Director Gary Dauberman‘s adaptation of the Stephen King novel Salem’s Lot (buy a copy of the novel HERE) was recently pushed back from a September theatrical release date to April 21, 2023, so it will be a while before we have a chance to see how the film depicts the vampire Kurt Barlow. But judging by the casting, it seems like Dauberman might be looking to replicate the iconic, Nosferatu-like appearance of the vampire in Tobe Hooper’s 1979 mini-series version of Salem’s Lot. We suspect that may be the case because, according to One Take News, the character is being played by Alexander Ward, who has a lot of creature credits on his résumé.
Ward made his screen debut playing a zombie in World War Z, and has since gone on to play roles like the addiction demon on American Horror Story, the Enforcer on Teen Wolf, demons on Sleepy Hollow, Nosfertau on SpongeBob Squarepants, Pooka on Into the Dark, a zombie in Army of the Dead, a drone on Westworld, and a vampire on a Vampire: The Masquerade TV series.
This is the third adaptation of Salem’s Lot. The previous two were both mini-series, which aired in 1979 and 2004. This new take on the concept is said to be set in 1975, the same year King’s novel was first published. Here’s the synopsis:
Haunted by an incident from his childhood, author Ben Mears returns to his hometown of Jerusalem’s Lot in search of inspiration for his next book, only to discover the town is being preyed upon by a bloodthirsty vampire and his loyal servant.
The film stars Lewis Pullman (The Strangers: Prey at Night) as Ben Mears; Makenzie Leigh (Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk) as Ben’s love interest Susan Norton; Spencer Treat Clark (The Town That Dreaded Sundown 2014) as Mike Ryerson, “one of the town’s simple folk”; Bill Camp (12 Years a Slave) as Matthew Burke, “a former high school English teacher who knows about the Marsten House’s evil past and helps out Ben”; Alfre Woodard (Star Trek: First Contact) as Dr. Cody; Pilou Asbæk (Game of Thrones) as the vampire’s familiar Richard Straker; and John Benjamin Hickey as Father Callahan. William Sadler (Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey) is also in the cast, but we don’t know who he’s playing.
Kurt Barlow seemed to have the appearance of a regular person in King’s novel, but Hooper went in a very different direction for his version of Salem’s Lot (where the character was played by Reggie Nalder). In the 2004 mini-series, he was a normal-looking guy played by Rutger Hauer.
Dauberman is one of New Line Cinema’s go-to people when it comes to making horror. He co-wrote the Stephen King adaptations It and It: Chapter Two for them, and also wrote four entries in the Conjuring Universe for the company: Annabelle, Annabelle: Creation, Annabelle Comes Home, and The Nun. Annabelle Comes Home was his directorial debut.
Are you looking forward to Dauberman’s Salem’s Lot? Are you hoping Kurt Barlow will have the Nosferatu look in the movie? Let us know by leaving a comment below.