Summary
- Stephen King derivatives on the big screen have mostly failed, and Pet Sematary: Bloodlines proves that The Shining's canceled spinoff should remain so.
- The planned spinoff of The Shining titled Overlook was canceled by HBO Max, and its future is still uncertain following the poor reception of Pet Sematary: Bloodlines.
- Derivative Stephen King content often struggles due to the lack of King's storytelling ability, as seen in Pet Sematary: Bloodlines, making prequels like Overlook a risk for studios.
For a litany of reasons, derivatives of Stephen King's work have rarely translated well to the big screen, and the reception to Pet Sematary: Bloodlines is proof that the once-planned spinoff of The Shining should remain canceled. While there are of course great movies based on his novels – The Shining itself being one of the primary examples – almost all the attempts to derive spinoffs from Stephen King's original work have been critical failures. Pet Sematary: Bloodlines is the latest example of a movie re-examining the source material from a different angle, in this case explaining the origins behind Pet Sematary's Jud Crandall and the history of the burial ground at the center of the story.
A similar spinoff was planned for The Shining titled Overlook, which was originally slated to air on HBO Max from JJ Abrams' Bad Robot production studio. The drama series was reportedly set to revisit some of the histories characters and legends from the original 1980 novel, as well as delve into other stories that unfolded at the Overlook Hotel prior to the Torrance family's experiences. HBO Max decided to not move forward with the planned series in 2021, but, in theory, the show could still be picked up elsewhere. However, given the reception of Pet Sematary: Bloodlines, it may be best that Overlook follow the advice given by the 2023 prequel movie: "Sometimes, dead is better."
Pet Sematary: Bloodlines Proves Derivative Stephen King Movies/Shows Don't Work
While there have been many successful movies and TV adaptations of Stephen King's work across a number of genres, the numerous sequels and spinoffs that depart from King's original stories haven't found a footing with their target audiences. There are usually intriguing premises to most of them, and Pet Sematary: Bloodlines is a good example. The movie examines some of the background of the mysterious burial ground that reanimates anything buried there (albeit with some evil personality changes) through the lens of Jud Crandall, the character from the original movie who informs Louis Creed about it.
While there is plenty to explore there, Pet Sematary: Bloodlines also demonstrates what typically goes wrong with the derivatives. By having other writers and directors attempt to tack onto King's original story, the elements that made the first story great wind up lost in rehashed information, overt callbacks, and occasionally new twists that betray the concept's lore or canon. Pet Sematary: Bloodlines breaks almost no new ground (no pun intended) on King's story, rendering the movie as little more than a subpar remake of the original concept. While King himself has written sequels to his stories, Stephen King movie adaptations that don't come directly from the acclaimed horror author have continued to fail with critics – a trap that Overlook likely would have fallen into.
Why The Shining's Overlook Prequel Was Canceled (Will It Ever Happen?)
As reported by Deadline in 2021, Overlook was part of Bad Robot's slate of content that came out of HBO Max's 2019 deal with Warner Media. Reportedly, the show was canceled when HBO Max executives decided that it did not fit with their plan for the platform in 2021 and beyond. Upon its cancelation, it was reported that the show was still being shopped around to other platforms, but in the two years since it has not found a home.
It's possible that the show could still be produced in the future. Bad Robot has had a successful history adapting Stephen King projects, including the two Hulu shows Castle Rock and 11.22.63 and Apple TV+'s Lisey's Story. However, Overlook would represent Bad Robot's first foray into original work not based on an original King novel. With the failure of Pet Sematary: Bloodlines reminding TV executives of the typical issues with derivative King content, it may be some time before any platform is willing to take a chance on The Shining prequel.
The Shining Already Had Its Greatest Stephen King Follow-Up
One of the biggest factors working against Overlook is that, like with many derivative King projects, it's unnecessary. The Shining has already had a critically successful follow-up in the form of Doctor Sleep, the acclaimed 2019 sequel that stars Ewan McGregor as an adult Danny Torrance. Unlike Overlook, Doctor Sleep was based on the original 2013 King novel that he wrote as a sequel to The Shining. The sequel does not focus on the Overlook Hotel, but rather on how Danny Torrance has dealt with the trauma he experienced there and the world surrounding his psychic "shining" power.
Doctor Sleep was directly adapted from the novel by acclaimed horror director Mike Flanagan, further reinforcing how successful adaptations of King novels can be when they are based on his original work. Derivative projects like Pet Sematary: Bloodlines will likely always struggle due to their lack of one crucial factor – Stephen King himself. King's storytelling ability is unmatched, especially when it comes to horror. Because of that, derivative works will wind up feeling like pale imitations, as the lore can often be mishandled by external writers and directors, even when produced under the best of intentions.