Salem’s Lot Director Shares Longer Original Stephen King Adaptation

Salem's Lot Director Shares Longer Original Stephen King Adaptation Salem's Lot Director Shares Longer Original Stephen King Adaptation
Mike and Matt peer through a shelf in Salem's Lot.
Max

Excitement was palpable for Salem’s Lot as it made its long-anticipated debut on streaming services in early October. Directed by Gary Dauberman, this adaptation of Stephen King’s cherished 1975 novel finished filming in the summer of 2022 but was left in limbo by Warner Bros. Pictures for an extended period. Stephen King reignited interest in the film when he shared his thoughts about it on social media back in February, expressing confusion about its delays. Following that, WB revealed that Salem’s Lot would be available exclusively on Max.

King’s endorsement contributed to positive buzz, yet the film faced a lukewarm reception when it premiered on October 3, drawing mixed critiques. Many reviewers pointed to a hurried rendition of King’s classic vampire narrative and highlighted the film’s failure to develop its characters fully. This led to speculation regarding potential interference from studio executives leading to significant cuts in the final version.

It’s uncertain whether these speculations hold water. However, in a conversation with Den of Geek, Dauberman revealed that his original cut clocked in at around three hours—substantially longer than the 113-minute version that audiences eventually saw. “My initial cut was about three hours,” he shared. “A significant amount was omitted. My first script draft was over 180 pages.”

A vampire yells under a sheet in Salem's Lot.
Max

Dauberman elaborated on some specific scenes that were cut from his original version during his interview with Den of Geek, highlighting one involving Ben Mears (played in the film by Lewis Pullman). In a memorable moment from the book, Ben encounters a ghost in the iconic Marsten House. “In the novel, Ben breaks into the Marsten House and sees the ghost of Hubert Marsten,” Dauberman recounted. “I filmed that scene, and it was meant to open the movie, but I felt it could confuse viewers… That was the hardest cut for me because I really love that sequence.”

The existence of a longer and potentially richer version of Salem’s Lot makes it all the more disheartening for fans of the original material to watch the trimmed version that was ultimately released. Nevertheless, Dauberman seems to have accepted the necessity of these cuts, at least for now, in order to share Salem’s Lot with the audience.

Currently, Salem’s Lot is streaming exclusively on Max.

Add a comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.