Stephen King fans were wondering why we still haven't seen so much as an official promo image for New Line's upcoming re-adaptation of Salem's Lot (the above tie-in novel cover aside), and we now have our answer.
According to THR, Warner Bros. has moved the vampire horror flick to April 21, 23. The movie was previously scheduled to open September 9 of this year, so this is a pretty significant delay.
No reason was given for the release date change, but April is perceived as being something of a "dumping ground" for studios, so fans are now concerned that this latest adaptation of one of King's most beloved works may not be up to par.
Salem's Lot stars Lewis Pullman, Alfre Woodard, Bill Camp, Pilou Asbæk, Makenzie Leigh, and Spencer Treat Clark. Recent IT adaptation writer Gary Dauberman (Annabelle Comes Home) directs, and also penned the screenplay.
The book tells the story of a writer named Ben Mears who returns to his childhood town of Jerusalem's Lot only to find himself drawn to an old house that traumatized him as a child. The Marsten House is an evil place, and an evil place attracts evil men. Unfortunately for Ben and the rest of the town, this time the evil men in question are powerful vampire Kurt Barlow and his devious familiar Richard Straker.
Salem's Lot was previously adapted as a 1979 miniseries from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre director Tobe Hooper, featuring a scene with child-vampire scratching at the window which terrified an entire generation. There was also a far less successful 2004 version starring Rob Lowe.