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Grief is a theme we’ve seen explored time and again in horror cinema, and for good reason. The genre provides a brilliant backdrop for depicting the emotional turmoil inflicted by loss. In films like Hereditary, the central evil doubles as a metaphor for the unspeakable angst the characters are enduring.

Hereditary may have helped popularize trauma-informed filmmaking in the horror space, but it’s far from the first flick to touch on such themes. Don’t Look Now, The Changeling, and Pet Sematary are just a few of the noteworthy efforts that explored similar territory before Hereditary director Ari Aster burst onto the scene.

Yet another noteworthy precursor to Hereditary that frequently seems to get lost in the shuffle is Mike Flanagan’s Before I Wake. The flick, which is streaming on Netflix, explores grief through the perspective of a pair of adoptive parents (Kate Bosworth and Thomas Jane) still...

Exclusive: Pine Bay Pictures, Morning Moon and Traction have added Billie Lourd, Matt Barr and Elizabeth Tulloch to Josh Plasse’s comedy-drama The Pirate King starring Rob Riggle and Jordana Brewster.

Military vet Riggle stars as Todd, a Marine veteran struggling with Ptsd and addiction who finds unexpected redemption when he joins a group of pirate reenactors, giving him a chance to fight for custody of his daughter and rebuild the life he thought was lost forever.

Star Wars and American Horror Story star Lourd is also producing the movie. She’s starring in this summer’s Paramount animated pic Smurfs as Worry Smurf. Cameras are rolling in Virginia Beach.

Additional newly added cast names include Nichole Sakura (Superstore), Leander Suleiman (Saturday Night), Annabeth Gish (Before I Wake), Brett Cullen (Joker), Chris Witaske (The Bear). Also Adele Abinante is making her feature film debut as Todd’s daughter, Emmylou. Country...

As I recently mentioned, the Fantasia International Film Festival is one of the very best events to experience the latest and greatest genre films from around the world, and after having announced an impressive first and second wave of programming, they're back with a third wave announcement that is packed with must-see premieres, live events, and much more:

From the Press Release: The Fantasia International Film Festival will celebrate its upcoming 29th edition with an electrifying program of screenings, workshops, and launch events running from July 16 through August 3, 2025, returning to the Concordia Hall and J.A. de Sève cinemas, with additional screens and events at Montréal’s Cinéma du Musée and Bbam! Gallery.

The festival website is now live with the complete lineup of over 125 features and 200+ shorts available to be explored. Ticket pre-sales open at 10:00Am on July 4.

Fantasia is very pleased to reveal its massive final wave of titles,...

The 29th edition of the Fantasia International Film Festival is set to run from from July 16th (one day earlier than previously announced) through August 3rd at the Concordia Hall and J.A. de Sève cinemas in Montreal, with additional screenings and events at Cinéma du Musée. The first wave of titles that will be shown at the festival this year were revealed a couple months ago, the second wave of titles dropped four weeks ago, and now the final wave of titles has been unveiled! The festival website is now live with the complete lineup of over 125 features and 200+ shorts. Ticket pre-sales open at 10:00Am on July 4. But here’s some information on what attendees can expect to see at the festival, including the final wave of titles, directly from the Fantasia press release:

Official Closing Film: Genndy Tartakovsky’S Fixed: From Sony Pictures Animation, Netflix, and top-tier animator Genndy Tartakovsky comes Fixed,...

IP-based horror picture Ouija didn’t win over many critics upon release in 2014, but it slayed at the box office, returning more than $100 million globally on an estimated budget of $5 million. With returns like that, it’s no great surprise that we got a sequel two years later. What does come as a surprise, however, is how much better the second series installment is. Despite its status as the superior effort, Ouija: Origin of Evil doesn’t always seem to get the recognition it deserves. It’s as if the flick had its moment in the sun upon release and then faded into the background. That’s a shame considering it has real staying power. You don’t have to take my word for it, though. Ouija: Origin of Evil is presently streaming on Netflix, meaning you can experience the film for yourself and draw your own conclusions.

When we...

Mike Flanagan has had one of the most unusual paths to success out of any auteur filmmaking of his generation. Although it was a series of low-budget, high concept horror films that first signified to cinephiles that he had talent, Flanagan built a strong fanbase due to his work on television. In an era of “prestige television,” directors are often given more opportunities to make challenging, original projects on streaming, as cinemagoers have shown little interest in films that don’t come from pre-established franchises. Thanks to the success of “The Haunting of Hill House,” “The Haunting of Bly Manor,” “Midnight Mass,” and “The Fall of the House of Usher,” Flanagan was able to deepen his focus into family tragedy, guilt, and the pervasive evil of manipulation. “Cathartic” is a strange word to use for the horror genre, but it’s accurate when describing the unique way that Flanagan draws his characters.

