There was some doubt that Salem’s Lot would ever see the light of day, but the latest Stephen King adaptation is finally set for release on streaming. Based on the book of the same name, Salem’s Lot was initially set to debut back in 2022 before it disappeared from the release schedule. Eventually, the film was given an October 3 release on Max, but that period of limbo led some to question whether Salem’s Lot was worth watching. Even King was frustrated with the delays. With the release date drawing near, the film finally has a Rotten Tomatoes score. While that’s not the ultimate measure of quality, it’s still something that many people consider.
With 19 reviews at the time of this writing, Salem’s Lot has a 63% fresh rating. A movie switches over to Rotten when it drops under 60%, so it’s riding right on the fence, and it could go either way when more reviews come in. Salem’s Lot is something of a lower profile release since it’s not going to theaters, but there’s a good chance it’ll be a top performer for Max, considering it’s an adaptation of one of King’s most famous books, and it’s a horror film coming out in October. The film is directed by Gary Dauberman, who previously helmed the third entry in the Annabelle franchise, Annabelle Comes Home.
Salem’s Lot follows a writer named Ben Mears who travels back to his hometown of Jerusalem’s Lot in search of inspiration, but discovers that it’s been taken over by vampires. The book was previously adapted into a TV miniseries twice, but this is the first time it’s been adapted as a film.
Another Stephen King Adaptation Gets Rave Reviews and a Release Date
Stephen King adaptations tend to vary in quality, but there’s no question that when they’re good, they’re really good. A recent example is Mike Flanagan’s Doctor Sleep. With a certified Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, it makes sense that Flanagan was trusted to bring another King adaptation to life. The Life of Chuck, starring Tom Hiddleston and Mark Hamill and directed by Flanagan, was a big hit at TIFF, where it brought home the prestigious People’s Choice Award, an honor that has recently been a precursor to Oscar nominations.
Neon has secured the distribution rights for The Life of Chuck, which is set for release in summer 2025. The plan from there is to give it an awards push for the fall and hopefully come home with some hardware.
After watching Salem’s Lot rot in purgatory for a few years, it’s reassuring to see The Life of Chuck snag a smoother path to release. The film is based on a King novella of the same name that was published in the 2020 short-story collection If It Bleeds. While King’s name is synonymous with the horror genre, that’s not the case with The Life of Chuck, which has been described as sentimental and life-affirming, and features Hiddleston performing in a seven-minute dance sequence.