Stephen King’s Pet Sematary Remake Trained Cats from Shelters to be Cat Actors
Stephen King adaptations often draw attention for their eerie stories, but Pet Sematary also turned heads for another reason, the cat at the center of it all.
Winston “Church” Churchill was played by several rescue cats, each one helping bring the character to life on screen. Their path from shelters to a major film set made the production story even more memorable.
Here’s how those cats ended up becoming the movie’s unexpected stars.
Following the release of the adaptation of Pet Sematary, people found themselves wanting to know more about the cat that brought the iconic animal role to life.
The cat ended up getting almost as much attention as the movie itself.
Looking ready for action
Ready to meet the fans
Definitely an actor.
The cats behind the cat
The cat Winston “Church” Churchill was actually played by several cats. These cats are named JD, Tonic, and Leo. Each cat was trained to excel at one specific task (hissing on command, staring, or running very fast).
Getting ready to be a star
Where did they come from?
The director revealed in interviews that the cats were all collected from shelters. They were then trained for two months. Each cat shone in a specific aspect of the role.
Selfie with the star
The process
The production team revealed that in order to look disheveled and undead, the cats had to sit in the makeup chair where their fur was covered in chalk and edible gunk.
Getting into character
New homes
When filming concluded, all the cats were found new homes. Sadly, after the movie’s premiere, Leo’s handler, Kirk Jarett, broke the news that the cat had passed away from feline arterial thromboembolism, also known as saddle thrombus. This condition is reportedly not rare in Maine Coons.
Jarett posted a message to his Instagram: “It is with deep sadness that we tell you that Leo has passed away. He will be forever missed by his human and fur family. May his star always shine bright!”
That adoption detail made the whole story even sweeter.
It also echoes the missing feline’s unbelievable reunion after spooky wild security footage.
One individual looked deeper into the story of these cats' adoption.
Continued
A true star
The reaction online was exactly what you would expect.
Here’s what others have to say about these cats...
Well, know that this movie seems to have treated them well.
So adorable too.
Good question.
All of them deserve that award.
Here is a trailer featuring the cats
It is hard not to root for rescue cats with this kind of spotlight.
What do you think of these cats becoming actors? Have you seen the movie?
Some stars really do have nine lives.
Want another cat with a big role, check out the huge-eyed feline who became mayor of Hell Town.
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