Stephen King was openly critical of one screen adaptation connected to his work, and it featured Edward Furlong, the actor best known for his breakout role in Terminator 2: Judgment Day.
Furlong became a star after playing John Connor in James Cameron’s 1991 sci-fi sequel, which is now set for a 35th-anniversary theatrical return in late August 2026. The re-release will give new audiences a chance to see the film on the big screen again, while longtime fans can revisit one of the most celebrated sequels ever made.
Terminator 2 delivered one of the most memorable reversals in blockbuster history, with Arnold Schwarzenegger returning as the deadly machine audiences expected to fear.
This time, however, the Terminator was no longer the hunter. Instead of targeting Sarah or John Connor, he was sent back as their protector against the shape-shifting T-1000.
Furlong’s career also included another sequel, though this one drew a much colder response, particularly from Stephen King himself.
That film was Pet Sematary Two, the 1992 follow-up to Mary Lambert’s 1989 adaptation of King’s novel. While the original story inspired three movies in total at that point, the franchise has since expanded further, eventually growing to four films when Pet Sematary: Bloodlines arrived in 2023.
King’s original novel centers on a grieving father who buries his young son in a mysterious burial ground, hoping for a miracle. As readers know, the consequences are catastrophic.
When it came to the sequel, though, King made it clear he wanted nothing to do with it. Speaking to Fangoria, he said:
“I read the script – or as much of it as I could stand – and I read enough to realize that it was exactly like the first Pet Sematary with different characters. I don’t approve of [Pet Sematary 2] and I didn’t want it made.
“I hope the people who read FANGORIA, the people who read my books and anyone who likes my stuff will stay away from this picture. And this is one that I will not see myself.”
King also said the experience changed how he would handle sequel rights tied to his stories in the future.
“But it has had this effect, and that is that I will never sell sequel rights to another book to go with the movie rights,” he said. “If somebody wants to make a movie from one of my books and insist on the sequel rights, that book will not be sold.”
That approach helped ensure later King adaptations would not automatically inherit the same kind of sequel control that frustrated him with Pet Sematary Two. It also explains why the follow-up eventually became a standalone curiosity rather than a direct continuation of King’s own story.
Meanwhile, Furlong’s much more acclaimed sequel role in Terminator 2 is heading back to theaters as part of the film’s 35th-anniversary celebration, with the U.S. release planned for August 28, 2026.
James Cameron marked the occasion by noting that the film was designed for the big screen and remains the best way to experience it, while also joking that, after 35 years, he could finally talk openly about the ending.
“T2 was made for theaters, and our lovingly-prepared 3D version, coming back to the big screen, is the absolute best way to see the film,” he said in Deadline. “I believe it’s safe to do spoilers after 35 years, so SPOILER ALERT: the good guys win against the AI superintelligence! And maybe that’s a message of hope we all could use this summer.”