Writer Gary Dauberman told Den of Geek in June 2019 that his goal with the new version of Salem's Lot is to make vampires frightening again. He wants to get away from the sexier, more romanticized undead that have infested pop culture for much of the past quarter century, thanks to everything from Interview with the Vampire to Twilight to The Vampire Diaries.
It was reported in April 2019 that James Wan, the producer and director of horror and action films like The Conjuring, Aquaman, and many others, is set to produce a new adaptation of Stephen King's Salem's Lot. For this latest take on the novel, regular Wan collaborator Gary Dauberman is working on a script for New Line Cinema. The film will be produced by Wan, Roy Lee and Mark Wolper, while Dauberman will also executive produce the project. The scribe has been finding a lot of work in the horror genre lately, having co-written the 2017 adaptation of King's It, as well as penning the upcoming It: Chapter Two. He also wrote the scripts for the Wan-produced Annabelle and Annabelle Creation, and has just wrapped filming on his directorial debut, Annabelle Comes Home. James Wan is also attached to an upcoming feature based on Stephen King's 1987 novel The Tommyknockers.
Amongst a survey of its users, Fandango ranked this adaptation as the #1 most anticipated horror movie of 2023.
This will be the second feature film adaptation of the novel. Previously, it was adapted for television: a 1979 mini series directed by Tobe Hooper (Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Poltergeist), a follow up in 1987 called A Return to Salem's Lot was created for the big screen, and another TV mini series in 2004.
In March 2024, Variety reported that the film will now release exclusively on Max, on an unspecified date later in the year.