Posts

Mike Flanagan Details Production of Extended Shots in Episode Six of ‘The Haunting of Hill House’

/0 Comments/in , /by

Between his eye for ornate detail, his unconventional and well-earned scares, and his penchant for character-driven storytelling, Mike Flanagan is easily one of the most important horror directors working today. So when he takes the time to detail his process, horror fans and aspiring auteurs better take notice! Lucky for us, he spent some time on Twitter this morning breaking down the incredible extended shots in Episode Six of The Haunting of Hill House!

There are tons of reasons to be impressed by The Haunting of Hill House, but one episode in particular takes place in a funeral parlor with very few cuts for an hour-long program. The circling camera is bound to evoke a feeling of dread and claustrophobia in even the most hardened viewer as the events and circumstances of the characters spiral out of control; and Flanagan’s knack for supernatural surprises means it’s never safe to rest one’s eyes until the credits roll. According to this morning’s revelations, the daunting extended scenes were a part of Flanagan’s initial pitch for the series. He then walks readers through the ins and outs of production, including a series of time codes within the episode for each of the five shots. read more

Crain’s Story Likely Complete on ‘The Haunting of Hill House’

/0 Comments/in , /by

Unless you are living under a rock you must now know that Netflix’s The Haunting of Hill House is taking the world by storm. Directed by Mike Flanagan (Hush, Oculus) Hill House follows the Crain family as they move into an old home hoping to fix it up and flip it for a profit.

Speaking with Entertainment Weekly (warning major spoilers at EW), Flanagan spoke on many different topics including the Shirley Jackson novel which inspired the series, the Bent-Neck Lady, spotting ghosts in the series, and much more. Perhaps the most interesting thing of note mentioned was that the director felt that the Crain’s story was finished even if the series gets a second season. read more

Why ‘The Haunting of Hill House’ is the Year’s Best Series

/0 Comments/in , /by

Over the last decade there have been many very successful genre TV shows like Stranger Things, The Walking Dead, American Horror Story, and Bates Motel, just to name a few.  The latest series to scare up fans is The Haunting of Hill House from Netflix.  Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve heard the show is just incredible and prompting friends and family to hold up in their homes binge watching it.  What make this series such a standout? In a word, everything. 

The show, adapted from Shirley Jackson’s novel of the same name, seems to have captured elements needed for film to perfection.  Front and center is the meaty storyline. Fans have seen cases where books don’t always translate to the screen. The Haunting of Hill House, however, delivers a story which transcends the horror or paranormal genre.  The plotline more than drives the series, it sucks the viewer in with weighty emotional family dynamics.  Not just telling the terrifying experiences of the Crain family, but really displaying the deep wounds and trauma left by those experiences. Yes, it delivers all the creepiness horror fans want, but also showcases the humanity that many genre shows and films tend to lack. read more

Ewan McGregor to Play Danny Torrance All Grown Up in ‘The Shining’ Sequel Doctor Sleep

/0 Comments/in , /by

Who knew Danny Torrance would grow up to be such a hunk! The beyond-traumatized adolescent protagonist of Stanley Kubrick’s iconic 1980 film, The Shining, is the adult star of the upcoming sequel, Doctor Sleep. We’ve known for a while that Mike Flanagan (Oculus, Gerald’s Game, Hush) would be directing the film, based on the 2013 novel by Stephen King… but today we learned that the protagonist will be played by an A-List actor!

Variety reports that Ewan McGregor is set to star in the film as Danny Torrance, and that Stephen King himself has given his blessing to this exciting casting news. McGregor has over 80 acting credits to date, including fan favorite roles as Renton in Trainspotting and Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars prequel trilogy. While he’s certainly better known for action and drama roles than straight-up horror, he did happen to star in one episode of Tales from the Crypt in 1996. read more

Stephen King’s ‘Dr. Sleep’ Adaptation Scheduled for January 2020 Release

/0 Comments/in , , /by

Warner Brothers Pictures announced today that Stephen King’s sequel to the Shining entitled Doctor Sleep will be released on January 24,  2020.

Doctor Sleep will be directed by Mike Flanagan, who is known for Oculus, Hush, Ouija: Origin of Evil, and the recent King adaptation Gerald’s Game.

Horror News Network’s John Evans covered Doctor Sleep way back in January, and described the story as “Stephen King’s Doctor Sleep follows Danny Torrance, who is still suffering from his experiences as a young boy at the infamous Overlook Hotel. That’s where many of the most obvious connections to The Shining cease, as the majority of the novel is much more action-oriented and focused on Mr. Torrance’s conflict with a group of psychic vampires over the soul of young girl whose “shining” abilities are unparalleled. Whether Flanagan remains faithful to the text or decides to veer off in his own direction- like Kubrick did before him- remains to be seen. It’s worth noting, however, that Flanagan’s adaptation of Gerald’s Game is recognized by fans as being closest to the source text of all of the recent movies based on King’s work.” read more

Mike Flanagan to Direct ‘The Shining’ Sequel ‘Doctor Sleep’

/0 Comments/in , /by

38 years after Stanley Kubrick’s legendary adaptation of Stephen King’s The Shining redefined horror filmmaking, Warner Bros. finally is ready to bring the franchise back to the silver screen! The studio plans to adapt King’s 2013 novel, Doctor Sleep, into a major motion picture and they’ve just hired Mike Flanagan to direct the film.

The Hollywood Reporter confirms that Flanagan is set to direct, following his adaptation of King’s Gerald’s Game for Netflix. Flanagan is also known for fan favorite films such as Oculus, Hush, and Ouija: Origin of Evil. read more

Netflix’s “The Haunting of Hill House” Adds to Their Already Impressive Cast

/0 Comments/in , , /by

A good deal of thirty-somethings would list Stephen King’s The Shining as possibly the greatest haunted house book ever written. Well, Stephen King would disagree; he’d tell you that Shirley Jackson’s 1959 novel The Haunting of Hill House takes the cake.

The story of the group of folks who decide to stay in Hill House to prove the existence of the supernatural has been brought to the screen twice: first was legendary directory Robert Wise’s The Haunting in 1963 (very good) and then was director Jan de Bont’s film of the same name in 1999 (very bad). read more

Game of Thrones’ Michiel Huisman Cast as Steven Crane in Netflix’s Haunting of Hill House

/0 Comments/in , /by

As reported in April by HNN’s John Evans, Netflix announced a new series based on Shirley Jackson’s seminal haunted house tale The Haunting of Hill House to be directed by Oculus director Mike Flanagan.

Now comes news from The Hollywood Reporter that Game of Thrones star Michiel Huisman has been cast as the lead character in the Netflix horror series.

Huisman will portray “…Steven Crane, the oldest Crane sibling and a published writer of supernatural books — including a memoir about his family’s time living at Hill House.” read more

Oculus Director Mike Flanagan Working on The Haunting of Hill House Series for Netflix

/0 Comments/in , /by

Shirley Jackson’s 1959 novel, The Haunting of Hill House, inspired both a 1963 film adaptation by director Robert Wise and a 1999 CGI spectacle starring Liam Neeson and Catherine Zeta-Jones. Now, Variety reports that writer-director Mike Flanagan (Oculus, Ouija: Origin of Evil) is in the early stages of creating a 10-episode series for Netflix which will be based upon the world of Jackson’s novel.

The original novel all but established the “mysterious strangers in a haunted house” concept which would later be popularized by a variety of imitations. The new series is being described as a “modern re-imagining” of the novel. Flanagan will executive produce the series along with longtime collaborator Trevor Macy, Justin Falvey, and Darryl Frank. Amblin TV and Paramount TV will produce the series. read more