Summary
Stephen King’s 1981 novelCujotold a dark story about a dog that becomes violent, and it’s definitely one of his more memorable tales. The 1983 adaptation follows parents Vic (Daniel Hugh Kelly) and Donna (Dee Wallace) and their young son Tad (Danny Pintauro), who are shocked by the terrifying behavior of the Camber family’s Saint Bernard. NowNetflixismaking anotherCujomovie, which is exciting news for King fans.
Cujois the latest in a list ofremakes of King’s work, includingThe Running ManandMike Flanagan’s upcoming PrimeCarrieseries.But while it’s always a good idea to revisit one of King’s excellent movies and update the story for contemporary times,Netflix’sCujoremake should stay true to the book’s original ending.
In Stephen King’s 1981 novelCujo, Vic and Donna Trenton’s sonTad dies from heatstroke and being dehydrated. Then, readers find out that Vic and Donna are still married and going on with their lives, although of course they’re still grieving Tad’s passing. The explanation is thatCujo got rabies and became wild and dangerous. Although the overall feeling is that the Cambers family loved their dog and still thinks fondly of the way he used to be, the fact that Vic and Donna have to live without Tad is devastating.
SeveralStephen King adaptations changed the endings, and the same thing happened with the 1983 adaptation ofCujo. Instead of Tad dying, Donna kills Cujo, ensures Tad’s survival, and audiences see Donna, Vic, and Tad together. Although some could argue that the firstCujomovie was right to omit this tragic ending, that wouldn’t be the right move for the NetflixCujoremake.Osgood Perkins’sThe Monkeyhas brutal killsand is a grim take on his novella.Cujocould follow inThe Monkey’s footsteps and tell a dark story, which would be the right move. After all, King tells sci-fi and horror stories, and his characters are always in terrifying scenarios where they question what they thought was real. It doesn’t make sense for the Trenton family to all survive Cujo’s rampage.
If Cujo doesn’t cause harm to the Trenton family, he doesn’t feel as powerful, dangerous, and horrifying as he should. Cujo needs to feel like a true Stephen King villain, likePennywise the Dancing Clown inIT. Pennywise is so scary because he claims many victims. If he didn’t, he would be a lesser threat, and it wouldn’t be the same. Of course, Pennywise does feel like a figment of each member of the Losers Club’s imagination at times since he’s so dreamlike. But he’s also very real. There’s also a case to be made for the newCujomovie having a higher kill count than the original since that would also make it more frightening. And althoughThe Monkeychanged a lot from King’s novella,Cujoshouldn’t move too far away from its memorable source material.
The NetflixCujoremake also needs to use the book’s ending because, otherwise,it runs the risk of being campy and corny. While there are scary moments in the 1983Cujo, the tone of the film feels cheesy at times. Netflix’sCujoshould be a true horror movie. While many slashers have somewhat happy endings where the final girl wins against the masked killer, a story likeCujois inherently sad and bleak, and the conclusion needs to reflect that.
What Did Stephen King Say About The 1983 Cujo Movie?
Some ofStephen King’s adaptations are underrated, like Netflix’s1922,and others, likeMiseryandThe Shining, have been talked about for several decades. Fans and critics don’t talk about the 1983Cujomovie as much as the others, but what does King think about it?
In 2022, King mentionedCujoin an interview withNetflix.tudum.comand the authorpraised Dee Wallace’s performance. He said:
“The one that people don’t talk about a lot isCujo. And I always thought that movie didn’t get the attention it deserved. Certainly not for Dee Wallace, who should’ve got an Oscar nomination.”
King has been connected to the world ofCujofor a long time. In 2022, he said on the podcastLosers ClubbyBloody Disgusting:
“I just wrote a long story calledRattlesnakes. And it involves, at one part, twins who are only four years old… falling into a rattlesnake pit. And the snakes get ’em. It’s a terrible scene. This novella that I’ve just written,Rattlesnakes… is actually a sequel toCujo.”
