Mike Flanagan has built himself quite the reputation for adapting the works of Stephen King to screens and making some great TV series in the horror/thriller realm. So it seems natural that for the first planned series under his recent deal with Amazon, would combine the two.
King’s 1974 novel put the young author on the map, and also bolstered his worth as a writer whose genre storytelling was most translatable to the big screen.
In 1976, Brian De Palma was the first director to adapt King’s coming of age story of a young, sheltered girl (Sissy Spacek) with a domineering mother whose bullying caused unimaginable blood-soaked consequences at her school’s prom due to her hyperkinetic powers.
He currently has ‘The Life of Chuck,’ starring Tom Hiddleston and Mark Hamill, adapted from King’s 2020 novella, receiving praise at festival runs and is being set for a 2025 release.
Mike Flanagan is in talks to make ‘The Exorcist: Deceiver’.
David Gordon Green kicked off the new trilogy with ‘The Exorcist: Believer’.
Universal is hoping for a fresh creative voice after ‘Believer’ underperformed.
It was seemingly going so well for Universal and Blumhouse on their collaboration for revivals of classic horror properties. Off the back of a mostly successful three-film run via ‘Halloween’, the studio dived into another, splashing $400 million for the rights to ‘The Exorcist’ with the plan for ‘Halloween’ trilogy filmmaker David Gordon Green to crank out three more movies, and wait for the cash to come rolling in.
Except… It hasn’t quite worked out that way. Green was certainly enthusiastic about his next stab at a big horror property, but then ‘The Exorcist: Believer’, which featured a new story of possession, but also boasted connective tissue via the 1973 movie’s star Ellen Burstyn reprising her role of Chris MacNeil, stumbled.
That movie received fairly scathing reviews, was largely snubbed by audiences, and took in just $136 million worldwide. The potential trilogy’s forward movement grinding to a halt, Green announced he was going off to work on other movies (and the fourth season of HBO series ‘The Righteous Gemstones’), and Blumhouse/Universal found themselves hanging the “Director Wanted” sign.
(from left) Chris MacNeil (Ellen Burstyn) and Victor Fielding (Leslie Odom, Jr.) in ‘The Exorcist: Believer,’ directed by David Gordon Green.
‘The Exorcist: Believer’ followed what happened when two girls disappear into the woods and return three days later with no memory of what happened to them. The father of one girl seeks out Burstyn’s Chris MacNeil, who has been forever altered by what happened to her daughter fifty years ago.
Jennifer Nettles in ‘The Exorcist: Believer’. Photo: Universal Pictures.
Given that (spoiler alert for ‘Believer’!) the first movie ended with one of the girls dragged to Hell by a demon when the father of the other made a tragic choice, there’s plenty of scope for her parents to go to terrible lengths to try and get her back.
Green had said he’d mapped out an idea for the movies going forward, but with Flanagan now likely to make the next one (and reportedly being given creative freedom), there could well be a pivot into more of an anthology idea. But we’ll have to wait and see.
When will ‘The Exorcist: Deceiver’ be in theaters?
While the movie, back when Green was still aboard, was dated for April 18th, 2025, the change in filmmaker has led to a delay. Universal has yet to confirm a new date, obviously waiting to see whether Flanagan takes the job.
Landing on Netflix on October 12th, ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’ has Mike Flanagan –– who knows a thing or two about scary stories –– remixing Edgar Allan Poe (ditto) for a truly fun new horror limited series.
Combining a committed cast and some memorably nasty surprises, ‘Usher’ represents Flanagan working in a different style from some of his previous work, and the results are a superb blend of Poe imagery and ‘Succession’ style rich family shenanigans.
What’s the story of ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’?
Bruce Greenwood as Roderick Usher in Netflix’s ‘The Fall of the House of Usher.’ Photo: Eike Schroter/Netflix.
Ruthless siblings Roderick (Bruce Greenwood) and Madeline (Mary McDonnell) Usher have built Fortunato Pharmaceuticals into an empire of wealth, privilege and power.