US actor Nick Offerman agreed to narrate Mike Flanagan’s The Life Of Chuck,for “nothing”, according to the cult horror director who returned to his indie filmmaking roots for the genre-bender that won the prestigious People’s Choice award at Toronto 2024.

The film isan adaptation of a Stephen King short story following three chapters in the life of an ordinary man and starsTom Hiddleston, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Mark Hamill.

Neon acquired North America rights and is openingThe Life Of Chuckwide from June 13.

“We needed a narrator who could speak to the tone of the story and carry us through,...

While speaking on the red carpet to Business Insider last month, Andor showrunner Tony Gilroy was casually discussing the Disney Plus show's second season when he dropped some napalm for the Star Wars universe. At first, he was meant in jest, then he doubled down.

According to his supposition, Lucasfilm and Disney have a Star Wars horror project in development. The outlet asked him about whether he would like to be involved in a potential horror project in the Star Wars galaxy and he simply replied:

"They're doing that. I think they're doing that. I think that's in the works, yeah."

Is this a scary idea or will it be a definite Fright Show? Lucasfilm announced the return of “Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith’’ to the big screen on April 25 to celebrate the film’s 20th anniversary. © 2025 Lucasfilm Ltd™. All Rights Reserved.

For decades, Star Wars enthusiasts and rabid...

The whole Clayface movie announcement feels a bit like a magician pulling a rabbit out of a hat before even showing you the hat. With Superman barely out of his metaphorical cradle (arriving in theaters this July), DC Studios—perplexingly, if not provocatively—hit the gas on a solo film centered on Clayface: a shape-shifting Batman antagonist.

On paper, the timing is a head-scratcher. The new Batman hasn’t been introduced, and the Dcu is still tiptoeing through infancy, yet this new entry has leapfrogged more central icons. Why? The answer comes down to a script. And not just any script: Mike Flanagan’s script. Yes, the architect of the grief-soaked nightmares pitched the project to DC heads Gunn and Peter Safran back in 2023.

James Watkins, known for his unnerving work on Speak No Evil, has since been handed the director’s baton, with screenwriter Hossein Amini (Drive) now polishing Flanagan’s original draft.

Writer Jamie Flanagan, whose brother happens to be genre regular Mike Flanagan, has worked as a writer on the TV shows The Haunting of Bly Manor, Midnight Mass, The Midnight Club, The Fall of the House of Usher, Creepshow, and Hysteria!, and along the way they won a Bram Stoker Award for writing episode 6 of Midnight Mass. Now, Deadline reports that Jamie Flanagan has their first two horror novels to Saga Press, “in an exclusive submission, for World translation rights via Lane Heymont at the Tobias Literary Agency. Saga Press is an imprint of Simon & Schuster known for expertise in the horror genre.”

Flanagan’s first novel has the working title Deserters and is set in post-World War II Italy, following two priests as they traverse the countryside in search of lost souls, only to find their mission descend into horror. The second novel doesn’t have a title yet,...

I know how much our readers love Stephen King and Mike Flanagan individually. So, it’s an extra special treat when the talented creators team up on a project. When that unholy pair comes together, they make magic. Doctor Sleep is a great showcase of the beloved storytellers combining their powers. But that’s far from their only team-up.

This June, we’ll get to see King and Flanagan’s latest collab, The Life of Chuck. If you don’t think you can wait until then, I have another Flanagan/King crossover in mind that you may want to check out. I’m talking about the Netflix horror-thriller, Gerald’s Game. It’s an emotionally charged, self-contained effort that needs to be seen.

Gerald’s Game plays out like this:

Jesse (Carla Gugino) accidentally kills her husband (Bruce Greenwood) during foreplay. They drove out to a remote area in an attempt to reignite their flailing relationship.

Mike Flanagan is bringing Carrieto the television screens of horror lovers via a series, and he has possibly just cast the perfect person to portray the tragic icon. Based on the 1974 Stephen King horror novel of the same name, Carrie follows a coy teenage girl who is consistently bullied at school. With the power of telekinesis, she's able to seek revenge on her tormentors and those affiliated. It's a true horror classic that mercilessly inflicts fear in anyone, no matter how many times you've seen it. Now imagine Hereditary star Milly Shapiro as the title character. Because that's who just might bring her to life in the Amazon Prime Video series.

Daniel Richtman, internet personality and scooper, reports that Shapiro is in talks to play the iconic Carrie White (Flanagan's version) and Samantha Sloyan (The Haunting of Hill House) could be playing her mother. It was revealed last October that Mike Flanagan,...

You're a smart cookie, Ben Leonberg. How can I negatively review a dog-led haunted house movie? Good Boy is a layup for horror fans who adore their canine companions. Leonberg and co-writer Alex Cannon script a love letter to four-legged friends who lift our spirits, love us unconditionally and protect us from anything—including muddy basement entities. Leonberg's "Doggie Horror Movie" is leagues more than a gimmick, redefining traditional genre scopes for something applaudably innovative.

