Jason Clarke Says Pet Sematary Disturbed Him, Discusses Role in the Remake

Stephen King approves of the upcoming remake of Pet Sematary, which is the second time this story will be told on film. Playing Dr. Louis Creed this time around is actor Jason Clarke, who recently discussed the new adaptation in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. Having the legendary author’s approval is one thing, but what was it like bringing this terrifying tale of grief to life?

Clarke says the horror story that started it all for him was, in fact, this one, with respect to King’s work. Even years later, Pet Sematary is unsettling to think about for him.

It may be all business for the actor, but playing this role of Louis Creed begs many questions as one steps into the shoes of a father in this situation. It’s something that Clarke has not taken lightly.

With this being a film adaptation, there are naturally going to be differences between what appears on screen and what happened in the original book, and we already know what one big change is, but how does that affect the role? The actor explained what’s going through his mind when striking a balance between the original story and what’s in the script.

Regarding Stephen King’s approval of this new adaptation, Clarke sees it as a relief and is glad there exists an understanding that parts of these stories must be open to interpretation when being adapted to another medium. That means making it their own and it seems like this film’s approach is one that all parties are happy with.

Finally, when asked if playing these intense roles can have an effect on his psyche or dreams, Clarke admitted that Pet Sematary disturbed him and that there’s no doubt these characters can creep into his life. The actor offered the following parting words on the topic.

The new adaptation of Pet Sematary stars Jason Clarke (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes) as Dr. Louis Creed, Amy Seimetz (Alien: Covenant, Stranger Things) as Rachel Creed, and John Lithgow (Interstellar, 3rd Rock from the Sun) as Jud Crandall.

Pet Sematary will be released early this spring on April 5th, 2019. The film is being directed by Kevin Kölsch and Dennis Widmyer for Paramount Pictures. The duo is known for directing other films such as Absence and Starry Eyes, as well as a few episodes of the Scream TV series.

Be sure to keep your eyes peeled on Dead Entertainment for future news on Pet Sematary.

About the Author

Chris Morse

Programmer by day, writer by night. Having grown up surrounded by plenty of horror movies and video games, it only made sense for Chris to combine all of these passions into one place: Dead Entertainment. Whether he's working on designs, tinkering with the platform, or just writing up the latest horror news, he's sure to be hard at work keeping the wheels turning on this website no matter what time of day it is. When not coding or gaming, you can find him donning a Cheesehead and heading to the Midwest to cheer on his favorite NFL team, the Green Bay Packers. #GoPackGo

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