But past secrets come to light when the heirs to the Usher dynasty start dying at the hands of a mysterious woman (Carla Gugino) from their youth.
The plot for this one takes its inspiration from various Poe stories and poems, including ‘The Pit and the Pendulum,’ ‘The Masque of the Red Death’, ‘Annabel Lee’ and more, weaved in either as narrative elements, settings or character names.
Who else stars in ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’?
Ruth Codd as Juno Usher in Netflix’s ‘The Fall of the House of Usher.’ Photo: Eike Schroter/Netflix.
Mike Flanagan has been making horror series (and the occasional movie) for Netflix for a few years now, but he and creative producer creative partner Trevor Macy are upping sticks and heading for a new deal at Prime Video.
Based on the quality of ‘House of Usher’, Netflix should be kicking themselves that they let this talented filmmaker slip from their grasp. The latest limited series from Flanagan finds him leaning almost into Ryan Murphy mode with its tale of spoiled siblings and the supernatural comeuppance that hunts them down.
‘Usher’ is Flanagan in a wilder, campier mindset than the mostly moody ‘Midnight Mass’, but that’s not to say that this new series doesn’t work. In fact, a blend of ‘Succession’ and the spooky justice that befalls people in Poe’s stories offers up truly entertaining snark and gore.
It’s even more impressive when you think that Frank Langella was cast as Roderick, only to be fired partway through shooting for inappropriate behavior. Flanagan called on one of his regulars in Greenwood, and he fitted in perfectly.
Not only that, but the clever use of different Poe tales for both the overarching theme and the separate stories is also effective –– it doesn’t come across as a splintered anthology series but functions as a whole.
Flanagan has also rounded up some of his regular cast and recruited some new faces (even if some of the “newcomers” are genre veterans such as Mark Hamill, who fits in perfectly as gruff, dangerous lawyer/fixer Arthur Pym).
Anchored by Greenwood, McDonnell and Lumbly, there are few weak links in the ensemble, who bring the various Usher children (plus spouses, offspring, victims and more) to life. Carla Gugino, meanwhile, is pure smoldering brilliance as Verna, the architect of all their pain.
Smartly, Flanagan never pushes the weird style to excess except in certain moments where it actually serves the story; he’s careful to keep the characters largely believable.
Credit also to his team, who bring all manner of locales to life, from the crumbling home that Roderick finds himself in, to the glossy skyscraper that houses Fortunato.
Are there any problems with ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’?
Did the world, which has already seen a number of stories such as ‘Dopesick’ and Netflix’s own recent ‘Painkiller’ really need Mike Flanagan to come along and craft a meditation on the terrible harm caused by those (the Sackler family is the clear model here) who push addictive pharmaceuticals with little to no warning? Probably not, but that angle is just one facet of ‘Usher’.
And yes, given that ‘Succession’ has already brought a near-perfect story of spoiled rich spawn squabbling over control of a family company to screens, there’s the slight feeling of familiarity. Yet Flanagan predicted that, and thanks to the Poe connection, ‘Usher’ heads off in interesting directions.
You could be disappointed that Flanagan has chosen to re-mix and meld the Poe stories into this tale, so if you’re looking for more straightforward adaptations, it’s best to look elsewhere.
And if you’re a fan of Flanagan’s spookier offerings, such as his chilling ghost stories, this might not exactly be what you’re hoping for from him. But give it time; it’ll start to win your over with its audacious mix of classic horror and modern sensibilities.
Is every performance up to the level of, say, Greenwood, McDonnell and Gugino? Perhaps not, but it’s never enough to ruin the fun.
‘The Fall of the House of Usher’ won’t be for everyone. But it stands as one of the best shows (especially in the wake of the slightly less-than-thrilling ‘The Midnight Club’) that Mike Flanagan and his repertory company have produced.
This feels like a show that could become an annual Halloween treat, assuming Netflix doesn’t vanish it from the servers after a few months in retribution for Flanagan daring to head elsewhere.