Leonberg's real-life dog, Indy, stars as himself in Good Boy. He's a loyal sidekick to Todd (Shane Jensen), a cancer patient who relocates into his grandfather's eerie woodland home (Larry Fessenden lends a veteran presence as pop-pop in old videos). Todd's sister Vera (Arielle Friedman) questions the choice, recalling an unshakable discomfort about the isolated spot. Her brother shrugs off the warning, but Indy immediately senses danger. Indy barks and claws and tries to warn Todd,...

With DC ramping up production on several projects, fans are finally hearing news on one of James Gunn’s most promising projects in the works - one that has the makings of truly embracing the horror elements of the DC universe. Directed by Mike Flanagan the film is expected to be a horror-thriller tragedy and will be released in 2026.

Clayface is one of Batman’s most iconic villains, who gains the ability to morph his body after gaining the mutant deformation of having his entire body turned into clay. With very little heard about the film since December last year, Gunn has finally given an update on where Clayface stands and who Won’T be playing the character, per Variety. He confirmed that Alan Tudyk will not reprise the role after voicing Clayface in Creature Commandos.

Related'Very Dear to My Heart': Lanterns Actor Aaron Pierre Is 'Locked in and...

Thomas Jane, best known for playing Frank Castle in The Punisher (2004), is stepping into the world of comics again. This time, he’s taking on a new role—not as an actor, but as the editor of a horror comic called The Lycan.

The six-issue series is based on a story by Jane and screenwriter David James Kelly (Robin Hood). The script is written by The Girl with All the Gifts author Mike Carey, with artwork by Diego Yapur, coloring from D.C. Alonso, and lettering by AndWorld Design. Cover art comes from Eisner-nominated artist Tim Bradstreet, known for his work on The Punisher and Hellblazer.

The first issue of The Lycan will be released on February 18 through Amazon’s Comixology Originals, partnered with Jane’s own Renegade Entertainment. New issues will follow on April 1, May 13, June 24, August 5, and September 16.

Set in 1777, the story follows a group of tough international big-game...

Thomas Jane is no stranger to the world of comics, having starred as Marvel antihero Frank Castle in 2004’s The Punisher, but now he’s serving as the editor the horror comic The Lycan.

Based on a story by Jane and screenwriter David James Kelly (Robin Hood), the six-issue series is penned by The Girl with All the Gifts author/screenwriter Mike Carey.

Newcomer Diego Yapur serves as the artist, with coloring by D.C. Alonso and lettering by AndWorld Design. Eisner Award nominee Tim Bradstreet designed the cover art.

The Lycan #1 takes a bite out of life on February 18 via Amazon’s Comixology Originals in conjunction with Jane’s Renegade Entertainment. Additional issues will publish on April 1, May 13, June 24, August 5, and September 16.

Set in 1777, the story sees a hardened band of international big game hunters shipwrecked off a small British island. In exchange for new supplies and the repairing of their ship,...

While not many viewers have heard of one of 2024's great horror hidden gems, Mike Flanagan is right to spotlight the Irish indie Oddity as one of the years highlights. It might seem hard to believe when there is an entire slate of upcoming Mike Flanagan TV shows and movies on the way, but there was a time when the genre legend was an obscure indie director. Before the breakout success of his 2018 Netflix series The Haunting of Hill House made him a major name in Hollywood horror, Flanagan was best known for smaller horror movies like Oculus, Before I Wake, and Hush.

Related Oddity Review: I Was Genuinely Creeped Out Watching This Unnerving Paranormal Horror Film

The paranormal and the horror mix together in Oddity, creating an authentically hair-raising experience that is as unsettling as it is terrifying.

Before that, Flanagan was 2011's helmer of the under-seen indie horror Absentia.

Filmmaker Mike Flanagan may not go back to the well that created his horror hit Midnight Mass for quite some time. The show, which he created and directed, was a horror miniseries that starred an ensemble cast that included Kate Siegel, Zach Gilford, Igby Rigney, Kristin Lehman, Samantha Sloyan, Rahul Kohli, Annabeth Gish, Alex Essoe, Matt Biedel, Michael Trucco, Henry Thomas, and, Hamish Linklater, many of whom have collaborated with Flanagan on other projects. Midnight Mass was a critical smash success, earning a Certified Fresh 87% score on Rotten Tomatoes and going on to be nominated for a Primetime Emmy.

The Mike Flanagan Netflix horror project is one of many well-regarded works the filmmaker has helmed over the course of his career, the majority of which have been in the horror genre. In fact, over the course of his career, he has never directed anything that has earned a splat on Rotten Tomatoes,...

Mike Flanagan's newest project, The Life of Chuck, hasn't even premiered in theaters, yet the movie has already continued the director's impressive Rotten Tomatoes streak. The Life of Chuck originated as a novella written by Stephen King in 2020. It tells the story of Charles "Chuck" Krantz, whose life is displayed in three increasingly strange acts. Flanagan's movie, which recently premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, stars Tom Hiddleston, Mark Hamill, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Karen Gillan. The Life of Chuck's cast has stars in its supporting roles as well, including Matthew Lillard, Harvey Guilln, David Dastmalchian, and Nick Offerman.

