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Pet Sematary(2019 film)

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Pet Sematary
Theatrical release poster
Directed by
Screenplay byJeff Buhler
Story byMatt Greenberg
Based onPet Sematary
byStephen King
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyLaurie Rose
Edited bySarah Broshar
Music byChristopher Young
Production
companies
Distributed byParamount Pictures
Release dates
  • March 16, 2019(2019-03-16)(SXSW)
  • April 5, 2019(2019-04-05)(United States)
Running time
101 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$21 million[2]
Box office$113 million[3]

Pet Semataryis a 2019 Americansupernatural horror filmdirected byKevin Kölsch and Dennis Widmyerfrom a screenplay by Jeff Buhler, based on the 1983 novelof the same namebyStephen King.It is the secondfilm adaptationof the novel, following the1989 film.It is the third installment in the Pet Sematary film series. The film starsJason Clarke,Amy Seimetz,andJohn Lithgow,and follows a family that discovers a mysterious graveyard in the woods behind their new home, capable of resurrecting the dead.

Talks for a new adaptation ofPet Sematarybegan in March 2010, withMatt Greenberginitially writing the screenplay.Lorenzo di Bonaventuraand Steven Schneider were revealed to be producing the film withJuan Carlos Fresnadilloin talks to direct it. By December 2017,Paramount Pictureshadgreenlitthe new film version of King's novel, with duo filmmakers Kölsch and Widmyer directing.Principal photographycommenced in June 2018, inMontrealandHudson, Quebec,Canada, and wrapped in August.

Pet Sematarypremiered atSouth by Southweston March 16, 2019, and was released in the United States on April 5, by Paramount Pictures. The film grossed over $113 million worldwide against a production budget of $20 million and received mixed reviews from critics.

Aprequel,Pet Sematary: Bloodlines,premiered on October 6, 2023 onParamount+.

Plot

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Louis Creed, an ER doctor from Boston, Massachusetts, moves to the small town ofLudlow, Mainewith his wife, Rachel, their two young children, Ellie andGage,and Ellie's pet cat, Church. Exploring the woods, Rachel and Ellie stumble across a funeral procession of children taking a dead dog to a cemetery called "Pet Sematary". At the university hospital, Louis is left shaken after failing to save the life of Victor Pascow, a student who was fatally injured after being struck and dragged by a vehicle. He later experiences a vivid dream in which Victor leads him to the deadfall at the back of the cemetery and warns him not to "venture beyond". Louis awakens to find his feet and sheets caked in mud, suggesting that the events were more than just a nightmare.

On Halloween, Church is killed by a truck. Jud Crandall, their neighbor who has a soft spot for Ellie, takes Louis past the pet cemetery to an ancient burial ground to bury Church. The next day, Louis is stunned when Church returns home alive, though he is different: aggressive and violent, tearing apart a bird and eating it alive. Jud reveals to Louis that the burial ground brings things back from the dead and is believed to be inhabited by a spirit known as theWendigo.He apologizes, having thought Church would return the same, and says that "sometimes dead is better". After Church attacks Gage, Louis tries to euthanize him but relents and decides to set him free in the wild.

During her birthday party, Ellie spots Church on the road and excitedly rushes to him but is hit and killed by a derailed tanker truck. The family is devastated, and Rachel and Gage leave to spend a few days with Rachel's parents. Sensing that Louis is planning on resurrecting Ellie, Jud warns the grieving father that Ellie would not be the same person as before. Though Victor's spirit similarly warns him, Louis's grief spurs him to carry out his plan. He drugs Jud, exhumes Ellie's corpse, and reburies her in the animal graveyard as the Wendigo looks on. Ellie rises from the dead but manifests a disturbing demeanor.

Meanwhile, Rachel is frightened by visions of her dead sister Zelda, who suffered fromspinal meningitisand died after falling down adumbwaitershaft. Gage is also frightened by the ghost of Victor who tries to warn him about going home. Jud wakes up and spots Ellie in the house. He flees home in horror to retrieve his revolver, but Jud, distracted by a growling Church, allows Ellie to surprise him on the stairwell where she proceeds to slice through Jud'sAchilles tendonwith a scalpel while taunting him with the voice of his dead wife before viciously stabbing him to death.

