The first trailer for the new adaptation of Stephen King’s Salem’s Lot is finally here, and it looks just as creepy as the novel is.
The trailer opens with main character and horror author Ben Mears returning to his hometown for “research” and before long it becomes clear what exactly he is looking for. From a young boy running from a creature with blue glowing eyes to a Preist confessing that people in the town have reported strange experiences, we can see that the ‘Lot’ is becoming overrun with shadowy night dwellers. Then in a mixture of bleak clips all one creepier then the last, the trailer features corpses coming to life, Mears being chased by fanged foes, and a group of local do-gooders trying to get to the bottom of the vampiric outbreak. Watch the full clip below.
Baked on King’s legendary 1975 vampire novel, Salem’s Lot follows a writer, as he learns that an undead creature has set up camp in the place he grew up. The official synopsis from Warner Bros. reads: “Haunted by an incident from his childhood, author Ben Mears returns to his hometown of Jerusalem’s Lot in search of inspiration for his next book, only to discover the town is being preyed upon by a bloodthirsty vampire and his loyal servant.”
The movie is written and directed by Annabelle Comes Home‘s Gary Dauberman, whose credits include previous King adaptations It and It: Chapter Two. This isn’t the first time the vampire tale has been adapted, though, as it was brought to life back in 1979 in one of the best Stephen King adaptations by The Texas Chainsaw Massacre helmer Tobe Hooper, and then again in 2004 with a miniseries starring Rob Lowe.
It hasn’t been all plain sailing for Dauberman’s take, either, as Salem’s Lot was originally supposed to hit screens back in 2022 before being delayed, and later scrapped from a theatrical release altogether. The movie will now premiere on HBO‘s streaming service Max. In an interview with Total Film magazine, Dauberman said that King was a driving force in helping the movie get released, “I’m extremely thankful for Steve’s support,” he said.
The movie stars Top Gun: Maverick‘s Lewis Pullman as Ben, Makenzie Leigh, Alfre Woodard, John Benjamin Hickey, Bill Camp, Jordan Preston Carter, Nicholas Crovetti, William Sadler, Spencer Treat Clark, Cade Woodward, Debra Christofferson, and Pilou Asbæk.
Salem’s Lot premieres on Max in the US on October 3, and in theaters in UK and Ireland on October 11. For more, check out our list of the best horror movies, or keep up to date with upcoming horror movies heading your way this year.