The Life of Chuck is only the most recent project by the prolific writer and director Mike Flanagan. Flanagan has been in the entertainment business since the 2010s, but he only recently rose to fame due to a number of successful Mike Flanagan Netflix projects. These began with 2018's...

The Life of Chuck has premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, and has proven to be a hit with the critics. So far, the film doesn't have many reviews but they were enough to set an exciting score that keeps up with Mike Flanagan's perfect Rotten Tomatoes streak.

After several months of teasing, The Life of Chuck has finally had its premiere at TIFF and the first reviews are in. The Life of Chuck has a score of 80% out of 10 reviews. This means the film meets the criteria of being considered fresh, and, if it remains 75% or above, it will receive the Certified Fresh status. At the same time, The Life of Chuck is a major success for Flanagan too, as he continues his impeccable streak of only "fresh" or Certified Fresh titles.

Related 'That's Gone Now': Mike Flanagan Laments Losing One Stephen King Adaptation

Filmmaker Mike Flanagan...

Mike Flanagan, director of numerous beloved horror adaptations including Doctor Sleep, discusses why he was drawn to the Stephen King story The Life of Chuck.

Mike Flanagan has made quite a name for himself in the horror film scene. He got his first break directing the film Absentia in 2011. Films he directed, like Oculus, Hush, Before I Wake, and Gerald's Game (his first Stephen King adaptation), garnered him critical acclaim and made him a horror director to watch out for, but what sealed his popular was his Netflix series adaptation of The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson. Shortly thereafter, he directed Doctor Sleep, another Stephen King adaptation. The two storytellers have been intertwined ever since. He's set to direct a reboot of The Dark Tower, which he called a "Holy Grail of a project for most of my life," and his adaptation of The Life of Chuck is about to come out.

Once upon a creepy time, Mike Flanagan wasn't interested in making a horror sequel. The writer-director of the original spine-chilling features Absentia, Oculus, Hush, and Before I Wake described himself to Esquire in 2016 as "[having] an allergy to sequels and remakes in general." Ouija, a 2014 movie from Universal Pictures, scored poorly with critics but turned an impressive enough profit to warrant a sequel (a worldwide gross of $103 million against a budget of just $5 million). Faced with a creative dilemma, Universal executives, collaborating with Jason Blum of Blumhouse Productions (which had co-produced Flanagan's Oculus), sought a filmmaker who could improve Ouija's missteps. Despite Flanagan's disinterest, Blum promised him near-complete freedom on the project.

Its no secret that writer/director Mike Flanagan is one of the biggest Stephen King fans around, and now the creator of such King adaptations as Geralds Game and Doctor Sleep has revealed that he "ripped off" the King short story '1408' for his 2013 hit movie Oculus. First published in 1999 in the audiobook collection Blood and Smoke, '1408' found its way into print in the 2002 collection Everythings Eventual. It would go on to receive a vastly underrated film adaptation in 2007, which was directed by Mikael Hfstrm and starred John Cusak as Mike Enslin, a skeptical paranormal researcher who finds himself trapped in a haunted hotel room for one night.

Speaking with Fangoria editor Michael Gingold during Fantasia Fest (via IndieWire), Flanagan touched on a number of topics, including his 2013 film Oculus, starring Karen Gillan and Brenton Thwaites. The project first began as a short film in 2006, a...

One door closes, another opens. Just the other day, we heard that filmmaker Mike Flanagan was done with something: he doesn’t want to send any more bleak, hopeless endings into the world. And now, we hear that he has started something: a podcast called Directors Commentary, which is part of the newly launched SpectreVision Radio network. SpectreVision Radio is the podcast branch of the SpectreVision production company, headed up by Elijah Wood, Daniel Noah, and Lawrence Ingle. The Hollywood Reporter broke the news that SpectreVision Radio is set to be a home for podcasts focused on film, music and the arts, in addition to esoteric subjects including the paranormal and surprising history.

Podcasts on the network will include The Spiel, which is hosted by Scott Wampler and Eric Vespe (they recorded 12 episodes before Wampler passed away unexpectedly earlier this year); Visitations, from SpectreVision co-founders Wood and Noah; and shows...

Filmmaker Mike Flanagan has written some dark, disturbing endings in his career… but we shouldn’t expect to see much of that from him in the future. During a recent interview with actress Katee Sackhoff for the Sackhoff Show podcast, Flanagan explained why he’s done with bleak, hopeless endings.

