Mike Flanagan Should Tackle Stephen King's "Pet Sematary" for His Next TV Project
Daniel Davis
Updated on May 17, 2026
By Published May 14, 2026, 11:45 PM EDT Dhruv is a Lead Writer in Screen Rant's New TV division. He has been consistently contributing to the website for over two years and has written thousands of articles covering streaming trends, movie/TV analysis, and pop culture breakdowns.
Before Screen Rant, he was a Senior Writer for The Cinemaholic, covering everything from anime to television, from reality TV to movies.
After high school, he was on his way to become a Civil Engineer. However, he soon realized that writing was his true calling. As a result, he took a leap and never looked back. follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap
After adapting so many of 's works, should set his eyes on a book that King almost did not publish. Mike Flanagan will soon expand his catalog of Stephen King adaptations with his small-screen take on Carrie. The director is also reportedly working on an adaptation of Stephen King's The Mist and plans to develop a TV adaptation of The Dark Tower books some day.
While it is unknown when his take on The Dark Tower will see the light of day, it is hard not to see how he would be the perfect choice for directing another Stephen King adaptation after he is done with Carrie and The Mist. Both have been adapted multiple times in the past. Despite this, Flanagan's take on both seems exciting because he has his way of bringing a contemporary spin to every story he adapts.
Apart from modernizing his literary inspirations, Flanagan also brilliantly merges many literary works into one narrative, which is something he will likely do in both Carrie and The Mist. Considering Flanagan's delivering one incredible after another, his takes on Carrie and The Mist will also likely not disappoint.
Since , too, is yet to get a worthy adaptation, Flanagan should pick the book and present his own take on it after his long line of critically successful adaptations.
After Carrie & The Mist, Mike Flanagan Should Adapt 1 Stephen King Story That Was Almost Never Published
On several occasions, Stephen King has revealed how Pet Sematary took things a little too far for him when he started writing it. The primary inspiration for the book's story came to him when his daughter's cat, Smucky, was killed on a road that claimed the lives of many pets. Shortly after, his youngest son, Owen, ran towards the same road on one occasion before Stephen King himself stopped him.
The incident left him with a "what if?" scenario of what a parent would have to do to accept the loss of a child. This served as the seed that helped him pen down the core premise of Pet Sematary. Even his daughter's reaction to her cat's death after they buried the pet in a cemetery made him wonder what would happen if one could return after burial (via ).
However, since the book hit a little too close to home, he stopped writing before it was completed. He only finished it when a contractual obligation left him with no other choice.
Despite being one of , and, perhaps, the only book that truly scared the author himself, Pet Sematary is yet to get a worthy adaptation. The 1989 adaptation of the book is now considered a cult classic, but it is hard not to see how it completely missed the point of the original book.
Owing to this, Pet Sematary is one Stephen King book that deserves another adaptation, that, too, from someone like Mike Flanagan. Since Mike Flanagan has an established history of getting Stephen King adaptations right, he could finally deliver a worthy take on Pet Sematary.
Mike Flanagan’s Horror Adaptation Style Seems Perfect For A Pet Sematary Remake
With his Netflix horror shows like The Fall of the House of Usher, The Haunting of Hill House, and Midnight Mass, Mike Flanagan has already explored how loss and grief can completely erode an individual's sanity and moral compass. Especially in Midnight Mass, he perfectly captures how the desire to preserve oneself and defy death leads to disastrous consequences in a community.
Similar themes are primary drivers of the terrors in Stephen King's Pet Sematary. Since Flanagan has previously done a brilliant job of portraying the "careful what you wish for" trope and the emotional devastation that follows attempts to escape mortality, he seems suited to capture the tragic heart of Stephen King's story without reducing it to surface-level horror.
Mike Flanagan's Carrie adaptation is scheduled to premiere on Prime Video in 2026.
New remakes and reboots of books that have already been adapted multiple times can be a little annoying. However, a novel like Pet Sematary deserves at least one good adaptation. Hopefully, Mike Flanagan will take it upon himself to deliver a decent adaptation of Stephen King's Pet Semtary after his take on Carrie and The Mist.
"Pet Sematary" is a horror franchise based on Stephen King's 1983 novel. It focuses on a burial ground with the power to resurrect the dead, though those revived return as twisted versions of their former selves. The stories often explore themes of grief, the consequences of tampering with death, and the dark allure of second chances. The franchise has spawned several film adaptations, including remakes and prequels, maintaining its place as a staple of supernatural horror.
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