King’s endorsement contributed to positive buzz, yet the film faced a lukewarm reception when it premiered on October 3, drawing mixed critiques. Many reviewers pointed to a hurried rendition of King’s classic vampire narrative and highlighted the film’s failure to develop its characters fully. This led to speculation regarding potential interference from studio executives leading to significant cuts in the final version.
It’s uncertain whether these speculations hold water. However, in a conversation with Den of Geek, Dauberman revealed that his original cut clocked in at around three hours—substantially longer than the 113-minute version that audiences eventually saw. “My initial cut was about three hours,” he shared. “A significant amount was omitted. My first script draft was over 180 pages.”
Dauberman elaborated on some specific scenes that were cut from his original version during his interview with Den of Geek, highlighting one involving Ben Mears (played in the film by Lewis Pullman). In a memorable moment from the book, Ben encounters a ghost in the iconic Marsten House. “In the novel, Ben breaks into the Marsten House and sees the ghost of Hubert Marsten,” Dauberman recounted. “I filmed that scene, and it was meant to open the movie, but I felt it could confuse viewers… That was the hardest cut for me because I really love that sequence.”
The existence of a longer and potentially richer version of Salem’s Lot makes it all the more disheartening for fans of the original material to watch the trimmed version that was ultimately released. Nevertheless, Dauberman seems to have accepted the necessity of these cuts, at least for now, in order to share Salem’s Lot with the audience.
Currently, Salem’s Lot is streaming exclusively on Max.