‘The Fall of the House of Usher’ receives 9 out of 10 stars.
Mike Flanagan has developed a reputation as a great horror filmmaker (and TV creator) via movies such as ‘Oculus’, ‘Gerald’s Game’ and ‘Doctor Sleep’ and shows including ‘The Haunting of Hill House’ and ‘Midnight Mass’.
Until recently, he’s been under a big deal with Netflix, where his TV output has been based. But last December, he and producing partner Trevor Macy made a move to Amazon Studios.
Yet the Netflix deal still covers his most recent limited series, ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’, which finds Flanagan –– who has adapted Steven King a few times –– here drawing from Edgar Allan Poe’s work.
What’s the story of ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’?
Ruthless siblings Roderick (Bruce Greenwood) and Madeline (Mary McDonnell) Usher have built Fortunato Pharmaceuticals into an empire of wealth, privilege and power.
But past secrets come to light when the heirs to the Usher dynasty start dying at the hands of a mysterious woman (Carla Gugino) from their youth.
The plot for this one takes its inspiration from various Poe stories and poems, including ‘The Pit and the Pendulum,’ ‘The Masque of the Red Death’, ‘Annabel Lee’ and more, weaved in either as narrative elements, settings or character names.
Some of them, such as Siegel (who happens to be Flanagan’s wife), Codd, Thomas and Gilford are Flanagan regulars who have popped in various shows.
Flanagan is directing half of the series’ eight episodes, while Michael Fimognari handles the others.
Here’s what Gugino told Netflix about the series and her character:
“It’s bats**t crazy in the best possible way. It has quite a lot of very dark humor, but also really touches the soul. There is a fantastical supernatural element to the story, and she is the manifestation of that. You could say she’s the executor of fate or the executor of karma.”
The Frank Langella issue
Bruce Greenwood as Roderick Usher in Netflix’s ‘The Fall of the House of Usher.’ Photo: Eike Schroter/Netflix.
Greenwood, who had worked with Flanagan on ‘Doctor Sleep’ and ‘Gerald’s Game’ (and makes a cameo as a ghost in the background of ‘The Haunting of Hill House’) took over the role.
‘The Fall of the House of Usher’ will land on Netflix on October 12th.
Mary McDonnell as Madeline Usher in Netflix’s ‘The Fall of the House of Usher.’ Photo: Eike Schroter/Netflix.
Movies Similar to ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’:
(Left) Mark Hamill in ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi.’ (Right) Tom Hiddleston in ‘The Night Manager.’
In the last decade or so, Mike Flanagan has established himself as one of the preeminent adaptation specialists when it comes to the work of Stephen King, and, especially on the small screen, has established his own identity as a master of horror with shows such as ‘The Haunting of Hill House’ and ‘Midnight Mass’.
He’s back in King territory for a new movie, ‘The Life of Chuck’ and has recruited Mark Hamill (who surely needs little introduction) and Marvel/Shakespeare veteran Tom Hiddleston to star.
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Mike Flanagan and Stephen King
In just a couple of movies –– following some original work of his own –– Flanagan established his King credentials. There was Netflix’s ‘Gerald’s Game’, which starred Carla Gugino and Bruce Greenwood in the story of a married couple attempted to spice up their relationship at a remote lake house when the husband unexpectedly dies while his wife his handcuffed to the bed. And he followed that with ‘Doctor Sleep’, his adaptation of King’s ‘The Shining’ sequel.
Author Stephen King. Photo: Stephen King/Facebook.
As opposed to his more straightforward horror adaptations, ‘Chuck’ will see Flanagan tackling something a little different from King’s canon, taking on the short story first published as part of the 2020 collection ‘If It Bleeds’ (which also featured ‘Mr. Harrigan’s Phone’, adapted for Netflix by John Lee Hancock last year).
The short story is split into three sections:
The story is split into three acts offered in reverse chronological order.
In Act 1: ‘I Contain Multitudes’, Chuck is orphaned and is brought up by his paternal grandparents, where his love of dancing develops. His grandparents always keep their house’s cupola locked, but eventually Chuck unlocks the room and sees himself dying of a brain tumor at the age of 39.