Flanagan told Sackhoff (with thanks to Cbr for the transcription), “A lot of the stuff I was writing had really bleak endings and very hopeless endings. It pivots right after [Hill House] and everything I’ve done since then doesn’t have that.” Sackhoff asked if that’s the influence of his wife Kate Siegel coming through, and Flanagan said, “I think in a lot of ways it is. And it’s because of family. When Kate and I got together, my outlook changed a lot. We had kids of our own and the kids started growing up and it...

The final wave of this year's Fantasia International Film Festival has been announced! Along with many new movies and special screenings, they have horror events you'll want to make time for, including panels and a career achievement award for Mike Flanagan. Fantasia's 28th edition continues tradition of putting together a stellar, eclectic mix of screenings and events you won't want to miss. For the full list of films and events, and to find out how to attend the fest, visit: https://fantasiafestival.com/en

The Fantasia International Film Festival will celebrate its upcoming 28th edition with an electrifying program of screenings, workshops, and launch events running from July 18 through August 4, 2024, returning to the Concordia Hall and J.A. de Sève cinemas, with additional screens and events at Montréal’s Cinémathèque Québécoise, Cinéma du Musée, Théâtre Plaza, and Bbam! Gallery.

The festival website is now live with the complete lineup...

The 28th edition of the Fantasia International Film Festival is set to run from from July 18th through August 4th at the Concordia Hall and J.A. de Sève cinemas in Montreal, with additional screens and events at Cinémathèque québécoise and Cinéma du Musée. Over the last couple of months, the festival announced the first wave and the second wave of titles that will be screening this year, and now the final wave has been unveiled, along with an announcement that genre filmmaker Mike Flanagan will be receiving a career achievement award at the festival!

Here’s the information on the final wave of titles (and Flanagan’s achievement award), courtesy of the Fantasia press release:

2024 Career Achievement Award: Mike Flanagan

For his imaginative and heartfelt horror visions; boundary-breaking achievements in making soulful, character-driven genre television commercially viable without compromises; and the extraordinary work he’s done in popularizing...

Mike Flanagan's work now focuses on hope, forgiveness, and empathy after a career shift. The director's outlook changed after getting married and having children. Flanagan's upcoming film, The Life of Chuck, will have a hopeful tone despite its dark concept.

Director Mike Flanagan explains why his work no longer has bleak endings. Flanagan has been a notable horror director for several years now, with some of his notable work including The Haunting of Hill House, Oculus, Hush, Before I Wake, and Doctor Sleep. After directing the successful series The Fall of the House of Usher last year, Flanagan's next major project is directing The Life of Chuck, which will come out later this year. The film is an adaptation of a Stephen King story, and features a leading cast including Tom Hiddleston, Karen Gillan, David Dastmalchian, and Jacob Tremblay.

Speaking on the Sackhoff Show podcast, Flanagan explains an important...

Wonder features a talented cast, including Jacob Tremblay, in a heartwarming story of a boy with a facial deformity navigating school life. Tremblay's performance as Auggie is the heart and soul of Wonder, supported by highly-regarded actors like Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson. The film adaptation explores the challenges of being a child with a physical disability, sparking discussions on representation in Hollywood.

The film Wonder features a talented cast that combines child actors with more veteran talent. Based on the New York Times bestselling R.L. Palacio YA novel of the same name, Wonder, which was well-reviewed, tells the story of Auggie Pullman, a young boy born with a rare craniofacial disorder called Treacher-Collins syndrome. When Auggie enters a mainstream school for the first time, he is faced with the challenge of making new friends and experiencing bullying as he navigates the complex world of fifth grade.

Both...

Fans have found plenty of Easter eggs in Mike Flanagan's works, but there's one in The Fall of the House of Usher still waiting to be discovered. Flanagan keeps details of the hidden Easter egg under wraps, waiting for someone to organically spot it without any spoilers. After a successful run on Netflix, Flanagan and producing partner Trevor Macy have now signed a deal with Prime Video for upcoming projects, including The Dark Tower.

Writer/director Mike Flanagan is known for some of the most acclaimed horror series in recent memory, and while fans are usually good about spotting all the Easter eggs littered throughout his creations, he says theres one that has yet to be discovered. Flanagan got his start in feature films with 2011s Absentia, and from there he would go on to direct a few more well-received horror movies before diving into the works of Stephen King...

Mike Flanagan began his filmmaking career in 2011 with "Absentia," a Kickstarter-backed horror movie about a pregnant woman whose missing husband mysteriously returns after an unexplained seven-year absence. He gained mainstream attention with 2013's "Oculus," a gripping horror film about a haunted mirror that technically takes place almost entirely in one room. Then, in 2016, Flanagan offered the one-two-three punch of "Hush," "Before I Wake," and the mainstream sequel "Ouija: Origin of Evil." He was now a recognizable force in the horror community.

Flanagan gathered a huge fanbase with his subsequent adaptations of several famous horror novels. In 2017, he adapted Stephen King's "Gerald's Game" into an excellent feature film. In 2018, he turned Shirley Jackson's "The Haunting of Hill House" into a TV miniseries. In 2019, he made "Doctor Sleep," a convoluted ghost story based on King's sequel to "The Shining." Most recently, he adapted Edgar Allan Poe's "The Fall of the House of Usher...

