Latest news with #MikeFlanagan
Forbes
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Tom Hiddleston's ‘The Life Of Chuck' New On Streaming This Week, Report Says
Tom Hiddleston in "The Life of Chuck." Director Mike Flanagan's The Life of Chuck, starring Tom Hiddleston, is reportedly coming to digital streaming this week. After opening in limited release on June 6, The Life of Chuck — which is based on a short story by Stephen King — expanded to theaters nationwide on June 13. Released by indie studio NEON, the film's summary reads, 'From the hearts and minds of Stephen King and Mike Flanagan comes The Life of Chuck, the extraordinary story of an ordinary man. This unforgettable, genre-bending tale celebrates the life of Charles 'Chuck' Krantz as he experiences the wonder of love, the heartbreak of loss, and the multitudes contained in all of us.' Rated R, The Life of Chuck is expected to be released on digital streaming via premium video on demand on Tuesday, July 29, When to Stream. While When to Stream is typically accurate with its streaming reports, the streaming tracker noted that Neon has not announced or confirmed the release date of the film and as such, it is subject to change. The Life of Chuck is currently listed on Prime Video for pre-order for $19.99, which is also the film's digital purchase price. Since PVOD rentals are typically $5 less than purchase prices, viewers can expect to rent The Life of Chuck for $14.99 for 48 hours. In addition to Prime Video, The Life of Chuck will also be available on such digital platforms as Apple TV, Fandango at Home and YouTube. Tom Hiddleston Says He Was 'Overwhelmingly Moved' By 'The Life Of Chuck' Screenplay In an interview with Men's Health published in mid-June, Tom Hiddleston said that he read Mike Flanagan's screenplay for The Life of Chuck in one sitting and that he was "overwhelmingly moved' by it. 'I understood what Mike's extraordinary screenplay and Stephen King's short story was trying to say, which is that every seemingly ordinary human life is magic,' the Loki star told Men's Health. 'And that inside the soul of every human being is an internal world of connections, both real and imagined, connections to people we love, to experiences we've shared, to memories we've made.' In addition to Hiddleston, The Life of Chuck also stars Jacob Tremblay, Benjamin Pajak and Cody Flanagan as the younger versions of Chuck. The film's cast also includes Chiwetel Ejiofor, Mia Sara, Karen Gillan, Carl Lumbly, David Dastmalchian, Matthew Lillard, Harvey Guillén and Mark Hamill. The Life of Chuck is expected to be released on PVOD on Tuesday.
Geek Tyrant
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
James Gunn Talks About DC's CLAYFACE and Says it Will Be a 'Complete Horror Film' — GeekTyrant
The upcoming Clayface movie will not feel like any other DCU project that's being developed. While Superman is aiming to inspire hope, this one dives deep into pure terror. Speaking with CBS Mornings, James Gunn teased the tone of the film, saying: "And then we got Clayface, which is like a totally different thing. Although it's in the same universe, it's a complete horror film. That's one of the things we want to do… there's not a company style. It's not like every movie is going to be like Superman." For Gunn, the goal is to keep each project distinct, mirroring what DC Comics has always done on the page: "The artists and the directors and the writers that create each one will bring their own sense to it.' The movie comes from writer Mike Flanagan, the mind behind The Haunting of Hill House and Doctor Sleep , wrote the original script. While it's seen some rewrites from Drive screenwriter Hossein Amini, Gunn insists "it's all Mike's story." Bringing the story to life is James Watkins, the filmmaker behind the chilling 2024 psychological nightmare Speak No Evil , as well as The Woman in Black and Eden Lake . With Flanagan and Watkins at the helm, expect a DC film that leans into atmospheric dread and visceral horror. Gunn previously said of the film: '[It's] pure f***ing horror, like, totally real. Their version of that movie, it is so real and true and psychological and body horror and gross.' Flanagan prevously opened up about the project and confirmed that his version of Clayface was heavily inspired by the acclaimed two-part Batman: The Animated Series episode 'Feat of Clay.' When asked if his script was inspired by that, Flanagan said: 'Of course it was. I mean that is the perfect [story]. 'Feat of Clay,' Ron Perlman, to me, that's it. That two-parter knocked me out. The short answer is that is absolutely that is what inspired my script. 'That is the world I wanted to live in. Batman: The Animated Series when I was growing up was my Batman. As much as [Michael] Keaton was my Batman, The Animated Series really was my Batman.' That emotional anchor from the animated series clearly left a mark on Flanagan. While he's not directing the film due to other projects like Carrie, his story may still shape the final product. Clayface first appeared in Detective Comics back in 1940. Traditionally, the character is an actor who becomes a criminal after embracing his monstrous alter ego. Across the decades, multiple versions have shared his signature shape-shifting, clay-like body—an ability that will undoubtedly play into the film's unsettling tone. DC Studios plans to release Clayface on September 11, 2026.
