Pet Sematary Is Back From the Dead With a Spooky New Trailer

If you’re a child of the 80’s and 90’s, chances are you spent a good portion of your childhood staying up late and watching the original Pet Sematary movie on basic cable. The 1989 film (and its 1992 sequel) were seemingly always on television throughout my childhood, giving me plenty of sleepless nights spent clutching the family cat.

Upon viewing the original Pet Sematary as an adult, I was struck by the bad special effect and the general cheesiness of the film. It’s one of those films that looms so large in the mind of a kid, but as an adult seems pretty silly.

Now, the classic Stephen King novel is getting a stylish new adaptation that is set to traumatize a whole new generation of kids (hooray?). The first trailer for the remake has been released, which stars Jason Clarke (Zero Dark Thirty), Amy Seimetz (Stranger Things), and the always amazing John Lithgow as crotchety neighbor Jud Crandall.

The trailer has all the hallmarks of a good horror movie: a stingy score, a creepy house in the woods, and spooky kids. Spooky kids, an oft-used but always effective trope, gets kicked into high gear here, with a funeral procession of kids in animal masks going off to presumably bury some pet in the Pet Sematary.

The film, directed by Kevin Kölsch and Dennis Widmyer (Scream: The TV Series), is the latest in a long line of Stephen King reboots, following the massive success of 2017’s It. Other upcoming King films include James Wan’s (Aquaman) take on Tommyknockers, New Line’s upcoming The Long Walk, the hotly anticipated It: Chapter Two starring James McAvoy and Jessica Chastain, and Mike Flanagan’s (Gerald’s Game) The Shining sequel, Doctor Sleep.

And that’s not even including the numerous small-screen adaptations, both series and miniseries, of King’s works. Castle Rock is currently on Hulu, and Amazon Prime is working on a series adaptation of Dark Tower.

What do you think of the trailer for Pet Sematary? And what Stephen King basic cable mainstays traumatized you as a child? share your thoughts in the comments!

(via io9, image: Paramount)

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Chelsea Steiner

Chelsea was born and raised in New Orleans, which explains her affinity for cheesy grits and Britney Spears. An pop culture journalist since 2012, her work has appeared on Autostraddle, AfterEllen, and more. Her beats include queer popular culture, film, television, republican clownery, and the unwavering belief that 'The Long Kiss Goodnight' is the greatest movie ever made. She currently resides in sunny Los Angeles, with her husband, 2 sons, and one poorly behaved rescue dog. She is a former roller derby girl and a black belt in Judo, so she is not to be trifled with. She loves the word “Jewess” and wishes more people used it to describe her.

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