The Life of Chuck offers a chance for Mike Flanagan to bring back a narrative technique from his earlier films. Flanagan's upcoming Stephen King movie marks a shift back to movies after his successful TV series on Netflix. By exploring Chuck's life in reverse chronological order, Flanagan may utilize parallel timelines trick for added suspense.

Mike Flanagans upcoming Stephen King movie, The Life of Chuck, provides a great opportunity to bring back a narrative technique from his 2013 movie. Over the past several years, the legendary filmmaker has achieved widespread critical acclaim and audience popularity for his horror series on Netflix. Kicking off with The Haunting of Hill House in 2018, Mike Flanagans Netflix horror show stint came to an end after five outings with The Fall of the House of Usher, following which the director struck a new deal with Amazon. Of course, Flanagan has also been the creative force behind...

Exclusive: Michael Stahl-David (Cloverfield), Scottie Thompson (Crown Vic) and Michael Weston (Home Before Dark) are in production in Ohio on Down to the Felt, an indie dark comedy with action elements from filmmaker Jon Osbeck. The trio joins a cast that also includes Jo-Ann Robinson and Cullen Douglas.

Written and produced by Dino Tripodis, Ralph Scott, and Osbeck, Down to the Felt tells the story of Paul (Stahl-David), a down-on-his-luck compulsive gambler who makes a desperate deal with a psychopathic hitman (Weston) to kill him in two weeks. But then he meets Erica (Thompson), a mystery woman, and life suddenly starts dealing him aces.

Previously co-directing the award-winning military drama Minus One, Osbeck is also producing Down to the Felt through his production shingle Big Deal Pictures, alongside Douglas.

Stated Osbeck, “It’s truly an embarrassment of riches to be working with both Michaels and Scottie. Their roles all demand...

Looking to replicate the present-day Halloween franchise's (albeit mixed) success, Universal and Blumhouse splashed out $400 million on the rights to The Exorcist and let David Gordon Green loose on what was planned as a new trilogy. But then the results for The Exorcist: Believer were more financially and critically horrifying than the film was scary, and Green opted to move on to pastures new. Still intent on making at least one more movie, the studio and production company have now turned to someone who has plenty of experience bringing successful scares to screens: Mike Flanagan.

The writer/director, who has been responsible for the big screen likes of Oculus, Before I Wake and Doctor Sleep and the Netflix terror titles The Haunting Of Hill House, Midnight Mass and The Fall Of The House Of Usher, among others, would reportedly be given free creative rein to do what he wants with The Exorcist: Deceiver,...

Universal Pictures and Peacock forked over an amount somewhere in the range of $400 million to acquire the rights to distribute a trilogy of sequels to the 1973 classic The Exorcist, which we’re going to another collaboration between Blumhouse Productions and director David Gordon Green (who recently delivered a trilogy of Halloween sequels), they were definitely expecting the first entry in the new trilogy to go over better with audiences than The Exorcist: Believer did when it was released last October. (You can read our 4/10 review Here.) The box office numbers were okay, the movie pulled in $137 million on a $30 million budget, but Universal was hoping for a lot better than “okay,” and viewer reactions were largely negative. Soon after the release of Believer, we heard that Universal and Blumhouse still intended to carry out the trilogy, but the follow-ups would be reworked – and Green had left the project. Now it...

Nearly three years have gone by since Chris Stuckmann, a movie critic and author with a channel on YouTube that has over 2 million subscribers, signed a deal with Paper Street Pictures to write and direct the mystery horror film Shelby Oaks. Two years ago, the project became the most-funded horror film project in Kickstarter history, with its crowdfunding campaign pulling in over $1 million. Filming took place in the Cleveland, Ohio area back in 2022, and while we still don’t know when we’re going to have a chance to see Shelby Oaks, Deadline reports that genre filmmaker Mike Flanagan has just board the project, which is making its way through post-production, as an executive producer.

Flanagan’s previous credits include Absentia, Oculus, Hush, Before I Wake, Ouija: Origin of Evil, Gerald’s Game, The Haunting of Hill House, Doctor Sleep, The Haunting of Bly Manor, Midnight Mass, The Midnight Club, and...

Mike Flanagan has become perhaps the most recognizable name in horror working these days. He has delivered fantastic movies and series repeatedly. His work on Netflix is notorious with hits like The Haunting of Hill House and The Haunting of Bly Manor but that will soon change as his exclusivity deal has been switched to Prime Video. His movies, like Hush and Gerald's Game, also showed his skill with the genre, especially with Gerald's Game, based on the Stephen King novel that was said to be unfilmable. Only, one of his movies flew under the radar, even after his breakout hit on Netflix with Hush. Before I Wake was intended to be a theatrical release, but ended up in limbo for a while. It is one of Flanagan's more fantastical films, but the seeds of his future are seen in it. If you liked The Haunting of Hill House, you...