Forbes
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Tom Hiddleston's ‘The Life Of Chuck' Gets Streaming Date, Report Says
"The Life of Chuck" partial poster featuring Tom Hiddleston. The Life of Chuck, director Mike Flanagan's movie adaptation of the Stephen King story starring Tom Hiddleston, is coming soon to streaming. The Life of Chuck opened in limited release in theaters on June 6 before it expanded to a wide release on June 13. The official summary for the movie reads, 'From the hearts and minds of Stephen King and Mike Flanagan comes The Life of Chuck, the extraordinary story of an ordinary man. "This unforgettable, genre-bending tale celebrates the life of Charles 'Chuck' Krantz as he experiences the wonder of love, the heartbreak of loss, and the multitudes contained in all of us.' Rated R, The Life of Chuck also stars Jacob Tremblay, Benjamin Pajak and Cody Flanagan as the younger versions of Chuck. The film's cast also includes Chiwetel Ejiofor, Mia Sara, Karen Gillan, Carl Lumbly, David Dastmalchian, Matthew Lillard, Harvey Guillén and Mark Hamill. The Life of Chuck is expected to be released on digital streaming via premium video on demand on Tuesday, July 29, When to Stream reported. While When to Stream's PVOD reports are typically accurate, the streamer tracker noted that The Life of Chuck's release date for digital streaming has not been announced or confirmed by its studio, Neon, and it is subject to change. Currently, The Life of Chuck is available for pre-order for $19.99, which will be the film's purchase price on digital. Since digital rental prices are generally $5 less than purchase prices, viewers can expect to rent the film for 48 hours for $14.99. How Did Audiences And Critics React To 'The Life of Chuck'? The Life of Chuck has earned $6.3 million domestically and $1.1 million internationally for a worldwide box office tally of $7.4 million to date. The film's production budget is not available. The Life of Chuck received an 81% 'fresh' rating from Rotten Tomatoes critics based on 211 reviews. The RT Critics Consensus for the film reads, 'Showing a sweeter side of director Mike Flanagan's deeply-felt emotional register, The Life of Chuck is a buoyant and often wonderful adaptation of one of Stephen King's more cosmically optimistic tales.' Audiences gave The Life of Chuck an 88% 'fresh' score on RT's Popcornmeter based on 500-plus verified user ratings. The RT audience summary for the film reads, 'The Life of Chuck refreshingly defies the norm, delivering a heartfelt non-linear experience that brings joy in the form of a dancing Tom Hiddleston.' The Life of Chuck is expected to be released on PVOD on July 29.
