There are dozens of adaptations of works by Stephen King, yet news of the latest never gets tiring. Salem’s Lot, King’s 1975 horror novel, is the newest to get the movie treatment. The novel has been adapted before, with a two-part miniseries in 1979, and another miniseries in 2004. This upcoming version of the book was announced in April of 2019. Gary Dauberman will officially direct Salem’s Lot.
Who Is Gary Dauberman And What Work Has He Done That You’d Recognize?
Gary Dauberman is no stranger to Stephen King or to horror. His most notable work has been writing for The Conjuring‘s cinematic universe. He wrote the screenplays for Annabelle, Annabelle: Creation, The Nun, and Annabelle Comes Home. His directorial debut was done on Annabelle Comes Home. In addition, he co-wrote It and wrote It Chapter Two.
Image via Warner Bros. Pictures
Dauberman had been previously announced as a writer and co-producer for Salem’s Lot, alongside James Wan. He wrote 2018’s The Nun with James Wan, another experienced horror creator. Wan is well-known for his role as a co-creator for the Saw franchise, among other horror films. More recently, Wan has also dipped his toes into the world of superheroes, directing Aquaman in 2018. However, Wan is no stranger to comics and has written some himself.
What Is Salem’s Lot?
The classic tale of Dracula is well-known all around the world. King took the idea of such a dark creature and wondered what would happen if he were to live in America during the 20th century. The story follows a writer, Ben Mears, as he returns to a town where he’d lived for a short time as a child. The town, Jerusalem’s Lot, has been seeing its residents turn into vampires.
Salem’s Lot was only Stephen King’s second novel to be published. It doesn’t just serve as an important work of the legendary writer because of its early release. In fact, King has said many times that of all of his own works, Salem’s Lot is his favorite.
There is currently no release date for Salem’s Lot. Though, as the director has finally been announced, we can expect production to ramp up once the world settles down and film crews are able to get back to work. One thing is for certain, and that’s that Gary Dauberman will direct Salem’s Lot with enough background in the genre to produce an adaptation that’s worth seeing.
Readers, are you excited to finally watch Salem’s Lot on the big screen? And, since we’re talking Stephen King, what’s your favorite adaptation?
Featured image via CBS & Warner Bros. Television.