The Halloween season gives us a chance to celebrate all our favorite horror creators. One of the best genre filmmakers of the last decade has beenMike Flanagan. The director is coming off another Netflix hit withThe Midnight Club, but horror fans are already clamoring for his next seriesThe Fall of the House of Usher. In a recent interview withThe Wrap, Flanagan teased what to expect from this terrifying series. He compares its carnage to a legendary horror sub-genre.
“It’s crazy. It is unlike anything I’ve ever done, but in the other direction,” Flanagan said. “My favorite way to describe it to people is likeHill Houseis kind of a string quartet, andBly Manoris this delicate, kind of beautiful piece of classical piano music, andThe Fall of the House of Usheris heavy metal. It’s rock and roll.” If that wasn’t enough to make horror fans scream, Flanagan added, “It’s the closest I will get to Giallo. It’s wild. It is colorful and dark and blood-soaked and wicked and funny, and aggressive and scary and hilarious.” The director finished teasing fans, saying:
“I’ve never gotten to work on anything like it. We left everything on the field with it, and it’s just bombastic fun. I’m really excited for that to find its way out because I especially think bothThe Midnight ClubandUsherjust go off in their own drastically different directions, and next to each other they’re fascinating to me.”
When anyone has a conversation about the best horror stories, Giallo films are never too far behind. This experimental Italian sub-genre refers to horror films that usually feature mystery killers and a uniquely thick atmosphere. They’re often covered in blood, graphic kills, and erotic imagery. Films likeDario Argento’sSuspiria,Deep Red, andJames Wan’sMalignantare great examples of this twisted genre. Many fan-favorite American slashers likeHalloween,A Nightmare on Elm Street, andScreamalso share DNA with the Giallo style. That’s why it’s so exciting to see a brilliant mind like Flanagan tackle this type of storytelling. Like he alluded to, every one of his projects have felt very distinct.Hushwas his take on a straight-up slasher,Doctor Sleepwas a horror epic,The Haunting of Bly Manorwas a tragic gothic romance, andThe Midnight Clubwas a unique spin on YA horror that celebrated the value of storytelling. Flanagan hasn’t shied away from extremely dark blood-soaked stories with his masterpieceMidnight Massbeing a prime example. However, knowing the director is fully stepping into that bizarrely creative sub-genre is sure to put a smile on any horror fan’s face.
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Especially given its Flanagan’s take onThe Fall of the House of Usher. It sounds gleefully crazy and will be the director’s next story based on an iconic horror author. This limited series will be adapting the classicEdgar Allan Poestory along with other works from the author.House of Usherwas famously adapted in the 1960 film which starredVincent Price. Flanagan previously adapted work fromStephen King,Henry James, andChristopher Pike.
The Fall of the House of Usherwill consist of eight episodes and will starMary McDonnell,Carl Lumbly,Willa Fitzgerald,Malcolm Goodwin,andMark Hamill. They will also be joined by Flanagan regularsCarla Gugino,Rahul Kohli,Henry Thomas,T’Nia Miller,Crystal Balint,Michael Trucco,Zach Gilford,Sauriyan Sapkota,Samantha Sloyan,Katie Parker,Kate Siegel, andBruce Greenwood. The series will premiere in 2023 with Flanagan recently teasing at New York Comic Con that we could see it as early asMarch.
However, while we wait for Flanagan’s next potential horror masterpiece, you can stream his newest seriesThe Midnight Clubon Netflix now. The streamer is also home to the director’s other great genre works likeHush,Gerald’s Game,The Haunting of Hill House,The Haunting of Bly Manor, andMidnight Mass.
