Jason Clarkeis officially in talks to star in thePet Semataryremake. Stephen King’s works have always been popular to adapt in Hollywood, but thanks to the success ofITrecently, his name is red hot and studios are looking to (hopefully) cash in with some modern takes on his classic stories. Paramount is currentlycooking up a remakeofPet Semataryand now, it looks like they may have their first big-name star lined up in Clarke.
The deal for Jason Clarke to star inPet Semataryhasn’t yet closed, but he’s in talks and, should he wind up locking it down, he’ll play the role of Dr. Louis Creed, the main character in the novel. The role was originally played by Dale Midkiff in the 1989Pet Sematarymovie. That adaptation was a relatively modest success, having grossed $57 million at the box office, but it wasn’t necessarily loved by critics. A sequel,Pet Sematary 2, was released in 1992.
As for Jason Clarke, he’s quietly been a terrific actor in Hollywood for some time now, who occasionally gets stuck in an unfortunate project. Most notably, he starred as an older John Connor inTerminator: Genisys, which underperformed at the box office and was trashed by critics upon arrival. However, he’s got a host of impressive credits to his name, having been part of movies likeZero Dark Thirty,Dawn of the Planet of the Apesand Netflix’sMudbound, which many feel was deserving a Best Picture Oscar nomination this year. Clarke is also no stranger to the horror genre, having starred inWinchesterearlier this year alongside Helen Mirren. Clarke can currently be seen as Ted Kennedy inChappaquiddick, a role that has earned him some praise.
Locking down Jason Clarke would be a good start for thePet Semataryremake, which will be starting production in the coming months. Paramount has locked down anApril 19, 2019, release datefor the movie, which means they have a year to get it squared away. With that in mind, we should be hearing more casting announcements and other production information in the very near future.Kevin Kolsch and Dennis Widmyer, known best for their horror movieStarry Eyes, have been tapped to direct the remake, which is based onStephen King’s 1983 novelof the same name.
Pet Semataryfollows Dr. Louis Creed, who moves his family from the big city to the country. He soon discovers that they have moved near a pet cemetery that just so happens to rest on an ancient burial ground. When his young son is killed, Creed takes the body to the cemetery, where it is resurrected, but in a sinister form. Jeff Buhler, who is also working on the script forThe Grudgereboot, wrote the most recent draft of the screenplay for thePet Semataryremake. We’ll be sure to keep you up to date as more details on the project are made available. This news comes to us courtesy of The Hollywood Reporter.
