Stephen King calls out Warner Bros. for delaying ‘Salem’s Lot’ movie indefinitely

Stephen King has no idea why an upcoming movie adaptation of his novel “Salem’s Lot” hasn’t been released yet — and he’s sharing his frustration with the world.

King took to social media on Monday to express confusion as to why “Salem’s Lot,” which was filmed in Massachusetts back in 2021, has no current release date.

King’s second published novel following 1974’s “Carrie,” “Salem’s Lot” was previously adapted for the small screen twice, with miniseries released in 1979 and 2004. Over the years, King has consistently cited the vampire thriller as his personal favorite among all of his published stories.

“Between you and me, Twitter, I’ve seen the new SALEM’S LOT and it’s quite good,” King wrote. “Old-school horror filmmaking: slow build, big payoff. Not sure why WB is holding it back; not like it’s embarrassing, or anything. Who knows. I just write the f****** things.”

“Salem’s Lot” release date timeline

“Salem’s Lot” was filmed in Boston, Clinton, Ipswich, Princeton, and Sterling from September to December 2021, with post-production continuing into early 2022.

After initially announcing that “Salem’s Lot” would hit theaters September 2022, Warner Bros. pushed the film to April 2023, then said it would be released directly on its Max streaming service, then removed the movie from its schedule entirely.

King, who co-wrote the “Salem’s Lot” film adaptation, has previously sung the film’s praises on social media, calling it “muscular and involving” and saying that the film has an “Old Hollywood” feel.

Directed by Gary Dauberman (“It”), “Salem’s Lot” hews closely to the plot of King’s novel, following a writer named Ben Mears (Lewis Pullman, “Top Gun: Maverick”) who discovers that the residents of his childhood hometown (the fictional Jerusalem’s Lot, Maine) are turning into vampires.

Along with Pullman, “Salem’s Lot” co-stars Pilou Asbæk (“Game of Thrones”), Alfre Woodard (“12 Years A Slave”), Spencer Treat Clark (“Mystic River”), and Massachusetts native Bill Camp (“Joker”).

Will “Salem’s Lot” ever be released?

Though there is no indication that “Salem’s Lot” will be permanently shelved, fans have every right to be concerned about the film’s fate.

Under CEO David Zaslav — who was relentlessly booed by BU students while delivering the university’s 2023 commencement speech — Warner Bros. Discovery has faced mounting public criticism for canceling the release of fully finished movies in order to secure tax write-offs.

Completed films that have been locked in WBD’s vault for tax purposes include the $90 million superhero film “Batgirl,” the $40 million Scooby Doo sequel “Scoob!: Holiday Haunt,” and the Looney Tunes comedy “Coyote vs. ACME,” which reportedly received incredible reviews from test audiences.

Kevin Slane

Staff Writer

Kevin Slane is a staff writer for Boston.com covering entertainment and culture. His work focuses on movie reviews, streaming guides, celebrities, and things to do in Boston.

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