New Line's upcoming adaptation of Stephen King's Salem's Lot has found one half of its villainous duo.
THR reports that Pilou Asbæk has landed the role of Richard Straker, a mysterious gentleman who comes to the town of Salem's Lot under the guise of opening an antique store, but actually has a far more sinister agenda.
Asbæk played the despicable Euron Greyjoy in the last few seasons of Game of Thrones, and is set to appear in Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom in an undisclosed role. The Danish actor joins an ensemble cast that includes Lewis Pullman, Alfre Woodard, Makenzie Leigh, Bill Camp and Spencer Treat Clark.
In King's novel, Straker is an older man who is introduced as the servant/familiar of head vampire Kurt Barlow. In the '70s TV movie, the character was played by the legendary James Mason and depicted as a near-invulnerable supernatural being.
Recent IT adaptation writer Gary Dauberman (Annabelle Comes Home) has signed on to direct, and he will also pen the screenplay. Aquaman director James Wan will produce this big-screen take on the novel, along with Roy Lee and Mark Wolper.
The book tells the story of a writer named Ben Mears who returns to his childhood town of Jerusalem's Lot only to find himself drawn to an old house that traumatized him as a child. The Marsten House is an evil place, and an evil place attracts evil men. Unfortunately for Ben and the rest of the town, this time the evil men in question are powerful vampire Kurt Barlow and his devious familiar Richard Straker.
Salem's Lot was previously adapted as a 1979 miniseries from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre director Tobe Hooper, featuring a scene with child-vampire scratching at the window which terrified an entire generation. There was also a far less successful 2004 version starring Rob Lowe.
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