Summary

• The 2024 Salem's Lot remake faces delays and a straight-to-streaming release, following a trend of recent Stephen King adaptation struggles.
• Despite challenges, the remake's talented cast and potential for a successful take on King's work could still win over critics.
• The influence of the original novel and past adaptations, along with recent success stories like Midnight Mass, give hope for a positive reception.

2024’s upcoming Salem’s Lot remake has given viewers many reasons to be wary thanks to the Stephen King adaptation’s troubled production. Salem’s Lot is a 1975 horror novel by the legendary author Stephen King that was adapted into a two-part miniseries in 1979. Salem’s Lot follows the story of an author, Ben Mears, who returns to his hometown of Jerusalem’s Lot only to discover that a shady figure named Kurt Barlow is turning the place into a hive of vampires. Director Tobe Hooper’s original adaptation was a critical success that went on to become a piece of horror TV history.

This history of critical success means that 2024's upcoming Salem’s Lot remake should be an exciting prospect. However, the many delays and problems with the movie’s production make it one of the less exciting upcoming Stephen King projects, and another problem that has plagued recent adaptations of the author’s work reaffirms this assessment. Although this re-imagining of Salem’s Lot could still defy the odds and impress viewers and critics when the movie arrives later in 2024, its streaming release and its status as a Stephen King remake are both unfortunately stacked against the long-awaited release.

2024's Salem's Lot Remake Has Been Delayed Repeatedly

The Stephen King Adaptation Was Due To Be Released In September 2022

The many delays that 2024’s Salem’s Lot remake has faced don’t bode well, and the decision to release the movie straight to Max isn’t particularly encouraging either. The last Stephen King project that went straight to streaming, 2023’s Pet Sematary: Bloodlines, earned a meager 22% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes. Meanwhile, the most recent Stephen King movie whose release was delayed for several years was 2023’s Children of the Corn prequel, which boasts an even worse 12% rating from critics. This trend proves that neither a streaming release nor a delayed release is good news for 2024's Salem’s Lot.

Although Salem’s Lot could fix a King adaptation problem by trimming the less pivotal parts of the original novel’s narrative, the decision to demote its theatrical release to a streaming one may betray a lack of faith in the remake. Salem’s Lot was filmed in 2021, with additional shooting taking place in 2022, and initially scheduled for release in September 2022. This release date was replaced by an April 2023 release, which was then replaced by a straight-to-streaming release that was announced in March 2024. This doesn’t look positive for the remake’s reception, particularly after recent King adaptations under-performed.

Recent Stephen King Remakes Have Struggled

Firestarter And Pet Sematary Failed To Impress Critics

While 2017’s IT was a financial and critical success, its sequel IT: Chapter 2 was critically derided. The two movies were both blockbusters, but the closing chapter of the ambitious saga failed to win over critics like its predecessor. Meanwhile, 2022’s Firestarter, 2019’s Pet Sematary, 2023’s Children of the Corn prequel, and 2013’s Carrie were all critical failures, as was 2017’s TV version of The Mist, and all of these projects remade King’s earlier hits. The fact that there are multiple existing adaptations of King’s novel, thanks to the 2004 miniseries Salem’s Lot, doesn't help matters.

It is worth noting that this earlier remake of the 1979 miniseries was nowhere near as well received as the seminal original, which doesn’t bode well for the book’s 2024 re-imagining. The lackluster reaction to 2021’s Salem’s Lot prequel Chapelwaite also isn’t great news for the remake, as critics dismissed this miniseries as overly long and bleak. Although Chapelwaite did fare better than the remakes mentioned above, the fact that its second season was canceled in 2023 proves that the King TV show wasn’t a hit. This reinforces the case against 2024’s upcoming version of Salem’s Lot.

Why 2024's Salem’s Lot Remake Could Still Succeed

Tobe Hooper’s Iconic Earlier Adaptation of King’s Novel Was A Huge Hit

Despite all the factors working against the remake, 2024’s Salem’s Lot could still succeed with critics. The remake is penned by IT co-screenwriter Gary Doberman and its impressive cast includes Lewis Pullman, Alfre Woodward, and William Sadler. The failure of many recent Stephen King projects could mean that reviewers might be eager to see a successful take on the author’s work, and it has been two decades since viewers got a straightforward remake of Salem’s Lot. Meanwhile, the novel’s enduring popularity proves that Salem’s Lot could win over a new generation of viewers if its story is brought to life effectively.

Finally, the critical success of Mike Flanagan’s Midnight Mass is worth taking into account when considering the potential of 2024’s Salem’s Lot. That 2021 miniseries also chronicled the story of a small American town overrun by vampires while a returning local did their best to unearth the mystery behind these grisly deaths. Salem’s Lot might struggle to replicate the critical success of Mike Flanagan’s show, but the fact that Stephen King’s original novel was a clear influence on the Netflix series proves that the remake can succeed despite its many struggles.