Pet Sematary producer teases prequel: 'I think there’s a movie there'

Stephen King adaptations are usually buzzy, but the hype around the Pet Sematary remake has been absolutely rabid — and with some killer early reviews, fans seem to have no reason to temper their expectations. Now, before the Kevin Kölsch- and Dennis Widmyer-directed film has even been released to the horror world at large, those behind the film are already considering their options for a follow-up. That film, however, would have to occur before the events of this movie for...well, multiple reasons.

Producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura — who recently shed light on the addition of Bay-hem to the next Transformers film — has his eyes on the next step in the Sematary storyline, though he sees it as a prequel. According to Consequence of Sound, who interviewed di Bonaventura at SXSW after the film’s premiere, there might just be more to Ludlow, Maine than is covered in the remake of the ‘89 film.

“I generally don’t start thinking about [sequels] until they’re a success,” di Bonaventura said. “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.” That “stuff” is almost as spoilery as the happenings of the plot, so we’re going to tread lightly here.

There’s a rich history to Ludlow, which is mostly conveyed to the protagonists by their new neighbor, Jud Crandall (played in the upcoming film by John Lithgow). In fact, much of the same supernatural spookiness that the main story in Pet Sematary confronts is bolstered and explained by Crandall as something that’s far older than the town itself — with its death-defying ramifications having plagued the community for decades.

“So, I think there’s a movie there, and I think I’d be particularly interested in doing that,” di Bonaventura said, “because, again, it’s the source material and you are going toward something that also has a lot of crazy, creepy feelings about it.” If the new film is a hit, fans shouldn’t be surprised if the town gets its own evil-defining prequel like The Conjuring series’ The Nun.

Pet Sematary hails in the (Stephen) King on April 5.