In Act 2: ‘Buskers’, Chuck sees a drummer busking and starts dancing. A young girl joins him, dancing with Chuck as a crowd surrounds them. After dancing, Chuck suffers a bad headache and walks away dejected.
In Act 3: ‘Thanks, Chuck’, Marty drives home and sees a billboard showing an accountant sitting at a desk, underneath it says ‘39 Great Years! Thanks, Chuck’ as the world appears to be slowly crumbling. That evening as Marty visits his ex-wife Felicia, he notices Chuck’s image appearing everywhere. In a hospital, Chuck is dying surrounded by his family. Marty and Felicia see the stars disappearing, then blackness.
Hiddleston’s playing one version of Chuck, while Hamill will be a character named Albie.
(L to R) Freddie Prinze Jr. and Jennifer Love Hewitt in 1997’s ‘I Know What You Did Last Summer.’ Photo: Columbia/courtesy Everett Collection.
In horror movies, famously, almost no one is ever really dead. And in our current, not-yet-crested wave of pop cultural nostalgia, no old entertainment property is deemed unworthy of an excavation or potential reboot.
Looking to renew their IP control, Sony Pictures, which produced the first film, recently took a meeting with director Jennifer Kaytin Robinson and actress-turned-screenwriter Leah McKendrick (‘Deviant Love,’ ‘M.F.A.‘), and liked what they heard enough to give a green light to their pitch. Original series producer Neal H. Moritz is also potentially rejoining the project.
The news comes, of course, after Paramount successfully rebooted the ‘Scream’ franchise last year, to the tune of $140 million in theatrical receipts, with a movie that blended old, familiar franchise faces and new characters.
It also follows a previous stab at franchise rejuvenation which stalled out. A little over eight years ago, coming on the heels of the buzzy, well-regarded low-budget horror movie ‘Oculus,’ Sony committed to a ‘Summer’ reboot from writer-director Mike Flanagan, who would go on to make ’Before I Wake’ and ‘Doctor Sleep.’ It was put on their release calendar for 2016, but never started shooting, and was eventually cancelled.
(L to R) Sarah Michelle Gellar, Jennifer Love Hewitt and Ryan Phillippe in 1997’s ‘I Know What You Did Last Summer.’
Based on the bestselling, red herring-heavy 1973 young adult suspense novel by Lois Duncan, the original movie centered around four young friends, bound together by a tragic accident and its cover-up, who are reunited when they receive a threatening note and subsequently find themselves being stalked by hook-wielding maniac who is also heavily into Gorton’s Fisherman cosplay. A $125 million box office hit, the 1997 movie helped launch the big screen careers of Hewitt, Prinze, Sarah Michelle Gellar, and Ryan Phillippe.
With last year’s ‘Scream’ already having taken a bit of the steam out of legacy sequels, in addition to having some fun at the expense of so-called elevated horror, it remains to be seen what form and direction a new ‘I Know What You Did Last Summer’ will take.
While 1996’s ‘Scream’ and the original ‘I Know What You Did Last Summer’ shared a screenwriter in Kevin Williamson, the former leaned into a post-modern, self-referential tone, while the latter embraced much more conventional genre plotting.
Presumably the new movie will not feature a plot which extensively drills down into a strenuous and grammatically exacting unpacking of just which summer’s events are actually now known, and thus subject to deadly score-settling, but tiresome pedants everywhere would surely celebrate such a plot. Rather, one can expect a somewhat more streamlined tale of unearthed secrets and murderous revenge, leaning into the adage that the past is never really dead.
A co-screenwriter on ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ and consulting producer on ‘Hawkeye,’ Robinson made her feature directorial debut with 2019’s romantic comedy ‘Someone Great,’ and additionally drew positive notices for ‘Do Revenge,’ a high school-set black comedy loosely inspired by Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘Strangers on a Train.’ Her latest effort, it seems, could involve a bit more blood.
