ICYMI: Creepy First Trailer For 'Pet Sematary' Reboot Drops!

So……. as you know, I unabashedly love the 1989 film adaptation of a classically spooky Stephen King novel called Pet Sematary. It was the first terrible horror movie my best friend and I watched when we were kids that has begun an over-decade-long journey into compulsively digging through $5 DVD bins, sorting out deep cable horror channels, and bumping our way around the internet in search of the next great dumb horror movie. Is Pet Sematary the cream of the crop for laughably terrible and deranged horror movies? It’s close but it doesn’t have a seat. However, this one holds a special place in my heart that no other movie of this genre can conquer… and then this happened:

It’s been some time since I’ve heard plans for a remake. There was a time when Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro was working on his own pitch and had big plans for a movie, since he stated it was one of, if not the, scariest novels he’s ever read. Well, del Toro hasn’t gotten the chance to make his version, and that’s good for me because, while I do like his movies, I don’t want something too serious! Personally I’ve never read the novel and I’m happy to say that, despite this remake from directors Kevin Kölsch and Dennis Widmyer looking darker for sure, it doesn’t seem to have lost its subtle, over-the-top and unintentional humor that the original captured so well. Just check out the original trailer to see what I’m talking about:

While I’m amped up for the upcoming Pet Sematary, I feel that I should address the elephant in my room (not saying this is something you’ll notice if you’ve never seen the movie), and that’s the fact my favorite character, Jud, who was played by the late legend of “The Munsters” Fred Gwynne, isn’t reprising his role. If you’re a little slow, then I’ll spell out the reason he can’t do it… Fred Gwynne is dead. And while I was unable to wipe my own behind by the time Gwynne passed on, this is a tough one to get over. If you haven’t seen the original and are a fan of “South Park” like I am, then we can all rest easy knowing that Gwynne as Jud will forever live on, as he’s a recurring character in “South Park” (Possibly NSFW):

Appearing in video games and other various episodes of “South Park”, it’s clear that creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone are big fans of Jud if not the whole movie itself. Simply put, they get it. So, of course, for such a coveted and iconic role (among the small minority of my best friend, the “South Park” creators, and myself), they had to get somebody top notch to fill Gwynne’s enormous Frankenstein boots, and that man is decorated thespian John Lithgow.

More than anything else in this movie, I will be keeping my eyes on Lithgow come the release date of April 5, 2019, to make sure he’s doing the part proud. From the trailer, I’ve already got faith in him; however, I’m afraid it won’t be the same. But as Jud always says before he (SPOILERS!!!) helps the main character resurrect a dead animal -- “sometimes, dead is better” -- maybe I should let go of the hope for more of the same from this character… but let’s not forget, Jud says this, warns of the Pet Sematary, and then helps in a resurrection anyway… dang is this movie contradictory!

(Image via Paramount Pictures)

- Kevin Donaldson, YH Contributing Writer