“Pet Semetary: Bloodlines” is a supernatural horror film serving as a prequel to “Pet Semetary” (2019).
So let’s find out some trivia and facts about the new horror film.
- Pet Sematary: Bloodlines is a 2023 American supernatural horror film
- It is directed by Lindsey Anderson Beer
- This marks her directorial debut
- The film is co-written by Beer and Jeff Buhler
- It is serves as a prequel to Pet Sematary (2019)
- The 2019 film was in turn based on the 1983 novel of the same name by Stephen King
- In the new film stars Jackson White, Forrest Goodluck, Jack Mulhern, Henry Thomas, Natalie Alyn Lind, Isabella Star LaBlanc, Samantha Mathis, Pam Grier and David Duchovny
- Set in 1969
- 50 years before the events of the previous film
- The plot follows a young Jud Crandall as he discovers a local cemetery where the dead can live again, without imagining the horror that will affect his life
- After the commercial success of Pet Sematary in 2019, producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura had plans for a prequel explaining the mythology and universe of the film
- In February 2021, the film was green-lit
- With Buhler and di Bonaventura returning in their roles as screenwriter and producer, respectively
- Beer signed on as director in May 2021
- Principal photography began in August of the same year
- Pet Sematary: Bloodlines premiered at Fantastic Fest on September 23, 2023
- This was followed by its streaming launch on Paramount+ on October 6
- In March 2019, producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura stated that a prequel to Pet Sematary (2019) was possible if the film was a success financially
- The following month, directors Kevin Kölsch and Denis Widmyer ruled themselves out of returning
- In May 2019, screenwriter Jeff Buhler stated that there had been preliminary discussions on a continuation
- The film was officially announced in February 2021, with Buhler and di Bonaventura returning as screenwriter and producer, respectively
- Lindsey Beer was hired to direct in May 2021
- In June 2021, Jackson White was cast as a young Jud Crandall
- The following month, Pam Grier joined the cast
- Principal photography took place in Montreal in August 2021, with some scenes being shot at John Abbott College
- It was released by Paramount+ on October 6, 2023 in the United States, Canada, and Latin America, and the following day in other territories
- On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a 20% rating
- Based on 50 critics’ reviews
- With an average rating of 4.4/10
- The website’s consensus reads: “Pet Sematary: Bloodlines takes half-hearted stabs at expanding the world of Stephen King’s original story, but they’re largely lost in a substandard story that mistakes bland gore for effective horror”
- Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 32 out of 100
- Based on nine critics
- Indicating “generally unfavorable” reviews
- In September 2023, Beer stated that she would like to develop additional Pet Sematary installments to expand the franchise
- These installments could further explore the origins of the evil in the franchise
- While the filmmaker expressed interest in being involved in the potential future
- By October of the same year, producer di Bonaventura stated that all creatives involved are considering developing a sequel
- While producer Vahradian stated that future installments may further explore the demonic entity which causes the horrific events of the franchise
- Later that same month, Beer confirmed that there are ongoing discussions to create additional Pet Sematary films
- They may further detail the history of the ancient evil in Ludlow city
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