Rachel and Gage return home and encounter the undead Ellie. Rachel is horrified and flees with Gage to an upstairs bedroom. Ellie, enraged at being rejected by her mother, attacks Rachel as Louis finds Jud's blood-soaked body. Rushing home, Louis manages to save Gage just as Ellie fatally stabs Rachel. He locks Gage in the car, and Rachel begs her husband not to bury her in the Pet Sematary. Ellie knocks Louis unconscious and drags her mother's body to the burial ground. At the pet cemetery, Ellie tries to kill Louis. As Louis prepares to decapitate his daughter, he is impaled from behind by a makeshift grave marker, falling and revealing a reanimated Rachel. Ellie and Rachel silently drag Louis away and he is subsequently buried. Rachel, Ellie, Church, and a resurrected Louis set fire to Jud's house before approaching the car. Louis peers into the car at Gage before a beeping sound of the car door unlocking is heard.

Cast

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  • Jason Clarkeas Louis Creed
  • Amy Seimetzas Rachel Creed (née Goldman)
  • John Lithgowas Jud Crandall
  • Jeté Laurence as Ellie Creed
  • Hugo and Lucas Lavoie asGage Creed
  • Obssa Ahmed as Victor Pascow
  • Alyssa Brooke Levine as Zelda Goldman

Production

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Development

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On March 5, 2010,Paramount Picturesannounced that it was developing a new adaptation of Stephen King's novelPet Sematary,and thatMatt Greenberghad been hired to write the screenplay. (He was later credited with the "screen story".)[4]By October 2013,Lorenzo di Bonaventuraand Steven Schneider were to serve as producers for the production, andJuan Carlos Fresnadillowas in talks to direct.[5]

In August 2017,Andy Muschietti,director of the2017 film adaptationof Stephen King'sIt,said that he and his sister,Barbara Muschietti,wanted to adaptPet Sematary.[6]

On October 30, 2017, it was announced that Paramount Pictures had officially greenlit the film, which was expected to be directed by Kevin Kölsch and Dennis Widmyer, from a screenplay by Jeff Buhler andDavid Kajganich(the latter went uncredited). Aside from di Bonaventura and Schneider, Mark Vahradian also produced. Other filmmakers considered were Sean Carter andJohannes Roberts.[7]

Casting

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On April 16, 2018, it was announced thatJason Clarkehad been cast in the lead role of Louis Creed.[8]On May 4, 2018, it was reportedJohn Lithgowhad joined the cast in the role of Jud Crandall.[9]

In June 2018, it was announced thatAmy Seimetzwould have the film's lead female role, Rachel Creed, along with Jeté Laurence as Creed's daughter Ellie and twins Hugo and Lucas Lavoie as Creed's son Gage.[10][11]

In October 2018, it was reported that Obssa Ahmed had been added as college student Victor Pascow, and Alyssa Brooke Levine as Zelda Goldman. Zelda was previously portrayed by stuntmanAndrew Hubatsekin the1989 film.[12]

Filming

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Principal photography commenced on June 18, 2018, inHudson, Quebec,Canada.[13][14]Filming wrapped on August 11, 2018.[12]

Soundtrack

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Christopher Youngcomposed the film score. The end credits include a cover version of theRamonessong "Pet Sematary"by American punk rock bandStarcrawler.Waxwork Recordsreleased the soundtrack on adouble LPin 2019 following the release of the film.[15]

Track list

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Double LP track list

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  1. The Wendigo
  2. The Maine Road
  3. But The Cat Has No Hat
  4. Underground Terrors
  5. Fielding Fine
  6. Scream For More
  7. Dead Alive Again
  8. Church Isn't Church
  9. Un-Hallowed Even
  10. Fouled Soil
  11. Echo Angels
  12. Just Not The Same
  13. Watching The Dead Do
  14. Die Daddy Die
  15. Wasn't The Beginning?
  16. Pet Sematary

