Stephen King didn’t approve of 1992’s Pet Sematary Two getting made, and its existence helped shape his atтιтude to sequels moving forward. Despite being one of the bleakest King books, there have been four Pet Sematary movies to date. The original Stephen King novel involves a distraught father burying his son’s body in the тιтular graveyard in the hope of bringing him back to life; needless to say, the consequences are devastating. The book received its first adaptation in 1989, with the Mary Lambert-directed chiller giving a generation of young viewers nightmares.

Anybody who’s seen the movie or read the book will know there’s little wiggle room for a direct sequel. That didn’t stop Paramount pressing ahead with one after Pet Sematary grossed over five times its production budget with a box-office haul of $57 million in the U.S. alone (via Box Office Mojo). Lambert returned to helm 1992’s Pet Sematary Two, which starred Edward Furlong – H๏τ off the success of Terminator 2: Judgment Day – as a teenager who tries to resurrect his late mother using the same burial ground. The sequel wasn’t well-received by critics or King himself.

Stephen King Didn’t Want Pet Sematary Two Made And Disowned It

King had harsh words for the 1992 sequel

A Return to Salem’s Lot was the first King sequel with no direct source novel to adapt, with this direct to video effort quickly vanishing into obscurity in 1987. King has never offered his views on this Larry Cohen-directed affair, but it received largely poor reviews and had little to do with the original miniseries. 1992 became a banner year for King movies the author was unhappy with. While cyberpunk thriller The Lawnmower Man was supposedly based on his short story, King sued to have his name removed as it bore almost no relation to his work.

This was also the year the first of many Children of the Corn sequels arrived, but the movie King was vocally unhappy about was Pet Sematary Two. Speaking with Fangoria in 1992, King was asked about the sequel and Children of the Corn II and opened with “Sequels are a sore point with me,” before explaining there was a time when studios demanded sequel rights when purchasing book rights. However, King was told by Paramount brᴀss that a Pet Sematary sequel would never happen and was not shy about expressing his anger when they went back on their word.

I read the script – or as much of it as I could stand – and I read enough to realize that it was exactly like the first Pet Sematary with different characters. I don’t approve of [Pet Sematary 2] and I didn’t want it made. I hope the people who read FANGORIA, the people who read my books and anyone who likes my stuff will stay away from this picture. And this is one that I will not see myself.

The last point is key, as King previously said that he had seen everything based on his work, good or bad. To the author, Pet Sematary Two was a thinly veiled remake and despite the fact he didn’t write it, it would still be sold on his name. In the same way he had his credit taken off of The Lawnmower Man, King removed his name from Pet Sematary Two. Even so, King resented knowing that the viewing public would still ᴀssociate him with the sequel, despite having no involvement with it.

Pet Sematary Two Inspired An Important Stephen King Sequel Rule

It didn’t help with the Children of the Corn franchise though

The author may have mellowed in recent years, but he has never been timid about expressing opinions on the movies based on his work. King famously hated Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining – despite many considering it a masterpiece – and has had harsh words for other adaptations like 1984’s Firestarter. King’s views on Pet Sematary Two felt particularly personal, and there is a feeling of both anger at the Hollywood system and the attempt to use his name to sell something he wasn’t a part of. As King told Fangoria, Pet Sematary Two sparked his no sequel rule:

But it has had this effect, and that is that I will never sell sequel rights to another book to go with the movie rights. If somebody wants to make a movie from one of my books and insist on the sequel rights, that book will not be sold.

That meant any books King sold the rights to after 1992 didn’t come with sequel options, hence no Dreamcatcher 2 or The Mist 2. However, this didn’t stop various King-free sequels popping up in later years, which were largely to movies produced before 1992. There have been countless Children of the Corn sequels and remakes, and follow-ups to lower-budget fare like The Mangler or Sometimes They Come Back.

IT: Chapter 2 wasn’t so much a sequel as the second half of an adaptation, while The Shining follow-up Doctor Sleep was based on a sequel book King himself had penned. King even gave a good review (via X/Variety) to 2023’s Pet Sematary: Bloodlines, a prequel to the 2019 remake. The reception to this entry was very mixed but King had a good time with it, and since it was based on a chapter from the source material, he gave it a pᴀss as an adaptation.

Why Stephen King Hates Sequels Not Based On His Work

Yes, that includes Creepshow 3 and The Mangler: Reborn

King is one of the most adapted authors alive, and there are few of his books or short stories that have been adapted into some medium. The quality of these films runs the gamut from Misery to The Shawshank Redemption – which is commonly considered one of the best films ever made – to the borderline unwatchable likes of King’s only directorial effort Maximum Overdrive, or Firestarter 2024. Regardless of their quality, they were all at least based on something King had written – which is not the case with sequels like Pet Sematary 2.

King also knows that most audiences would be lured to something like The Rage: Carrie 2 or A Return to Salem’s Lot based on his name, which he feels is a cheat to them. That’s why he took his name off Pet Sematary 2 and other movies that didn’t directly adapt one of his books. King’s thoughts on Sometimes They Come Back… Again will probably forever remain a mystery, but on the topic of the most prolific franchise based on his writing, he told ᴅᴇᴀᴅline that “I could do without all of the Children of the Corn sequels.“

Pet Sematary Two Was Poorly Received

Sometimes, franchise death is better

Pet Sematary Two arrived three years after the original was a solid hit, and had a rising star at its center in Edward Furlong. This did little to help the sequel though; Pet Sematary Two grossed a paltry $17 million worldwide (via Box Office Mojo) and received some vicious reviews. It stands at 21% on Rotten Tomatoes, and while it has defenders – mainly thanks to Clancy Brown’s deliciously hammy villain turn – it’s not considered an underrated gem. Even so, among the other King-less sequels, it’s still one of the most enjoyable.

Thankfully, the response to Pet Sematary Two killed what could have been a budding franchise early. While he vowed to skip it it would be interesting to find out if Stephen King ever caught the sequel, or even watched clips from it. He may have objected to its existence then, but compared to Children of the Corn: Genesis or Lawnmower Man 2: Beyond Cyberspace, it might just look like a horror classic.

Source: Box Office Mojo, Fangoria, X/Variety, ᴅᴇᴀᴅline, Box Office Mojo, Rotten Tomatoes

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  Stephen King

  Birthdate

  
  September 21, 1947
  

  Birthplace

  Portland, Maine, USA

  Height

  6 feet 4 inches

  Notable Projects

  The Shawshank Redemption, The Shining, It, The Stand, Misery, The Dark Tower, Mr. Mercedes, Carrie

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  Author, Screenwriter, Producer, Director, Actor

  Discover the latest news and filmography for Stephen King, known for The Dark Tower series, The Stand, IT, The Shining, Carrie, Cujo, Misery, the Bill Hodges trilogy, and more.

  
  

  
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