David Duchovny's role in 'The X Files' had no influence on his casting in 'Pet Sematary: Bloodlines'.

The 63-year-old star features in the new horror prequel as a grieving father who attempts to bring his son back to life following his death in the Vietnam War but director Lindsey Anderson Beer was not swayed by his previous experience of the supernatural as Fox Mulder in the hit TV series.

In an interview with Screen Rant, Lindsey said: "It wasn't in my mind! It's such a good point, and it's so funny that yes, he's absolutely somebody who he'd be investigating as Mulder.

"But no, what was in my mind was 'Californication', and what a beautiful father he was in that."

The filmmaker continued: "I wanted to make sure whoever played Bill Baterman could play it in a way that felt sympathetic and relatable, and didn't just come off as an arch villain who does the wrong thing.

"I just thought he brings a lot of gravitas and beauty to that role, because I saw it in 'Californication'. He read the script, he's a father, he really related to the themes and the grief that Bill Baterman was going through, and he just really connected with it."

The new movie is a prequel to the 2019 picture 'Pet Sematary' - based on Stephen King's 1983 novel of the same name - and Beer is delighted that the 'King of Horror' is a fan of her work.

She explained: "We have had check-ins at all kinds of key points, like he signed off on the shooting script, and gave us the thumbs up, and he said he liked it. Obviously, I would not have wanted to shoot anything he didn't like.

"But it's always a journey from scripts to finished film, so it was just so rewarding to see that it resonates with him, and that he loves the movie as much as we do, it's his baby. So I'm just glad that he feels we did right by it."