(L to R)Jennifer Love Hewitt, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe and Freddie Prinze Jr. in 1997’s ‘I Know What You Did Last Summer.’
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One of the most anticipated horror movies of the fall, “Doctor Sleep” is an adaptation of the best-selling Stephen King novel that takes place decades after the events of King’s own “The Shining.” Just how indebted the cinematic adaptation would be to Stanley Kubrick’s beloved film has remained a tantalizing question, one that the new trailer (currently attached to “It Chapter Two) has answered definitively.
The new film follows a grown-up Dan Torrance (now played by Ewan McGregor) who works in hospice care and allows his patients to cross over peacefully, thanks to his extraordinary gifts. He soon confronts the demons of his past when a group of energy vampires (led by Rebecca Ferguson) start targeting those with “the shining,” leading to an epic confrontation at the site of the former Overlook Hotel.
What makes this movie adaptation so fascinating is that, thanks to the original “Shining” book and movie’s very different endings, what was a more metaphysical showdown in an empty site (thanks to the hotel exploding in the novel) has become a more concrete return to the past (since the hotel still stands in the cinematic version). Writer-director Mike Flanagan, who already has one stone cold classic Stephen King adaptation under his belt (Netflix’s terrific “Gerald’s Game”), looks to be recreating the Kubrick movie with unwavering fidelity, adding an extra dimension to an already fascinating project.
“The Haunting of Bly Manor” cast keeps growing: Creator Mike Flanaganshared on Twitter today that “iZombie” actor Rahul Kohli is joining the upcoming Netflix series, as is Catherine Parker, who played flapper Poppy in “The Haunting of Hill House.”
Her two young charges (who, in the novella, may or may not be possessed by ghosts), will be played by Amelie Smith and Benjamin Ainsworth.
Kohli, medical examiner Ravi Chakrabarti on “iZombie,” will be a series regular, reportedly playing a man who has returned to the country to take care of his ailing mother.
Flanagan also announced that T’Nia Miller and Amelia Eve are joining in unknown roles.
Parker previously starred in Flanagan’s 2011 horror film “Absentia.”
“The Haunting of Bly Manor” is slated to debut on Netflix in 2020.
“The Haunting of Bly Manor” is welcoming another familiar face.
Season 2 of the Netflix horror anthology series is bringing back Henry Thomas, who played young Hugh Crain, the patriarch who moves his family into the titular abode of “The Haunting of Hill House.”
“Haunting of” creator Mike Flanagan announced the news that Thomas will return for “Bly Manor” on Twitter:
“Bly Manor” is inspired by Henry James’ psychological gothic horror novella “The Turn of the Screw,” which takes place almost entirely in an old country mansion. There, two young orphans are looked after by a young governess, who also narrates most of the novel.
It definitely seems like Flanagan is taking a page from Ryan Murphy’s “American Horror Story” book and recycling his cast members from season to season.
“The Haunting of Bly Manor” is set to launch on Netflix in 2020.
Director Mike Flanagan (“The Haunting of Hill House”) confirmed the film’s rating on Twitter, which has been given for “disturbing and violent” content, among other things:
“Doctor Sleep” takes place 40 years after the events of the first film. Ewan McGregor stars as Danny Torrance, who is still irrevocably scarred by the trauma he endured as a child at the Overlook.
Dan has fought to find some semblance of peace, but that is shattered when he encounters Abra (Kyliegh Curran), a teen who shares his supernatural gift of “shine.” They team up to battle the merciless Rose the Hat (Rebecca Ferguson) and her followers, who feed off shine in their quest for immortality.
Stephen King notoriously did not like Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 movie because it veered from his novel. McGregor has said “Doctor Sleep” will be “faithful to his novel. But for one thing. And I’m not going to give anything away.”
Flanagan has previously said he won’t totally ignore Kubrick’s film,t hough. “I think you do have to acknowledge it,” he noted. “There is no version of the world where I am trying not to acknowledge one of the greatest films ever made.”
