.
Personnel
Besides the main film personnel, such as the ...
commenced in
Boston
Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
with cinematographer Michael Burgess. Filming in the state of
Massachusetts
Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...
took place in
Ipswich
Ipswich () is a port town and Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough in Suffolk, England. It is the county town, and largest in Suffolk, followed by Lowestoft and Bury St Edmunds, and the third-largest population centre in East Anglia, ...
and the towns of
Sterling and
Clinton, both within
Worcester County. The
Princeton Public Library in
Princeton, Massachusetts, was also booked as a filming location for three days. Additional photography occurred in late May or early June 2022.
During post-production,
Nathan Barr and
Lisbeth Scott composed the score for the film. According to Dauberman, the film was shortened from a duration of almost three hours, which would have included, among other things, the opening scene set in the Marsten House.
Release
''Salem's Lot'' was originally set to be released in theaters on September 9, 2022, the post–
Labor Day
Labor Day is a Federal holidays in the United States, federal holiday in the United States celebrated on the first Monday of September to honor and recognize the Labor history of the United States, American labor movement and the works and con ...
weekend that had been successful for the studio's past horror releases, but was delayed to April 21, 2023,
"due to
COVID-related delays in the post-production realm", before losing its release date to ''
Evil Dead Rise''.
There was growing concern that the project would be scrapped, despite being completely filmed and deep into post-production, similar to ''
Batgirl
Batgirl is the name of several fictional superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, depicted as female counterparts and allies to the superhero Batman. The character Bette Kane, Betty Kane was introduced into publica ...
'', ''
Scoob! Holiday Haunt'' and ''
Coyote vs. Acme''; the former two were cancelled on August 3, 2022, while the latter was cancelled on November 9, 2023 and saved on March 31, 2025 by
Ketchup Entertainment. These films were ultimately treated as
tax write-offs for the production company in the context of the
Warner Bros. Discovery
Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. (WBD) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational mass media and Outline of entertainment, entertainment Conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered in New York City. It was formed from WarnerMedi ...
restructuring.
However, by October 2023,
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and the main namesake subsidiary of Warner Bro ...
was considering releasing the film on Max due to the
2023 SAG-AFTRA strike
From July 14 to November 9, 2023, the American actors' union SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) went on strike over a labor dispute with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Pro ...
creating a "growing need for Max content", although a spokesperson stated no decision regarding the film's future distribution plans had been made yet. In February 2024, King questioned why there were still no confirmed release plans for the film, stating that he is "not sure why WB is holding it back; not like it's embarrassing, or anything. Who knows. I just write the fucking things." Dauberman believes that this escalation in King's speech contributed to the eventual finalization. In March, Warner Bros. confirmed that it would be released on Max, and in August, it was scheduled for an October 2024 launch.
Before broader accessibility, it was the opening film at
Beyond Fest on September 25, 2024. The film was then released exclusively
OTT on October 3, 2024. Releasing ''Salem's Lot'' in October, ahead of ''
Nosferatu
''Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror'' () is a 1922 silent film, silent German Expressionism (cinema), German Expressionist vampire film directed by F. W. Murnau from a screenplay by Henrik Galeen. It stars Max Schreck as Count Orlok, a vampire who ...
'' in December, and on Max instead of theaters, helped avoid competition between the two films, preventing a potential split in ticket sales and viewership.
The Film Distributors' Association reported that it would be theatrically released in the United Kingdom and Ireland on October 11, 2024. Residents of the UK do not have access to Max due to existing agreements inked between Warner Bros. and Sky ("the exclusive distributor of most HBO content" in the UK) that do not expire until late 2025.
Reception
Josh Korngut of ''
Dread Central
Dread Central is an American website founded in 2006 that is dedicated to horror news, interviews, and reviews. It covers horror films, comics, novels, and toys. Dread Central has won the Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Award for Best Website f ...
'' awarded the film 2 stars out of 5 and wrote, "Despite its occasional scares and striking style, this adaptation lacks any of the terror or emotional depth of its Stephen King source material." ''
Bloody Disgusting
Bloody Disgusting is an American independent multi-media company, which began as a horror genre-focused news website specializing in information services that covered various horror media. The company expanded into other media including podcast ...
''
's Meagan Navarro also gave the film 2/5 stars, noting, "it's an adaptation that feels heavily tampered with, gutting all story and character development solely in favor of vampire scares."
See also
*
List of adaptations of works by Stephen King
Stephen King is an American author widely known for his works of contemporary horror, thriller, science fiction, and fantasy. In addition to many novels, King has written approximately 200 short stories. His works have been widely adapted to fil ...
*
List of vampire films
This is a list of vampire films.
Dracula films
Carmilla films
Elizabeth Bathory films
Other vampire films
See also
* Vampire films
* List of vampire television series
*Vampire literature
* List of fictional vampires
*'' Bloodsu ...
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Salem's Lot
2024 horror films
2024 films
2020s English-language films
2020s monster movies
American supernatural horror films
American vampire films
Films about writers
Films based on American novels
Films based on works by Stephen King
Films produced by James Wan
Films produced by Roy Lee
Films scored by Nathan Barr
Films shot in Boston
Films set in 1975
Films set in Maine
Films with screenplays by Gary Dauberman
Max (streaming service) original programming
Atomic Monster films
New Line Cinema films
'Salem's Lot
The Wolper Organization films
Vertigo Entertainment films
Warner Bros. films
Films impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic