The world is always ready for a Stephen King adaptation, and Max’s Salem’s Lot is arriving on Max just in time for Halloween season. The story follows author Ben Mears, who has returned to his hometown in order to write about the haunted house there, but must soon come face to face with his inner demons — and the town’s outer ones.
The celebrated vampire novel has twice been adapted for television, once in 1979 (starring Starsky and Hutch’s David Soul) and once in 2004 (starring Parks and Recreation’s Rob Lowe). The newest Salem’s Lot leading man is Lewis Pullman, who was recently featured in Top Gun: Maverick, and he is joined by a stellar ensemble cast that includes Alfre Woodard as a gender-bent of Dr. Cody. Given it was originally scheduled for release in 2022, horror fans are eager to see the results.
Related The Upcoming Salem’s Lot Remake Now Has My Full Attention After languishing in development hell, the 2024 Salem’s Lot remake has its first trailer. If it’s as good as it seems, we’re in for a great time.
Screen Rant interviewed Salem’s Lot stars Lewis Pullman and Makenzie Leigh about their experience on the set of the Stephen King adaptation. The duo discussed how they approached their characters in the Max movie, as well as which film they would pair with it for a double feature (with rather surprising results).
Lewis Pullman & Makenzie Leigh Explain The Nostalgic Vibe Of Salem’s Lot
“I feel like I’m making Stephen King fans everywhere feel really jealous right now.”
Screen Rant: This is the perfect movie to get into the Halloween spirit. Lewis, tell us a little bit about Ben. Can you discuss your approach to balancing the everyman aspect of Ben’s character with the horror elements of the film?
Lewis Pullman: Yeah, that was a really fun part of diving into Ben’s character. Gary [Dauberman] really approached this thing in a very admirable way – and obviously, Steven did this in the original, but [Gary] really made this an important part. What’s going to make the audience feel like they are sitting in the room with Susan and Ben and everybody? And I think that if you have the central character as this relatable everyman guy, it’s not that far of a stretch to put yourself in his shoes, which immediately makes the stakes feel higher because you feel that much closer to them. It feels that much scarier.
Screen Rant: Makenzie, tell us a little bit about Susan. What was it like working on set, especially in those more intense horror-driven scenes with Lewis?
Makenzie Leigh: Yeah, the action sequences to which I think you refer were absolutely the most fun things I’ve ever really gotten to do. I went to drama school and thought I was really interested in truth and crying and going through the hard things in life, and so getting thrown up against a wall [in a film] is like… “Ooh, that sounds interesting.” In a film! [Laughs] This film is scary, but it was the most fun I’ve ever had on set. As far as being in the mise-en-scène of the horror genre, the set design was everything that you see, and it felt very 360. The way that they created the sets meant that we really could just live in an imaginary Stephen King world, which was kind of a dream. I feel like I’m making Stephen King fans everywhere feel really jealous right now. I mean, live in the ’70s inside of Salem’s Lot? We got to do that!
Which Movie Should You Pair With Salem’s Lot For A Double Feature?
“Instead of searching for a dead body, you’re trying to defend your town from vampires.”
Screen Rant: One thing I love about these streaming releases is that you can do your own at-home double feature. If you were to pair up another film with Salem’s Lot, what would you choose as your own double feature?
Lewis Pullman: Oh my God, that’s a really good question. What would I pair up with it? Well, I’m just going to use this because I’ve been thinking about it a lot. It’s quite different, but it’s what I like about our rendition of Salem’s Lot. I would choose Stand By Me . Salem’s Lot almost has this Stand by Me aesthetic. It almost feels like this nostalgic era, but instead of searching for a dead body, you’re trying to defend your town from vampires. They feel like cousins to me in a strange way, and Stephen King was behind them both. Makenzie Leigh: I would go A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night, my other favorite vampire film.
More About Salem’s Lot (2024)
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Author Ben Mears returns to his childhood home of Jerusalem’s Lot in search of inspiration for his next book only to discover his hometown is being preyed upon by a bloodthirsty vampire.
Check back soon for our other Salem’s Lot interviews here:
Spencer Treat Clark
Alfre Woodard
Salem’s Lot premieres October 3 on Max.
Source: Screen Rant Plus