Pet Sematary prequel: Jackson White cast as young Jud Crandall

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

Back in February, it was announced that Paramount Players, the genre label of Paramount Pictures, is developing a Pet Sematary prequel that's going to be released through the Paramount Plus streaming service. As soon as that news hit, Stephen King fans started suggesting that any Pet Sematary prequel should be about Timmy Baterman, the living dead person that lifelong Ludlow, Maine resident Jud Crandall encountered in his youth. Now it looks like we might be getting that story, because the first casting announcement for the prequel is that Jackson White will be playing a young Jud Crandall in the film.

An elderly Jud Crandall was played by Fred Gwynne in the 1989 version of Pet Sematary (watch it HERE) and by John Lithgow in the 2019 movie (watch that one HERE).

Here's how StephenKing.Fandom.com describes the Timmy Baterman section of King's Pet Sematary novel (buy a copy at THIS LINK):

Overcome with grief and despair, Louis considers bringing his son back to life with the power of the burial ground. Jud, guessing what Louis is planning, attempts to dissuade him by telling him another story of the burial ground, that of Timmy Baterman, a young man from Ludlow who was killed charging a machine gun nest on the road to Rome during World War II. His father, Bill Baterman, put Timmy's body in the burial ground, where he came back to life. He is seen by terrified townsfolk soon thereafter. Jud describes Timmy's behavior; he'd acted much like Church had, wandering listlessly along the road near his and his father's home, unable to speak and having a haunted look on his face.

Jud and three of his friends went to the Baterman house to confront the pair, but Timmy, speaking for the first time since his resurrection, confronted each of them with indiscretions they had committed, indiscretions he had no way of knowing, thus giving the impression that the resurrected Timmy was actually some sort of demon who had possessed Timmy's body. Jud and his friends fled the house horrified, and Bill shot his son and burned his house to the ground, killing himself.

We don't know for sure that the Pet Sematary prequel will be focusing on this story, but… maybe. The casting of a young Jud is a very promising sign.

Lindsey Beer is writing and directing the film. Pet Sematary 2019 writer Jeff Buhler scripted a draft before Beer boarded the project. Produced by Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Mark Vahradian, the prequel is set to begin filming in August.

Jackson White's previous credits include SPF-18, The Space Between, and episodes of the shows The Middle, SEAL Team, and Mrs. Fletcher.