Jacob Tremblay takes on a challenging and different role in the film Cold Copy, showcasing his range as an actor. Tremblay's character, Igor, is emotionally tortured and withdrawn, leading to intense and emotional scenes in the film opposite star Bel Powley. Tremblay also discusses The Little Mermaid backlash, the one role that was maybe too intense, and his upcoming Stephen King adaptation with Mike Flanagan.

Jacob Tremblay is one of the most impressive young actors working today, something made all the more impressive by the fact that he seems genuinely decent and 'normal,' as opposed to the horror stories we often hear about children who grow up in the industry. He's still the youngest nominee for the Screen Actors Guild Award for a Supporting Male Actor for his powerhouse role in the film Room. He was only nine at the time, and yet he was responsible for at...

The Life of Chuck is a unique and different film that Jacob Tremblay is excited for people to watch. Tremblay had a great time working with director Mike Flanagan on set, who keeps things fun but serious when needed. Tremblay watched Flangan's previous film, Before I Wake, while filming The Life of Chuck, and memories from the set came flooding back.

The third Stephen King adaptation from Mike Flanagan is inching our way, and that's reason to be excited. Flanagan has gained acclaim for his previous King projects - Doctor Sleep and Gerald's Game - and if history repeats itself, The Life of Chuck will also impress. Jacob Tremblay, who stars in Flanagan's upcoming film, recently joined us here at MovieWeb to discuss his new movie, Cold Copy. During that conversation, we couldn't resist and asked Tremblay if he could share anything about The Life of Chuck:

"It's just...

Mike Flanagan is returning to producing for his next movie, a role he hasn't had since his directorial debut Absentia. Flanagan has successfully adapted many Stephen King novels into acclaimed movies, including Gerald's Game and Doctor Sleep. The Life of Chuck will be Flanagan's first movie as a producer since 2011, making it a potentially very personal film for him.

Mike Flanagan's next Stephen King adaptation will see him step back into a role he hasn't taken since his directorial debut. Alongside filmmakers like James Wan, Flanagan has emerged as one of the best horror movie directors of his generation. Mike Flanagan's movies and TV shows are often intensely emotional, but they always deliver on the scares too. He's also noted for his love of Stephen King and managed the seemingly impossible when he turned the author's "unfilmable" novel Gerald's Game into an acclaimed Netflix movie.

Flanagan did the impossible again...

During an interview last week, Tom Hiddleston (Loki) confirmed that his work on the film The Life of Chuck – the latest Stephen King adaptation from Mike Flanagan, who has previously been at the helm of the Stephen King adaptations Gerald’s Game and Doctor Sleep (and is also developing a series adaptation of The Dark Tower for Amazon Studios) – was complete. Flanagan has since taken to social media to confirm that filming has wrapped completely… and to let us know that The Life of Chuck is not a horror movie. Which makes sense, since we’ve previously heard that the movie will be similar in tone to the likes of Stand By Me, The Shawshank Redemption, and The Green Mile (and Hiddleston himself compared it to The Shawshank Redemption).

Based on the short story from King’s 2020 anthology If It Bleeds, The Life of Chuck consists of three separate stories linked...

From left: The Hateful Eight (The Weinstein Company), The Killer (Netflix), I Care A Lot (Seacia Pavao/Netflix), Uncut Gems (A24)Graphic: The A.V. Club

In the film genre pecking order, thrillers often get short shrift. They sometimes overlap with the far flashier horror genre, and seldom make the...

Warning! This article contains spoilers for The Fall of the House of Usher!

The Fall of the House of Usher is filled with hidden cameos from actors who have previously worked with Mike Flanagan, adding to the thrill of watching. Elyse Maloway, Elan Gale, Vincent Gale, Jaren Moore, Molly C. Quinn, Robert Longstreet, Annabeth Gish, Lulu Wilson, Alex Essoe, Chelsea Hamill, and even Mike Flanagan himself make appearances in the show. These cameos serve as Easter eggs for fans of Flanagan's previous works, creating a sense of familiarity and connection within the "Flanaverse."

The "Flanaverse" is no stranger to unexpected treats hidden under the direction of the prolific writer-director Mike Flanagan, and Netflix's The Fall Of The House Of Usher enthusiastically fulfills the trend with several surprising cameos dispersed across the season. The Fall of the House of Usher is loosely adapted from Edgar Allan Poe's Gothic short story of the same name,...

Mike Flanagan's upcoming horror adaptation, The Life of Chuck, highlights his talent for adapting the works of iconic horror authors, such as Stephen King. Flanagan effectively embraces the perspectives of children in his work, producing some of the best horror adaptations in recent memory. The Life of Chuck includes a strong cast of child actors, including Jacob Tremblay, Violet McGraw, and Annalise Basso, who have all delivered great performances in previous Flanagan projects.

