 When Rachel gets off the semi, the numbers "666" are on it. Cameo: [Stephen King] minister at the funeral.
The idea for this story came about when Stephen King`s daughter`s cat, Smuckey, was killed on the highway outside their home.
The role of Zelda, Rachael`s dying sister, was played by a man. The role called for her to look emaciated, and apparently there were no women skinny enough.
7 cats were used to play the part of "Church."
Stephen King required the movie to be filmed in Maine and his screenplay to be followed rigorously.
The picture at Rachel`s parents` house is a painting of Zelda as a child, before her spinal meningitis. Gage is later seen wearing a similar outfit (as well as having her red hair) to signify that Zelda has come back through him, which was Rachel`s deepest fear.
The "factory" from which the truck that hits Gage (Miko Hughes) is leaving from, is the International Paper Factory (formerly Champion Paper Factory) in Bucksport, Maine.
George A. Romero was originally set to direct but when filming was delayed, he dropped out, and Mary Lambert stepped in.
Bruce Campbell was the first choice for the role of Louis Creed.
Tom Savini turned down the chance to direct the film.
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# During the film, the character played by Fred Gwynne mentions that he a had a pet named "Spot". "Spot" was also the name of the family pet on the TV show _"The Munsters" (1964)_, also starring Gwynne.
The film was shot on location in the same rural Maine area that Stephen King set the novel "Pet Sematary."
The story was inspired to Stephen King by actual events that occurred while he was living in Orington, Maine with his family. King recalled that while living there his daughter`s cat was killed in the highway. Much of Ellie Creed`s emotional outburst was taken directly from King`s own grief-stricken daughter. King also remembered that once his youngest son had nearly ran into the road while a truck was speeding down it, much like Gage does in film. The character of Judd Crandall was based on the elderly neighbor that lived across the road from King. Also there was an actual pet cemetery in the woods behind the King house, which became the basis for the one in the novel.
The Micmac burial ground in the film was constructed upon an actual mountain top. According to director Mary Lambert bulldozers were brought in to build the stone mounds.
Star Fred Gwynne dyed his hair white for the role of Judd Crandall.
Two twin actresses played the role of Ellie Creed, Blaze Berdahl however was mainly credited for the role.
The portrait of Zelda as a child also features a gray cat at the child`s feet, an obvious foreshadowing.
This was the debut film for young Miko Hughes who was only three years old during the making of the film.
Mary Lambert said Fred Gwynne was her first and only choice for the role of Judd Crandall.
In an interview with Brad Greenquist he said that while in his gruesome makeup for the role of Victor Pascow no one would sit near him while the cast and crew were having lunch.
Judd Crandall`s house for the film was actually a facade built upon a smaller preexisting house. For the finale where the house is burned a asbestos shield was constructed between the two houses so that while burning the facade no damaged would occur to the smaller house it was built upon.
Each of the seven cats used to play the role of Church was trained to do a specific action for the camera.
Stephen King was present on location for most of the shooting of the film. The area it was shot in was only 20 minutes from Kings home in Bangor, Maine.
This was the first filmed screenplay that Stephen King adapted from one of his own novels.
The original screenplay featured the `wendigo` (a Native American demon) that was mentioned in the novel, but it was ultimately cut from the film. It`s presence is only implied once in the scene where Louis is walking through the woods at night and hears something large knock down a tree.
Stephen King is a big fan of The Ramones and referenced some of their songs in the novel Pet Sematary. In homage The Ramones wrote and performed the theme song "Pet Sematary", which is featured in the films closing credits.
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