March 11, 2004 - Face/Off screenwriters Mike Werb and Michael Colleary have been hired by Paramount to write a Pet Sematary remake, based on a story by Steven King. This "jump-out-of-your-cushion-seat do over" of the 1989 film will apparently concentrate on performances just as much as scares this time around. Why? The lead role - Paramount apparently wants George Clooney to play Dr. Creed. That may be the sole reason why the studio ultimately decided to go ahead and do a remake rather than a second sequel to the original film. No actual signings as yet though. The same writer of this version's script is also doing "Book of Skulls" about a transcript possessing powers of immortality - William Friedkin may have expressed interest.

George Clooney

September 28, 2004 - According to Variety, Paramount has tapped horror specialist Dave Kajganich to pen its revival of Pet Sematary, produced by Alphaville. Kajganich left his post as an English professor at Miami University of Ohio last year after selling his spec "Town Creek" to Warner Bros. He's also been hired to write the remake of Invasion of the Body Snatchers for Warner and an update of 1979 ghost tale The Changeling for Focus Features. Earlier this year Paramount hired the scripting team of Mike Werb and Michael Colleary to write a reimagining of Pet Sematary. Studio released the original, based on Stephen King's story of a family moving to a small Maine town with a pet cemetery and an Indian burial ground, in 1989.King also wrote the screenplay for the original, directed by Mary Lambert and starring Denise Crosby, Dale Midkiff and Fred Gwynne. That pic grossed over $57 million domestically.