Pet Sematary prequel: Pam Grier joins cast of Paramount Plus film

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

Well, the Pet Sematary prequel that's in the works at the Paramount Plus streaming service just went from being a project I have a mild interest in to being a must-see. That's because they just added one of my favorite actresses to the cast list: the legendary Pam Grier! Details on Grier's character were not revealed, but just the fact that she's in the movie is enough to get me to watch it.

Grier joins a cast that includes Jackson White, Natalie Alyn Lind, Jack Mulhern, Forrest Goodluck, and newcomer Isabella Star LaBlanc. The only thing we know about any of the characters is that White is playing a young Jud Crandall. An elderly Jud Crandall was played by Fred Gwynne in the 1989 version of Pet Sematary (watch it HERE) and by John Lithgow in the 2019 movie (watch that one HERE). The '89 film was followed by a sequel in 1992, and you can watch Pet Sematary II at THIS LINK.

Based on a novel by Stephen King, the first Pet Sematary told the following story: 

Dr. Louis Creed and his wife, Rachel, relocate from Boston to rural Maine with their two young children. The couple soon discover a mysterious burial ground hidden deep in the woods near their new home. When tragedy strikes, Louis turns to his neighbor Jud Crandall, setting off a perilous chain reaction that unleashes an unspeakable evil with horrific consequences.

Pet Sematary 2019 writer Jeff Buhler wrote a draft of the screenplay for this film before Lindsey Beer came on board to write and direct. Produced by Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Mark Vahradian, the prequel is set to begin filming in August. It will be released exclusively through Paramount Plus.

Pam Grier has over 100 credits to her name, including The Big Doll House, The Big Bird Cage, Black Mama White Mama, Coffy, Scream Blacula Scream, Foxy Brown, Something Wicked This Way Comes, Above the Law, Class of 1999, Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey, Escape from L.A., Mars Attacks!, Jackie Brown, Ghosts of Mars, Bones, The L Word, This Is Us, and Bless This Mess.