Summary
- Pet Sematary contains a subtle reference to the It miniseries a year before its release.
- Jonathan Brandis did a voiceover in Pet Sematary and portrayed Young Bill Denbrough in It.
- A Derry, Maine road sign in the 2019 Pet Sematary remake references It, connecting Stephen King’s universe.
It’s not uncommon for Stephen King adaptations to include references to other stories by him, but the 1989 adaptation of Pet Sematary had a reference to It’s miniseries a year before it was released. Stephen King’s novels and short stories have been adapted to different media for decades, and one of the most memorable ones is 1989’s Pet Sematary. Based on the 1983 novel of the same name, Pet Sematary was directed by Mary Lambert, and though it wasn’t a hit with critics during its release, with time it has received praise for its tone and performances.
Pet Sematary follows the Creed family, who move from Chicago to Ludlow, Maine when father Louis (Dale Midkiff) takes a job as a local physician. Their new neighbor, Jud Crandall (Fred Gwynne), shows them an isolated pet cemetery behind their new home, which he later reveals to Louis brings those buried in it back to life but in their most evil form. Pet Sematary has all the elements of a Stephen King story, and it even has a secret It reference from the miniseries, though the latter was released a year later.
Why Stephen King Didn’t Like The First Pet Sematary Movie
Pet Sematary was first adapted to the big screen in 1989, and Stephen King isn’t a fan of a very specific aspect of it – here’s what it is.
It’s Original Bill Denbrough Actor Did A Voiceover Narration In Pet Sematary
Jonathan Brandis Had A Subtle Cameo In 1989’s Pet Sematary
A year before confronting Pennywise in Derry, Jonathan Brandis was part of
Pet Sematary
, though in a subtle way.
One of Stephen King’s most popular and beloved novels is It, published in 1986. The success of It led to its adaptation into a miniseries in 1990, with Tim Curry famously playing the terrifying villain Pennywise the Dancing Clown. Just like the novel, the It miniseries is divided into two parts: one following the Losers Club when they were kids and first came across It, and the other reuniting with them 27 years later to face It one more time and defeat it. Leading the Losers was Bill Denbrough, whose younger brother, Georgie, became one of Pennywise’s victims.
Brandis is part of a special list of actors who have been part of more than one Stephen King adaptation.
Young Bill Denbrough in the It miniseries was played by Jonathan Brandis, but this wasn’t his first role in the universe of Stephen King. A year before confronting Pennywise in Derry, Brandis was part of Pet Sematary, though in a subtle way. In one scene, there’s a voiceover narration of different kids as they read pet epitaphs in the title cemetery, and one of those voices is Brandis. Thanks to this, Brandis is part of a special list of actors who have been part of more than one Stephen King adaptation, even if one of those was a subtle voiceover narration.
Pet Sematary’s 2019 Remake Also Had An It Reference
Pet Sematary’s Remake Continued A Stephen King Tradition
In 2019, Pet Sematary joined the remakes trend. Directed by Kevin Kölsch and Dennis Widmyer, the Pet Sematary remake was also based on King’s novel, but it made some controversial changes that ended up affecting its critical reception. Instead of Gage dying and being brought back after Louis buries him in the cemetery, it was Ellie who was hit by a truck and killed and later resurrected thanks to the cemetery. However, among the things that the 1989 version and the 2019 remake have in common is a reference to It, though the latter is more based on the book.
Which Pet Sematary Movie Is Better?: 1989 vs. 2019
Stephen King’s Pet Sematary was first adapted into a movie in 1989, then re-adapted in 2019, and here’s a look at which version is better.
On her way back to Ludlow, Rachel gets stuck in traffic, and at one point, a road sign for Derry, Maine, can be seen. Derry is the setting of many of King’s novels, most notably It, with the title creature being the one responsible for the town’s many tragedies. The Stephen King Macroverse is what brings his novels together, and It is actually key to understanding his universe thanks to Maturin. With that in mind, it’s not surprising that Pet Sematary would have references to It, but the one linked to Jonathan Brandis is a lot more special.