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HBO Max under pressure as 'Salem's Lot' fans make demand

'Salem's Lot' fans can't stop blaming Max for skipping one major detail

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: The 2024 reboot of Stephen King's 'Salem's Lot' premiered on Max on October 3 to a lukewarm reception. Director Gary Dauberman's adaptation lacked the character development that made the novel and Tobe Hooper's 1979 miniseries so beloved.

Dauberman's original three-hour cut was trimmed to 113 minutes, sparking outrage among fans and horror enthusiasts. This has led to calls for Max to release the Dauberman cut, drawing comparisons to the 2017 campaign for the 'Zack Snyder Cut' of 'Justice League'. The hashtag ReleasetheDaubermanCut has been circulating on social media.

What was missing in 'Salem's Lot'?

A crucial element missing from the 2024 reboot of 'Salem's Lot' was Ben Mears' connection to the Marsten House. The scene, featuring a young Mears encountering Hubie Marsten's ghost, was present in Stephen King's novel but omitted from the film due to time constraints. Dauberman confirmed the scene was intended to open the movie. "It was one of the scenes that got cut," Dauberman stated, in an exclusive interview with Den Of Geek.

The drastic cut from three hours to 113 minutes has fueled speculation about the extent of deleted scenes. While Dauberman hasn't revealed specifics, fans are convinced that key moments were lost in the editing process. The omission of crucial scenes has reignited demands for Dauberman's extended cut of 'Salem's Lot'. Fans remain uncertain if Warner Bros. will release the director's intended version, given the film's delayed release. Despite the uncertainty, supporters continue to rally behind ReleasetheDaubermanCut. 

Fans bash Max for not releasing 'Salem's Lot' Director's Cut

Many fans rushed to X with the hashtag ReleasetheDaubermanCut, asking Max to release the Dauberman cut for 'Salem's Lot'. An angry fan wrote, "Just pull a @ZackSnyder and let Gary Dauberman release the 3-hour cut for Salem's Lot and you’ll earn some respect from the @StephenKing fanbase. And good faith in future adaptations on MAX," while another shared, "@StephenKing From this day forward it has been decided that all King adaptations be done by either Frank Darabont, or Mike Flanagan. I just suffered through the Reader's Digest version of Salem's Lot on @hbo and I am pissed."

A user tweeted, "@StreamOnMax you guys should really consider releasing a three-hour cut of Salem's Lot, it felt too rushed." "The biggest question I have about Salems Lot is why the hell it sat on the shelf for two years. An entertaining watch with a pretty good cast, really like Lewis Pullman. Definitely feels like it could’ve been a lot longer and fleshed a lot more out but I enjoyed this enough", wrote a fan,

One fan requested max, saying, "@StreamOnMax, can we get the three-hour director's cut of Salem's Lot? The film, as is, feels incomplete."

'Salem's Lot' trailer

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