Summary

  • Pet Sematary: Bloodlines, a prequel to the 2019 movie, has set a streaming record on Paramount+.
  • Bloodlines is now the most-watched original movie release in the history of the platform.
  • In just three weeks, Pet Sematary: Bloodlines sured the previous top title, Teen Wolf: The Movie, becoming a major success for Paramount+.

Pet Sematary: Bloodlines has broken a major streaming record. The new movie is a prequel to the 2019 movie Pet Sematary, which was the second big screen adaptation of the iconic 1983 novel of the same name by Stephen King. Bloodlines is set in 1969 and follows the young Jud Crandall (the character played by John Lithgow in the 2019 movie), who is played by Jackson White, leading an ensemble cast that also includes Forrest Goodluck, Jack Mulhern, Henry Thomas, Natalie Alyn Lind, Isabella Star LaBlanc, Samantha Mathis, Pam Grier, and David Duchovny.

Per TheWrap, the Pet Sematary prequel has broken a record for Paramount+. It has been confirmed that the title is now the most-watched original movie in the first 30 days of release, an important metric for streaming numbers. Just three weeks in, it ed the previous top title, this January's Teen Wolf: The Movie, which was a follow-up to the popular MTV show Teen Wolf. This was the case in spite of the fact that the movie bears a thoroughly Rotten score of 23% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Paramount+ Should Go All In on Horror After Pet Sematary: Bloodlines

David Duchovny in Pet Sematary Bloodlines

Paramount+ original movies have been made in a wide variety of genres, not just horror. This includes titles like the LGBTQ+ dramedy Three Months, the animated movie The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run, and the science fiction thriller Significant Other. However, the success of Teen Wolf: The Movie and Pet Sematary: Bloodlines indicates that the horror genre could be very fertile ground for the streamer.

Paramount+ has also had proven success with a day-and-date horror movie release. This was the case with 2022’s Orphan: First Kill, which still made a whopping $44 million in select theaters while streaming on the platform at the same time. While the success of the movie means that a Pet Sematary: Bloodlines sequel could be on the horizon, it would probably behoove Paramount+ to pursue a variety of additional horror projects.

The Pet Sematary: Bloodlines director has already teased "a very extensive origin story" in a possible sequel.

So far, none of the officially announced Paramount+ movies are part of the horror genre. While there is plenty of maneuverability in the Pet Sematary: Bloodlines timeline to allow for their offerings to expand from there, the streamer has additional avenues that could be explored in the future. This could include sequels to their IP-based horror movies Orphan: First Kill and Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin in addition to other original horror titles or sequels and spinoffs based on Paramount properties.

Source: TheWrap