Fans of the first adaptation of Stephen King’s Pet Semetary might have vivid memories of the character of Jud Crandall.
Crandall was the kind next door neighbor who befriended the Creed family and made the fateful decision to show them the cemetery that possibly brought beloved pets back from the dead. That was not a great decision and ended up costing Crandall his life.
Of course (and this is a spoiler of a 30-year-old movie and a 35-year-old book, so get over it), a devastated Louis Creed buried his toddler son Gage in the Pet Semetary after the boy walked in the path of a semi and died.
Gage then came back and killed Jud. In that early movie, Herman Munster himself, Fred Gwynne, played Jud and the cringe-worthy scene in question saw Gage slice his Achilles while lying under the old man’s bed.
Seriously … it is nerve-racking just to think about.
Well, the new Pet Semetary has found the actor to play Jud Crandall and it is a perfect choice. Entertainment Weekly reports that John Lithgow has signed on to star as Jud in the new movie. The guy is a legend with roles in classic movies like Blow Out and Footloose (it’s legendary — just ask Peter Quill) as well as more recent blockbusters like Rise of the Planet of the Apes.
The only other actor attached to the film is Jason Clarke as Lous Creed. There is a funny connection there as Clarke was in Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.
Midnight Meat Train screenwriter Jeff Buhler is penning the script for the Pet Sematary remake and indie horror directors Kevin Kolsch and Dennis Widmyer (Starry Eyes) will direct the film.
While there are no other cast members named yet, the Pet Sematary remake has an April 19, 2019 release date.