Release

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The film had its world premiere atSouth by Southweston March 16, 2019, and was theatrically released in the United States on April 5, 2019, by Paramount Pictures.[16]

The film was originally going to be released on April 19, 2019,[17]but was moved two weeks from its original release date of April 19, 2019, to April 5, 2019.[18]The film grossed $6.9 million in home sales.[19]

Reception

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Box office

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Pet Sematarygrossed $54.7 million in the United States and Canada, and $58.3 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $113.1 million, against a production budget of $21 million.[2]

In the United States and Canada,Pet Sematarywas released alongsideShazam!andThe Best of Enemies,and was projected to gross $20–30 million from 2,500 theaters in its opening weekend.[20][21]It made $2.3 million from Thursday night previews.[22]It then grossed $10 million on its first day, including previews. It went on to debut to $24.5 million, finishing second, behindShazam!.[23]The film fell 60% in its second weekend to $9.7 million, finishing fourth, and then made $4.9 million in its third weekend, finishing seventh.[24][25]

Critical response

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Onreview aggregatorRotten Tomatoes,the film holds an approval rating of 57% based on 276 reviews, with an average rating of 5.9/10. The website's critical consensus reads: "Pet Sematarytakes its source material in a few different directions, but this remake feels like an exhuming almost as often as it does a revival. "[26]OnMetacritic,the film has aweighted averagescore of 57 out of 100, based on 42 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[27]Audiences polled byCinemaScoregave the film an average grade of "C+" on an A+ to F scale, while those atPostTrakgave it an overall positive score of 66% and a 47% "definite recommend".[22]

Prequel

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In March 2019, di Bonaventura stated that discussions of the development of a prequel had begun.[28]Buhler reaffirmed this, stating that a continuation would explore "digging into the mythology of the town, these rituals that children present, the mythology of theMiꞌkmaq,the Wendigo, the cemetery, the origins, Jud's life. "[29]In February 2021, the film was officiallygreen-litwith Buhler and di Bonaventura returning in their roles as screenwriter and producer, respectively. The project will be released viastreaming,as aParamount+exclusive film.[30][31]The prequel, titledPet Sematary: Bloodlines,was released in October 2023.

