The 2022 movie version of Salem’s Lot will tie the classic book for a Stephen King adaptation record. One of the most popular authors in history, King has penned dozens of novels and short story collections, and continues releasing new material today. Still, it’s some of his earliest work that commands the most respect from readers, with Salem’s Lot holding firm as one of his most cherished books. Released in 1975, Salem’s Lot was only King’s second novel to be published, the first being 1974’s Carrie.
Salem’s Lot tells the tale of Ben Mears, a troubled writer who heads back to his hometown of Jerusalem’s Lot in order to both mine material for his latest book, and try to exorcise his various childhood demons. Unfortunately, Ben’s psychological demons quickly give way to real ones of a sort, as Salem’s Lot is being insidiously taken over by a powerful vampire called Kurt Barlow, who recently moved into an old house that Ben believes might be haunted.
In the eyes of some, Salem’s Lot is up there with Bram Stoker’s Dracula when it comes to the best vampire novels ever written, and while it’s unlikely King would put his own work at that level, it’s certainly one of his best books. Salem’s Lot was first adapted into a TV miniseries in 1979 for CBS, one that’s well-remembered today, if a bit overrated. A second miniseries adaptation came in 2004, for TNT, that’s considerably less iconic. With 2022’s Salem’s Lot movie, the book ties Carrie as King’s most adapted to date, with three adaptations.
Salem’s Lot 2022 will actually be the fourth movie or miniseries to sport the Salem’s Lot brand though, thanks to the existence of 1987’s A Return to Salem’s Lot. Directed by maverick director Larry Cohen, the man behind cult classics like The Stuff and It’s Alive, A Return to Salem’s Lot is a truly bizarre sequel that has little to do with King’s story outside of the name and location. Carrie was of course first adapted as a 1976 film from director Brian De Palma, then turned into a TV miniseries in 2002, and another feature film in 2013. Carrie also has an odd, loosely related sequel called The Rage: Carrie 2, released in 1999.
Produced by modern horror maestro James Wan, Salem’s Lot 2022 will be written and directed by Gary Dauberman, writer of the two movies based on Stephen King’s IT, and director of the fairly well-received Annabelle Comes Home. Little is known about how much this Salem’s Lot will differ from King’s book, although Dauberman’s IT scripts certainly took major departures from the prose. Salem’s Lot hits theaters on September 9, 2022, with Lewis Pullman set to play Ben Mears, and character actor extraordinaire William Sadler playing Barlow.
