Mike Flanagan is best known for horror films, including adaptations such as Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House, Stephen King’s Doctor Sleep, and some originals like Oculus (2013) and Hush (2016). Now the director returns with another Stephen King adaptation, Life of Chuck, and talks about experimenting with genres.
Speaking to ScreenRant at FanExpo Canada during the “Echoes From Hill House: A Haunting Panel,” Flanagan explained that his upcoming film doesn’t necessarily belong to the horror genre, but rather falls into his more dramatic works.
He admitted that when King and his name are associated with a project, they are probably horror films. However, for Life of Chuck, he has a different vision and wants viewers to know important details before seeing the film.
“What I can tell you about Life of Chuck is that it is not a horror story. And that’s the most important thing I want to tell people from the beginning,” he added. The director further explained that this project is closer to King’s other releases such as Stand By Me and The Shawshank Redemption, which are completely new for Flanagan.
However, he claimed that it was one of his best works to date! “It’s by far my favorite film I’ve ever worked on. The cast is extraordinary, as you said, and I’m so proud of this film,” he told the outlet. He urged audiences to keep their expectation of a jump scare in check, or they would be disappointed.
“But if you’re expecting something that’s a life-affirming celebration of joy, existence and mortality, you’ll be very happy,” he added.
The story is based on the novella of the same name from the 2020 collection “If It Bleeds” and is about Charles “Chuck” Krantz, played by Tom Hiddleston, who tells his life story backwards – from his tragic death at the age of 39 to his childhood in a haunted house.
Further details about the plot or release date have not been revealed yet. But the cast is star-studded with no less than 15 actors. Kate Siegel, Heather Langenkamp, Samantha Sloyan, Carl Lumbly, Rahul Kohli, Matt Biedel, Sauriyan Sapkota, Michael Trucco, Molly C. Quinn, Annalise Basso, Violet McGraw and many others round out the cast.
The premiere of “The Life of Chuck” is scheduled for the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival, which takes place from September 5 to 15.
