One of Stephen King’s best — and bleakest — tales of horror has a new beginning with “Pet Sematary: Bloodlines.” Directed and co-written by Lindsey Anderson Beer (”Sierra Burgess Is a Loser”), the prequel heads back long before the Creeds came to town and follows Jud Crandall (Jackson White) as a young man in Ludlow, Maine, where ancient evil lurks and a corrupted patch of land holds the power to bring back the dead. But of course sometimes dead is better, and “Bloodlines” tells the story of exactly how Jud learned that hard lesson the first time.
The film also has a starry cast, including David Duchovny, Henry Thomas and the legendary Pam Grier. But despite what you might expect for a King adaptation with that pedigree, “Bloodlines” is a streaming exclusive and isn’t heading to theaters, which means you can watch the new “Pet Sematary” movie at home right now.
Here’s how.
Where is it streaming?
“Pet Sematary: Bloodlines” is streaming on Paramount+.
When is the release date?
The film drops on Friday, Oct. 6.
Will it play in theaters at all?
Nope. “Bloodlines” is a Paramount+ exclusive, so unless you caught the Fantastic Fest premiere or one of the advanced screenings, you won’t be able to watch the “Pet Sematary” prequel on the big screen.
Where is “Pet Sematary” streaming?
If you want to revisit the story of the Creeds before heading back into Ludlow history, the 2019 versions of “Pet Sematary” is streaming on Paramount+, and the 1989 version is streaming on Max.
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Is “Bloodlines” a direct prequel to the 2019 “Pet Sematary” remake?
Not really. The films share some imagery and a screenwriting credit for Jeff Buhler, however, the script got a rewrite from Beer after she signed onto the project, and the director told TheWrap that she “very much thought of my movie as a prequel to the book and not any one specific movie adaptation.”
Are there more Stephen King movies streaming on Paramount+?
Considering Paramount+ has cultivated one of the most robust libraries on streaming at the moment, it has a surprisingly slight horror selection and the “Pet Semetary” films are the only Stephen King movies currently on there.
However, if you’re not phased by a longer commitment, Paramount+ does have two Stephen King series adaptations: CBS’ three-season “Under the Dome” series and the 2020 limited series adaptation of “The Stand,” which was one of the early Paramount+ original series.