Stephen King’s Pet Sematary doesn’t exactly leave the gates open for a sequel. Without spoiling too much, the Creed family has a perfect resolution by the end of the 1983 novel and either the 1989 film or the forthcoming reimagining. But a prequel?
Producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura seems to think so, as he told Consequence of Sound following the film’s South by Southwest premiere that a return to Ludlow, Maine wouldn’t be out of the question given all the backstory that’s buried within its hills.
“I generally don’t start thinking about [sequels] until they’re a success,” di Bonaventura admits, contending, “I think if there’s anything here, there’s a prequel. I think if you look at the book, we didn’t cover all that stuff that happens before the Creed family moves in.
(Read: Every Stephen King Adaptation from Worst to Best)
“So, I think there’s a movie there, and I think I’d be particularly interested in doing that,” he continued, “because, again, it’s the source material and you are going toward something that also has a lot of crazy, creepy feelings about it.”
He’s not wrong. As senior writer and fellow Losers’ Club host Dan Caffrey points out in the interview above, the town of Ludlow is rich in short stories, mostly told through the character of Jud Crandall, who’s portrayed by John Lithgow in the new film.
From Timmy Batterman to the buried ox to Jud’s own dog to the elusive Wendigo lurking in the woods, there is admittedly a wealth of source material, as di Bonaventura suggests, to mine. Whether or not it makes for an intriguing overall narrative remains to be seen.
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It certainly works as context within the Pet Sematary story, which is why Mary Lambert used a number of those tales to great effect in her own 1989 adaptation, particularly those involving Batterman. This writer still sees the flames burning down the house. Ayuh.
As for a sequel? Eh, better not go down that road.
Pet Sematary hits theaters on April 5th. In his glowing A- review, Caffrey writes, “Pet Sematary bucks the remake trap of simply paying homage to an iconic piece of horror. Instead, it makes drastic changes to the plot so it can ultimately go more complex with its themes.”
Get your tickets and tune into our weekly Stephen King podcast, The Losers’ Club, for more coverage. This past week, they spoke to actress Amy Seimetz, who plays Rachel Creed, and next week they’ll be speaking to directors Dennis Widmyer and Kevin Kölsch.
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