References

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  1. ^"Pet Sematary(15) ".BBFC.July 7, 2019.RetrievedSeptember 13,2023.
  2. ^ab"Pet Sematary (2019)".Box Office Mojo.RetrievedFebruary 21,2020.
  3. ^"Pet Sematary".Box Office Mojo.Retrieved2023-11-17.
  4. ^Outlaw, Kofi (March 5, 2010)."'1408' Writer Headed for the 'Pet Sematary' | ScreenRant ".Screen Rant.RetrievedJune 18,2018.
  5. ^Kroll, Justin (October 31, 2013)."'Pet Sematary' Back From the Dead With Director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo (EXCLUSIVE) ".Variety.RetrievedJune 18,2018.
  6. ^Daniell, Mark (2017-08-04)."Stephen King's Pennywise is back: Secrets from the set of 'It'".Toronto Sun.Retrieved2017-08-14.
  7. ^Kroll, Justin (October 30, 2017)."Paramount Finds 'Pet Sematary' Directors (EXCLUSIVE)".Variety.RetrievedOctober 19,2018.
  8. ^Kit, Borys (April 16, 2018)."Jason Clarke in Talks to Star in 'Pet Sematary' Remake (Exclusive)".The Hollywood Reporter.RetrievedMay 4,2018.
  9. ^Breznican, Anthony (May 4, 2018)."John Lithgow joins the remake of Stephen King's 'Pet Sematary'".Entertainment Weekly.RetrievedMay 4,2018.
  10. ^Fleming, Mike Jr. (June 1, 2018)."Amy Seimetz Female Lead In 'Pet Sematary' Remake".Deadline Hollywood.RetrievedJune 1,2018.
  11. ^Breznican, Anthony (June 21, 2018)."Meet the kids from the new film version of Stephen King's 'Pet Sematary'".Entertainment Weekly.RetrievedJune 21,2018.
  12. ^abSquires, John (October 8, 2018)."Obssa Ahmed Plays the New Victor Pascow in Next Year's 'Pet Sematary' - Bloody Disgusting".Bloody Disgusting.RetrievedOctober 9,2018.
  13. ^Trumbore, Dave (June 18, 2018)."'Pet Sematary' Adaptation Starts Filming; First Set Photo Revealed by Co-Directors ".Collider.RetrievedJune 18,2018.
  14. ^Salemme, Danny (June 18, 2018)."Pet Sematary Director Announces Filming Has Begun".Screen Rant.RetrievedOctober 9,2018.
  15. ^Vasandani, Rachita (8 October 2019)."Giveaway: Win the Pet Sematary Soundtrack on Deluxe Double LP!".Paste Magazine.Retrieved14 August2020.
  16. ^Nolfi, Joey (February 7, 2019)."Pet Sematary remake to world premiere at 2019 SXSW Film Festival".Entertainment Weekly.RetrievedFebruary 7,2019.
  17. ^D'Alessandro, Anthony (December 8, 2017)."Paramount Sets 2019 Release For 'Pet Sematary' & 'Instant Family'".Deadline Hollywood.RetrievedJune 18,2018.
  18. ^McNary, Dave (May 23, 2018)."'Transformers 7' Pulled From Paramount Schedule ".Variety.RetrievedJune 18,2018.
  19. ^"Pet Sematary (2019) - Financial Information".The Numbers.Retrieved2023-11-17.
  20. ^D'Alessandro, Anthony (March 14, 2019)."'Shazam!' Looks To Strike Lightning With $45M Opening; 'Pet Sematary' Eyes Mid $20M+ – Early Tracking ".Deadline Hollywood.RetrievedMarch 14,2019.
  21. ^Rubin, Rebecca (April 3, 2019)."Box Office: 'Shazam!' Heads Toward $45 Million-Plus Opening Weekend".Variety.RetrievedApril 3,2019.
  22. ^abD'Alessandro, Anthony; Tartaglione, Nancy (April 5, 2019)."'Shazam!' Whams $5.9M In Thursday Night U.S. Previews For $9.2M Cume, Eyes $145M+ WW Launch – Friday AM Update ".Deadline Hollywood.RetrievedApril 5,2019.
  23. ^D'Alessandro, Anthony (April 7, 2019)."'Shazam!' Shoots To Super $53M+ Opening, $56M+ With Previews; 'Pet Sematary' Purrs $25M – Sunday AM B.O. Final ".Deadline Hollywood.RetrievedApril 7,2019.
  24. ^D'Alessandro, Anthony (April 14, 2019)."'Shazam!' Still The Man With $23M+; 'Little' Grows Up; 'Hellboy' Cold With $12M+; 'After' Works Overseas – Midday B.O. Update ".Deadline Hollywood.RetrievedApril 14,2019.
  25. ^D'Alessandro, Anthony (April 21, 2019)."Lowest Easter Weekend At The B.O. Since 2005 Despite $26M Purse Of 'La Llorona' – Saturday AM Update".Deadline Hollywood.RetrievedApril 21,2019.
  26. ^"Pet Sematary (2019)".Rotten Tomatoes.Fandango.5 April 2019.RetrievedNovember 25,2024.
  27. ^"Pet Semetary (2019) reviews".Metacritic.CBS Interactive.RetrievedApril 7,2019.
  28. ^Roffman, Michael (March 26, 2019)."Pet Sematary producer teases potential prequel".Consequence of Sound.RetrievedFebruary 24,2021.
  29. ^Cavanaugh, Patrick (May 15, 2019)."Pet Sematary Writer Teases How the Film's Mythology Might Be Continued in a New Project".ComicBook.RetrievedFebruary 24,2021.
  30. ^Lang, Brent & Cynthia Littleton (February 24, 2021)."ViacomCBS Overhauls Film Strategy With New Theatrical Windows, Epix Pact".Variety.RetrievedFebruary 24,2021.
  31. ^Evangelista, Chris (February 24, 2021)."'Paranormal Activity' Sequel and New 'Pet Sematary' Prequel Headed Straight to Paramount+ ".Slash Film.RetrievedFebruary 24,2021.
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