The Life of Chuck, Mike Flanagan’s upcoming horror fiction adaptation, will once again highlight one of the filmmaker’s greatest strengths. Flanagan is rapidly making a name for himself as the biggest name in horror literary adaptations. While the writer-director has plenty of clout from original screenplays such as Hush and Oculus, his unique talent for adapting the works of iconic horror authors has rocketed him to even greater heights. Hot on the tails of...

Mike Flanagan's upcoming adaptation of Stephen King's "Life of Chuck" is in danger of breaking his streak of releasing one new project every year since 2016. Flanagan has been allowed to start shooting "Life of Chuck" during the actors' strike due to an interim agreement, potentially allowing the film to be released next year. After "Life of Chuck," Flanagan will be switching from Netflix to Amazon Prime, and it is hoped that his new deal will maintain his tradition of releasing one project per year.

Mike Flanagan’s next Stephen King movie adaptation, Life of Chuck, is at risk of breaking a seven-year streak in the director’s career – but he might manage to avoid breaking that tradition. Since helming Gerald’s Game and Doctor Sleep, Flanagan has been renowned for his King adaptations. Flanagan has two more King adaptations in the works: a TV show based on King’s...

Simply put, Mike Flanagan is one of the most intriguing and formally gifted horror filmmakers we've got. In efforts ranging from spine-tingling early works like Oculus and Hush to more ambitious efforts like his Netflix Haunting shows or Midnight Mass, Flanagan has continued exploring untapped sources of dread, all of which are rooted in some terrible form of banal, everyday loss. The child of a madman grows up to be a cynical wreck of an adult in Doctor Sleep (Flanagan’s underrated sequel to The Shining). A couple adopts a child tormented by nightmares, believing that this act will solve problems in their personal lives (the 2016 chiller Before I Wake). Two lovebirds play a kinky sex game that goes horribly, fatally wrong, exposing a roiling sea of psychic wounds. Flanagan’s characters are almost always wrestling with the demons of their pasts. Oftentimes, they’re knowingly fighting a losing battle...

Karen Gillan and Chiwetel Ejiofor are joining fellow Marvel star Tom Hiddleston in Mike Flanagan’s newest Stephen King movie The Life of Chuck.

Per Deadline, Gillan and Ejiofor have joined the cast of the upcoming horror movie along with Flanagan’s frequent collaborator Jacob Tremblay, from 2016’s Before I Wake and 2019’s Doctor Sleep. Besides Hiddleston, the film is also being led by Star Wars vet Mark Hamill, who recently appeared as lawyer Arthur Pym in Flanagan’s final show for Netflix, The Fall of the House of Usher. In The Life of Chuck, the Loki star is set to portray the titular role of Charles Krantz, whose life will be told in reverse. Meanwhile, Hamill will be playing a mysterious character named Albie. As for the three new cast members, further details about their respective character descriptions have not yet been disclosed.

Related: Loki Season 2 is Tom Hiddleston's...

Exclusive: Chiwetel Ejiofor (Rob Peace), Karen Gillan (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3) and Jacob Tremblay (The Toxic Avenger) have joined the cast of The Life of Chuck, the latest of many Stephen King adaptations from filmmaker Mike Flanagan (Doctor Sleep), which kicked off production in Alabama under an interim agreement earlier this month. Tom Hiddleston and Mark Hamill lead the ensemble of the pic, written and directed by Flanagan, as we were first to tell you.

Also now involved is QWGmire, the production and financing entity known for the indie horror Agnes and the forthcoming Lovely, Dark and Deep, which has made a major equity investment in the independently financed feature.

Stated QWGmire partners Molly C. Quinn, Matthew M. Welty and Elan Gale, “We are thrilled to partner with Mike and Trevor [Macy] on this project. Mike is a master storyteller and we can’t wait to bring his...

Clockwise from top left: Get Out (Universal Pictures); Jaws (Screenshot: YouTube/Universal); The Strangers (Screenshot: Universal/Rogue Pictures); It Follows (Radius/TWC)Graphic: The A.V. Club

Pick a film genre, any film genre, and Netflix is likely to have you more than covered in terms of viewing options—from the...

Warning: Spoilers ahead for The Fall of the House of Usher.

The Fall of the House of Usher ranks below The Haunting of Hill House and The Haunting of Bly Manor in terms of scares and thrills. The Fall of the House of Usher is on par with The Midnight Club in delivering scares, but both focus more on storytelling than genuine scares. The Fall of the House of Usher has a more gothic and thematic horror, exploring themes of grief, guilt, morality, and the impact of material success and the opioid crisis.

Mike Flanagan has often been credited for creating some of the most compelling horror shows of modern times, but is his latest outing, The Fall of the House of Usher, scarier than his previous works? Although Mike Flanagan had previously proven his horror forte by delivering white-knuckling horror flicks like Hush, Gerald's Game, and Before I Wake,...