Last month it was announced that screenwriter Lindsey Beer is set to make her directorial debut with a new Pet Sematary movie from Paramount Players, and now we have our first casting news which seems to confirm that the new film will serve as a prequel to the Stephen King tale.
As reported by Deadline, Jackson White (Mrs. Fletcher) is set to portray a young Jud Crandall, the character in the book and movie adaptations who introduces the ancient burial ground to the Creed family. Crandall was portrayed by Fred Gwynne in the 1989 film, and John Lithgow in the 2019 reboot.
So far, no official plot details have been revealed, although the new film is described as a “follow-up” to the 2019 film. With the casting of White as Crandall, perhaps the new movie will explore the story of Timmy Baterman, a soldier who was killed in action and reanimated by his father, only to terrorise the town upon his return from the dead?
The as-yet-untitled Pet Sematary is set begin production in August, with Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Mark Vahradian producing. The movie will debut exclusively on the Paramount+ streaming service.