Jackson White To Play Jud Crandall In New ‘Pet Sematary’ Movie – Deadline

EXCLUSIVE: Jackson White is in final negotiations to star as Jud Crandall in Paramount Players’ follow-up adaptation of the successful 2019 Pet Sematary, based on Stephen King’s best seller and self-proclaimed scariest book. The film begins shooting in August and will debut exclusively on Paramount+.

Lindsey Beer wrote and will direct the latest script based off a draft by Jeff Buhler. Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Mark Vahradian will produce.

Plot details are unknown at this time. The original story, the basis for both the 1989 and 2019 pics, followed a family hit by tragedy and what happens when the grieving father discovers an ancient burial ground with the power to raise the dead.

In the book, Crandall is the character that introduces the family to the burial ground and later unveils its secrets to the grieving father, something he soon would regret doing. White would mark the third actor to play the role, with Fred Gwynne famously playing Crandall in the 1989 adaptation, while John Lithgow portrayed him in the 2019 pic.

For White, this marks his first starring role in a major studio movie, with his first big break coming in the HBO limited series Mrs. Fletcher. He next can be seen opposite Jake Gyllenhaal in Michael Bay’s action thriller Ambulance. He is repped by ICM Partners and Untitled Entertainment.