Earlier this year, Warner Bros. CEO David Zaslav announced that the company was done with direct-to-streaming releases and instead would focus on theatrical releases. Just months later, however, Warner Bros. is apparently walking this decision back as an anticipated film is in talks to move to Max.
Warner Bros. is reportedly looking to move the release of the upcoming Salem's Lot remake to Max, a source familiar with ongoing negotiations told Variety.
The move is reportedly not a sign of the film's quality, but instead a result of the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike's impact on Max's flow of content, the source said. Several other films currently slated to release in theaters are also rumored to be moving to Max, although these were not named.
A Warner Bros. spokesperson asked about the change told Variety that “no decision has been made about the film’s future distribution plans.”
Directed by Gary Dauberman, the Salem's Lot remake joins the 1979 miniseries in retelling the Stephen King novel, which follows a writer who moves back to his hometown only to discover that its residents are turning into vampires.
The Salem's Lot remake was initially announced with a 2022 release window, but this date was later pushed back to April 21, 2023 and then taken off the company's release schedule entirely, leading to worries that it had been axed entirely among some fans. Still, viewers got a first look at a clip during CinemaCon 2022.
Amelia Zollner is a freelance writer at IGN who loves all things indie and Nintendo. Outside of IGN, they've contributed to sites like Polygon and Rock Paper Shotgun. Find them on Twitter: @ameliazollner.
