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Hide the kids, hide the critters: ‘Pet Sematary’ reboot set for 2019 release

Nick Hastings
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Author Stephen King in 2015.
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That Stephen King is so hot right now. The prolific novelist has had many of his books adapted into movies and TV shows, and following the massively successful It, which now stands as the highest-grossing horror movie in U.S. history, another of his titles is getting a reboot. Paramount has officially set a release date — April 19, 2019 — for a new Pet Sematary movie (the 1989 film received mixed reviews) to be directed by Kevin Kolsch and Dennis Widmyer (Starry Eyes).

The 1983 King novel centers around a doctor who moves his family to Maine (King’s home state and the site of many of his stories. When his cat dies, he proceeds to bury it in the wrong cemetery. After the cat comes back to life with some notable (read: creepy) changes, odd and tragic happenings begin to befall the doctor and his family. We won’t spoil the rest of the story, but if you like King — especially if you like freaky stuff — you should be satisfied with what happens next.

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It’s nothing new to see King’s work adapted for screens. From The Shining to Cujo to Children of the Corn to Stand By Me (and that’s just the 1980s!), the author has proven himself a gold mine for film-friendly horror. Despite a lukewarm reception, this year’s The Dark Tower has made more than $110 million against a $60 million budget. And there’s no end in sight — a Firestarter remake — with Akiva Goldsman behind the camera! — and a Shining prequel are also reportedly in the works. This has been a banner year for King flicks, with Netflix adapting both Gerald’s Game in September and 1922 in October (plus, of course, The Dark Tower and It theatrical releases).

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Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Mark Vahradian, and Steven Schneider are producing Pet Sematary, and the only film currently scheduled on its release date (Easter weekend 2019) is Playmobil, an animated film from Open Road based on the toy line.

That’s not the only horror-related news coming out of Paramount this week, either. The studio has also set a 2019 release date for a feature-length adaptation of Nickelodeon’s hit ’90s anthology series Are You Afraid of the Dark? Gary Dauberman (It) is set to write the script and produce along with Matt Kaplan.

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Nick Hastings
Nick Hastings
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Nick is a Portland native and a graduate of Saint Mary's College of California with a Bachelor's of Communication. Nick's…
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