Salem's Lot Remake: Release Date, Cast, Story, Trailer & Everything We Know (2025)

There have already been two TV miniseries, but a new theatrical adaptation of Stephen King's novel Salem's Lot is on the way, thanks to James Wan. Salem's Lot centers on Ben Mears, an author who returns to his childhood hometown with plans to both write a book about the local haunted house and try to exorcise his various personal demons. Starsky and Hutch's David Soul played Ben in the 1979 CBS TV miniseries adaptation of Salem's Lot, which many regard as a creepy classic.

In 2004, Salem's Lot became another two-part miniseries, this time for cable network TNT, and starring Rob Lowe as Ben. Now, celebrated director James Wan is set to produce a new movie adaptation of Salem's Lot, with IT and IT Chapter Two writer Gary Dauberman onboard to pen the script and direct. Unfortunately for King's legion of die-hard fans, Warner Bros. has put the newest Salem's Lot adaptation through the wringer, but it now seems closer to being released.

Salem's Lot Remake Latest News

A Release Date & Trailer

After years of delays and the threat of having the movie shelved entirely, the latest news confirms the release date and trailer for Salem's Lot. The long-awaited Stephen King adaptation dropped its full trailer in September 2024, and it introduces writer Ben Mears and his return to the creepy Maine town. Set to Gordon Lightfoot's '70s classic "Sundown", the trailer establishes the town and wastes no time in introducing the new take on the horrifying vampires. One thing the trailer really emphasizes is the action-centric nature of this adaptation, with various scenes of vampiric high-tension.

Along with the trailer, HBO also revealed that Salem's Lot will now arrive on Thursday, October 3, 2024. The movie will stream exclusively on Max, and will come just in time for the Halloween season. Unfortunately, no theatrical release is planned for the latest take on King's classic tale of Gothic horror.

Salem's Lot Remake Release Date

The Vampire Horror Story Arrives In Time For Halloween

Though the movie seemed like it would never see the light of day after losing its original release date, the latest Salem's Lot remake has finally established a new premiere date. HBO aims to drop the Stephen King movie on their platform, Max, on Thursday, October 3, 2024, just in time for the Halloween season.

Salem's Lot Remake Cast

Who Stars In The Adaptation?

Because the Stephen King adaptation has been completed for years, a lot is known about the cast, and it features several recognizable names in major roles. Lewis Pullman is tapped to play writer Ben Mears who returns to his hometown of Jerusalem's Lot to find inspiration for his latest novel. Makenzie Leigh co-stars as Susan Norton, a local woman who strikes up a relationship with Ben. All the announced actors have had their roles assigned except for William Sadler, and it can be assumed that the noted character actor will play the vampire, Kurt Barlow.

The entire cast includes:

Actor	Salem's Lot Role
Lewis Pullman	Ben Mears
Makenzie Leigh	Susan Norton
William Sadler	Unknown
Alfre Woodard	Dr. Cody
Bill Camp	Matthew Burke
Pilou Asbæk	Richard Straker
John Benjamin Hickey	Father Callahan
Jordan Preston Carter	Mark Petrie
Spencer Treat Clark	Mike Ryerson
Nicholas Crovetti	Danny Glick
Cade Woodward	Ralph Glick

Salem's Lot Remake Story

How Closely Does The Remake Follow The Book?

The exact plot of the Salem's Lot remake is still unknown, and it isn't exactly clear how closely the new movie will follow Stephen King's classic 1975 novel. What is known though, is that the movie will follow the basic structure of the book, with Ben Mears returning to his hometown to write and figure out the root of his childhood trauma. Instead, he finds he is in the presence of an ancient vampire that is draining the town of Jerusalem's Lot of its spirit and lifeblood.

In classic horror story fashion, Ben is the first one to catch onto the vampire menace, and he teams up with a local teen named Mike Ryerson who has also seen the strange goings-on. Undoubtedly, the new movie will add new wrinkles to the story, and it is presumably a modernized version of the 50-year-old novel.

Salem's Lot Remake Trailer

Watch The Full Trailer Below

After years of delays and possible shelving of the movie, HBO finally released a full trailer for Salem's Lot in September 2024. Set to Gordon Lightfoot's "Sundown", the trailer establishes the creepy town of Jerusalem's Lot, and introduces writer Ben Mears' quest to extinguish his childhood demons. However, a new threat has arrived in town as vampires begin to slowly overtake the sleepy hamlet. As a rag-tag team of vampire hunters comes together to stop the menace, all signs point to Ben's terrifying childhood nightmare as the origin of the town's vampiric menace.

Salem's Lot (2024)

Horror

Thriller

Mystery

Salem's Lot is a 2024 remake of the movie of the same name released in 1979. The latest adaptation of Stephen King's 1975 novel stars Lewis Pullman, Makenzie Leigh, and Bill Camp, with Gary Dauberman writing and directing the Max original film. The plot revolves around a writer who discovers a vampire in his hometown of Jerusalem’s Lot upon returning home for inspiration.

Director

Gary Dauberman

Studio(s)

New Line Cinema, Atomic Monster, Vertigo Entertainment

Distributor(s)

HBO Max

Writers

Gary Dauberman, Stephen King

Cast

Lewis Pullman, Alfre Woodard, Makenzie Leigh, Bill Camp, Spencer Treat Clark, Pilou Asbæk, John Benjamin Hickey, William Sadler, Jordan Preston Carter, Nicholas Crovetti, Cade Woodward, Kellan Rhude, Debra Christofferson, Rebecca Gibel, Mike Bash, Fedna Jacquet, Avery Bederman

Runtime

113 Minutes

Main Genre

Horror