Pet Sematary documentary makers now putting together a coffee table book about Stephen King film

2024 will mark the 35th anniversary of the release of the Stephen King adaptation Pet Sematary (watch it HERE) – and to celebrate, the team behind the 2015 documentary Unearthed & Untold: The Path to Pet Sematary are returning to the material to put together a coffee table book called Hollywood Comes to Maine: Revisiting Stephen King’s Pet Sematary!

Unearthed & Untold: The Path to Pet Sematary was written and directed by John Campopiano and Justin White, and they’re working on Hollywood Comes to Maine: Revisiting Stephen King’s Pet Sematary at the urging of their fellow filmmaker Gary Smart, who produced Pennywise: The Story of It and directed Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares: The Robert Englund Story. Hollywood Comes to Maine: Revisiting Stephen King’s Pet Sematary is said to be “an updated and greatly expanded companion book” to the Unearthed & Untold documentary. It will include new interviews with cast and crew, newly discovered archive from the production, essays from prominent writers, filmmakers, and film historians, as well as interviews with those inside the Stephen King book and film orbit.

The team behind the book told our friends at Bloody Disgusting, “Pet Sematary has regional significance in New England because it was the first feature film King adaptation to be shot entirely in his home state. This book will tell the stories of the locals who stepped up to the plate to help the Hollywood people ‘from away’ to make an enduring horror cult classic.“

Campopiano told Bloody Disgusting, “I’m someone who cares deeply about the history of regional New England filmmaking, so the experience of making our 2015 documentary, Unearthed & Untold: The Path to Pet Sematary, was a powerful experience. It was also a challenge for me and Justin White as it was our very first film project. We were fairly green to the process of making a film and we had to learn many things by trial and error. For me, I figured that documentary would be my one and only statement on the book and film that I love so much. But, after being persuaded by filmmaker and friend, Gary Smart, we’ve decided to revisit the old burial ground by putting together an exhaustive coffee table book just in time for the film’s 35th anniversary next year in 2024. I’m thrilled to be revisiting the IP and physical homeland of Maine with Justin, and to be collaborating with Gary Smart and his Cult Screenings UK Ltd. Gary has produced several books about his own documentaries, to huge success, so this feels like an ideal meeting of the minds to tell the wider story of this King classic.“

Smart added, “We at Cult Screenings UK Ltd are thrilled and honoured to collaborate with the immensely talented John Campopiano on our upcoming book, delving into the making of the iconic 1989 film Pet Sematary. Having witnessed John’s exceptional documentary on the same subject, we are excited to combine our expertise and passion for filmmaking to provide fans with an even deeper exploration of this beloved horror classic. Together, we aim to unravel the untold stories, behind-the-scenes insights, and the enduring impact that Pet Sematary has had on the genre. Get ready to unearth the secrets buried within the pages of this extraordinary journey!“

Are you a fan of Pet Sematary, and does Hollywood Comes to Maine: Revisiting Stephen King’s Pet Sematary sound like a book you would like to put on your coffee table? Let us know by leaving a comment below.