After adapting so many of Stephen King‘s works, Mike Flanagan should set his eyes on a book that King almost did not publish. Mike Flanagan will soon expand his catalog of Stephen King adaptations with his small-screen take on Carrie. The director is also reportedly working on an adaptation of Stephen King’s The Mist and plans to develop a TV adaptation of The Dark Tower books some day.
While it is unknown when his take on The Dark Tower will see the light of day, it is hard not to see how he would be the perfect choice for directing another Stephen King adaptation after he is done with Carrie and The Mist. Both Carrie and The Mist have been adapted multiple times in the past. Despite this, Flanagan’s take on both seems exciting because he has his way of bringing a contemporary spin to every story he adapts.
Apart from modernizing his literary inspirations, Flanagan also brilliantly merges many literary works into one narrative, which is something he will likely do in both Carrie and The Mist. Considering Flanagan’s delivering one incredible Stephen King adaptation after another, his takes on Carrie and The Mist will also likely not disappoint.
Since Stephen King’s Pet Sematary, too, is yet to get a worthy adaptation, Flanagan should pick the book and present his own take on it after his long line of critically successful adaptations.
After Carrie & The Mist, Mike Flanagan Should Adapt 1 Stephen King Story That Was Almost Never Published
On several occasions, Stephen King has revealed how Pet Sematary took things a little too far for him when he started writing it. The primary inspiration for the book’s story came to him when his daughter’s cat, Smucky, was killed on a road that claimed the lives of many pets. Shortly after, his youngest son, Owen, ran towards the same road on one occasion before Stephen King himself stopped him.
The incident left him with a “what if?” scenario of what a parent would have to do to accept the loss of a child. This served as the seed that helped him pen down the core premise of Pet Sematary. Even his daughter’s reaction to her cat’s death after they buried the pet in a cemetery made him wonder what would happen if one could return after burial (via EW).
However, since the book hit a little too close to home, he stopped writing before it was completed. He only finished it when a contractual obligation left him with no other choice.
Despite being one of Stephen King’s best books, and, perhaps, the only book that truly scared the author himself, Pet Sematary is yet to get a worthy adaptation. The 1989 adaptation of the book is now considered a cult classic, but it is hard not to see how it completely missed the point of the original book.
Owing to this, Pet Sematary is one Stephen King book that deserves another adaptation, that, too, from someone like Mike Flanagan. Since Mike Flanagan has an established history of getting Stephen King adaptations right, he could finally deliver a worthy take on Pet Sematary.
Mike Flanagan’s Horror Adaptation Style Seems Perfect For A Pet Sematary Remake
With his Netflix horror shows like The Fall of the House of Usher, The Haunting of Hill House, and Midnight Mass, Mike Flanagan has already explored how loss and grief can completely erode an individual’s sanity and moral compass. Especially in Midnight Mass, he perfectly captures how the desire to preserve oneself and defy death leads to disastrous consequences in a community.
Similar themes are primary drivers of the terrors in Stephen King’s Pet Sematary. Since Flanagan has previously done a brilliant job of portraying the “careful what you wish for” trope and the emotional devastation that follows attempts to escape mortality, he seems suited to capture the tragic heart of Stephen King’s story without reducing it to surface-level horror.
Mike Flanagan’s Carrie adaptation is scheduled to premiere on Prime Video in 2026.
New remakes and reboots of books that have already been adapted multiple times can be a little annoying. However, a novel like Pet Sematary deserves at least one good adaptation. Hopefully, Mike Flanagan will take it upon himself to deliver a decent adaptation of Stephen King‘s Pet Semtary after his take on Carrie and The Mist.
- Cast
-
Dale Midkiff, Fred Gwynne, Denise Crosby, Miko Hughes, Jason Clarke, Amy Seimetz, Jeté Laurence, John Lithgow, Samantha Mathis, Henry Thomas, Pam Grier, David Duchovny, Jackson White
“Pet Sematary” is a horror franchise based on Stephen King’s 1983 novel. It focuses on a burial ground with the power to resurrect the dead, though those revived return as twisted versions of their former selves. The stories often explore themes of grief, the consequences of tampering with death, and the dark allure of second chances. The franchise has spawned several film adaptations, including remakes and prequels, maintaining its place as a staple of supernatural horror.
