Paramount+ - Pet Sematary: Bloodlines : Let’s talk with Lindsey Anderson Beer

By Mulder, Los Angeles, 29 september 2023

Pet Sematary: Bloodlines is a spine-tingling prequel that delves into the dark heart of Stephen King's terrifying universe. Directed by Lindsey Anderson Beer in her directorial debut and co-written by Beer and Jeff Buhler, this 2023 supernatural horror film rewinds time to 1969, introducing us to a young Jud Crandall. His dream of escaping his hometown takes a nightmarish turn when he uncovers a malevolent cemetery where the dead can return to life. Unbeknownst to him, this discovery will bind him to a haunting family legacy, and he must unite with childhood friends to confront an ancient evil that has plagued Ludlow since its inception. With a talented cast, including Jackson White, Forrest Goodluck, and Pam Grier, "Pet Sematary: Bloodlines" promises to send shivers down your spine as it uncovers the secrets lurking in the shadows.

The film's journey began with the success of Pet Sematary in 2019, and producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura's desire to expand the film's mythology. After greenlighting the project in February 2021, with Buhler and di Bonaventura returning as key players, Lindsey Beer took the helm as director in May 2021. Principal photography commenced in August of the same year, leading to the world premiere at Fantastic Fest on September 23, 2023. As horror enthusiasts eagerly await its release on Paramount+ on October 6, 2023, Pet Sematary: Bloodlines promises to offer a nightmarish journey into the past that will leave audiences on the edge of their seats.

We have the opportunity to interview the director Lindsey Anderson Beer

Q: What inspired you to take on the directorial debut of Pet Sematary: Bloodlines ?

Lindsey Anderson Beer: The book inspired me, and I loved the book as a kid. So when I was approached to direct the movie, and they said they wanted to do a prequel, I reread it and just dove right in.

Q: Can you share some insights into the decision to set the film in 1969, 50 years before the events of Pet Sematary ?

Lindsey Anderson Beer: So, the decision for that came because the Timmy Baderman chapter in the book—um, I can't remember if it was World War I or World War II, which did not match the timeline for their 2019 film. So, they moved it up to the Vietnam War to match the timeline. When I came aboard, I didn't necessarily think of my film as a prequel to their 2019 film; I still thought of it as a prequel to the book. But I loved the Vietnam setting because I thought its themes were so potent to tell a Pet Sematary story. It was the perfect setting, and I also feel like there's a lot of stuff they were going through in the late '60s that's very relevant to now in terms of the disillusionment in the counterculture, and it was a time I wanted to live in.

Q: How did you approach the challenge of expanding the mythology of the Pet Sematary universe in this prequel ?

Lindsey Anderson Beer: I mean, I kept rereading the book and pulling on little aspects that hadn't been explored yet in the movies. For instance, it says at the end of the book that Jud is the guardian of the woods. It also says that Timmy Baderman is the reason that the evil is targeting Jud as an older man. There are all these really delicious details like that in the book that beg for a bigger mythology and suggest that there's a larger story here to tell. The film explores indigenous culture and its connection to the cursed cemetery.

Q: The film explores indigenous culture and its connection to the cursed cemetery. How did you ensure cultural sensitivity in depicting this aspect of the story ?

Lindsey Anderson Beer: That was a really important element to me. The pet cemetery was a product of its time, as all art is, and now the trope of the mystical indigenous and cursed land felt like it needed a refresh. So when I came aboard, one of the most important things to me was to rewrite that mythology and say that the stories we've heard aren't the full story, and there's more here to tell. To be able to do that, I needed two wonderful indigenous characters to provide a point of view on that truth.

Q: What drew you to the character of Jud Crandall and his transformation from a young man to the wise figure we know from the original story ?

Lindsey Anderson Beer: I love the character of Jud Crandall. I think in every movie, and even in the book, he steals the show. He's so mysterious, and you can tell that he's a guy who's been through a lot and lost a lot of people. It just felt like there was a story there to tell, and I wanted to show a younger Jud who is idealistic and doesn't know about the secrets of the town or his family or his involvement and just watch him become that more jaded man on guard on the porch, which is perfect in this movie.

Q: David Duchovny's role in the film is noteworthy. Can you share your thoughts on his performance and how he fit into the cast ?

Lindsey Anderson Beer: David is amazing in this movie. He's amazing in everything. This is a role that I've never seen him in before. He brings so much emotion and depth, which is exactly what I wanted. I didn't want his character to seem like a straightforward villain. I wanted us to really feel for him and the terrible decision that he made. He just brought everything to every scene. The reason that I cast him was that I thought he played such a beautiful father on Californication, and he read the script, and he is a father, and he really related to the grief and the choices. He brought that authenticity to every scene.

Q: Can you discuss the process of adapting Stephen King's source material and the challenges of staying true to it while also adding your own spin ?

Lindsey Anderson Beer: It goes back to loving the book and wanting to honor the book and Stephen King. For me, there were two pillars that I had to be true to: the themes of the book, such as grief and loss, confronting death, and what you would do to save someone you love, and the tone of the book. To me, it's a human drama first, which happens to be really scary and has a few moments of dark horror humor as well. Being true to that spirit and tone of the book was so important, but because it is a prequel, it allowed me some freedom to be inventive with the story.

Q: Were there any specific horror films or directors that influenced your approach to Pet Sematary: Bloodlines ?

Lindsey Anderson Beer: My approach to this movie was influenced by King himself. All of his works, I think that Pet Sematary is the most Stephen King of all the Stephen King material and summarizes why he's such an amazing writer because he makes things feel so real. In terms of horror movies that inspired me when I was a kid or made me want to make horror movies, they ran the gamut from everything. I loved the original Pet Sematary movie, the Friday the 13th and Nightmare on Elm Street movies, Silence of the Lambs, Hitchcock movies. I was all over the place in terms of tone; I did not discriminate. I just liked the exploration of the darker sides of human nature.

Synopsis :
Death is sometimes preferable... In 1969, young Jud Crandall dreams of leaving his hometown of Ludlow, Maine. He discovers sinister buried secrets and is forced to confront a dark family history that will forever bind him to Ludlow. Joining forces, Jud and his childhood friends must fight an ancient evil that has gripped Ludlow since its foundation and, once unearthed, has the power to destroy everything in its path. Based on an unpublished chapter from Stephen King's chilling novel Pet Sematary.

Pet Sematary: Bloodlines
Directed by Lindsey Anderson Beer
Written by Lindsey Anderson Beer, Jeff Buhler
Based on Pet Sematary by Stephen King
Produced by Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Mark Vahradian
Starring Jackson White, Forrest Goodluck, Jack Mulhern, Henry Thomas, Natalie Alyn Lind, Isabella Star LaBlanc, Pam Grier, David Duchovny
Cinematography : Benjamin Kirk Nielsen
Edited by Ken Blackwell, Jan Kovác
Music by Brandon Roberts
Production companies : Paramount Players, Di Bonaventura Pictures
Distributed by Paramount+
Release date : October 6, 2023 (Paramount+ USA), October 7 , 2023 (Paramount+ France)
Running time 84 minutes

We would like to thank Lindsey Anderson Beer for answering our questions.