19 movies we’re definitely looking forward to in 2019

14. Pet Sematary

Creepy clowns aren’t the only Stephen King baddie you’ll have to be afraid of in 2019. Like pretty much every famous Stephen King novel, Pet Sematary already has one film adaptation. The 1986 version was not well received, earning only a 50% critic approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

The plot follows a family moving into the Maine countryside (is it really a Stephen King story if it doesn’t take place in rural Maine?) and being stricken with a tragedy that quickly turns into horror. Ancient burial grounds and poorly advised decision-making are involved.

The trailer itself introduces a ton of fertile ground for the horror to come: the creepy graveyard, the ominous forest, the masked children. In fact, the trailer’s densely packed atmosphere is a promising sign for the movie itself. Whether or not it manages to be scary, it’s clear that Pet Sematary will have good production value in its favor, much like the It reboot before it.

This remake has been in the works since 2010, when Paramount announced it was developing a new adaptation. However, the film wasn’t officially greenlit until 2017, written by Jeff Buhler of Midnight Meat Train and David Kajganich of The Terror. Buhler has said that he wants to go a more psychological route than the 1986 version, which was criticized for being overwrought. Buhler talks about writing a story whose roots are in grief and loss, themes which Kajganich explored with true finesse in The Terror.

All in all, this second attempt at the Stephen King story has a ton of potential, and on April 5, we’ll have the chance to find out whether Pet Semetary should have stayed dead.