Screen Geek
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Screen Geek
One Of Stephen King's Most Intense Horror Movies Is Streaming On Netflix
The work of horror author Stephen King has inspired so many great films and shows over the years. Of course, it can be difficult to keep track of them all. Here's a recommendation for one intense Stephen King adaptation you may have missed on Netflix – which was directed by none other than Mike Flanagan. Flanagan has made a name for himself both on and off Netflix, having been involved with several exclusive films and shows for the streaming platform. With original titles that include Hush and Midnight Mass , Flanagan also helmed the theatrical King adaptation Doctor Sleep . As for Netflix, however, he chose to adapt a King story that was long considered impossible to film. The story has a very unique setting, one which sees its protagonist trapped in a singular area. Of course, that's a great opportunity to induce some psychological horror, as King's novel exceled in doing. Flanagan takes those concepts and somehow makes it all work for a cinematic interpretation. The Mike Flanagan Netflix film based on the Stephen King novel, Gerald's Game , revolves around Carla Gugino's Jessie Burlingame and her husband, Gerald, played by Bruce Greenwood. The two take a vacation at an isolated lake house. During their time there, however, the two decide to spice up their relationship with a game of bondage, which leaves Jessie cuffed to their bed. One thing leads to another and Gerald suffers a heart attack, with Jessie forced to survive as she battles her inner demons and some that may be more real than she suspects. Mike Flanagan directed Gerald's Game from a screenplay he co-wrote with Jeff Howard based on Stephen King's novel of the same name. The cast includes Carla Gugino, Bruce Greenwood, Carel Struycken, Henry Thomas, and Kate Siegel. Stay tuned to ScreenGeek for more recommendations on Netflix and other such streaming services as we have them to offer, including other Stephen King adaptations. The master of horror has contributed to many great films and shows over the years, with Gerald's Game being just one small example.
Yahoo
06-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Stephen King is a big 'softie,' and 'Life of Chuck' showcases his joyful side
Mike Flanagan has gone to the movies with Stephen King twice in his life. When Flanagan adapted King's 'The Shining' sequel 'Doctor Sleep' in 2019, he screened it early for King in an empty Maine movie theater near the author's Bangor home and 'it was probably deeply uncomfortable for both of us,' Flanagan says. 'He happened to love the movie, but I was staring at him the whole time, just microanalyzing everything.' Years later, when the writer/director made a cinematic version of King's novella 'The Life of Chuck' (in theaters nationwide June 13), Flanagan just sent him an online screening link. 'He loved it. And then kept asking to see it again,' the filmmaker recalls. 'We kept refreshing Steve's link. By the sixth or seventh time, I'm like, 'He really loves this movie.'' Join our Watch Party! Sign up to receive USA TODAY's movie and TV recommendations right in your inbox So much so that it led to the second time they watched a movie together, with a thousand other people for the "Chuck" premiere last year at Toronto International Film Festival. The buzzy film won the fest's prized audience award − a harbinger of Oscar consideration, considering that the past 12 winners all nabbed best picture nominations – and has earned critical acclaim (80% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes). It's also the rare King movie that, instead of a nightmare scenario, is the life-affirming tale of a seemingly ordinary accountant (Tom Hiddleston). Flanagan kept the author's unconventional three-act structure, told in reverse chronological order, that features the end of the world, an impromptu dance sequence and Chuck's formative kid years. Usually, King's main characters are introduced having to deal with some sort of trauma, horror and/or supernatural clown. Our man Chuck comes alive one warm Thursday afternoon when the businessman hears a busking drummer. 'He puts his briefcase down and starts to move his hips to the beat of those drums,' Hiddleston says. 'And something remarkable happens and all of his interior joy explodes out of it.' The scene expresses 'something really profound,' the actor adds, 'which is that as we get older, perhaps our lives seem to reduce, but we still contain those infinite possibilities that we understood as children.' The dance is King's favorite: Flanagan reports that the author frequently revisits that bit during his "Chuck" viewings. At King's core, 'he's a softie that loves people,' adds Kate Siegel, Flanagan's wife, who plays Chuck's English teacher in the movie. 'He also loves to destroy you and kill off your favorite characters." Like many of the iconic author's Constant Readers, Flanagan has watched his share of bad Stephen King movies over the years. He freely admits that 2017's 'The Dark Tower' movie was one of them. (He's working on turning King's fantasy series into a TV show.) 'When I saw 'Dreamcatcher' opening day, I was like, 'What happened?' ' he says. A lot of filmmakers struggle to understand King's work, but Flanagan inherently gets it, as does Frank Darabont ('The Shawshank Redemption') and Rob Reiner ('Stand By Me'): 'He's not writing horror even when he is writing horror,' Flanagan says. 'He's an optimistic humanist and he's writing about love and humanity.' For example, 'Pet Sematary' is 'the scariest book I've ever read in my life,' Flanagan says. But 'if you're making a movie about zombies coming back reanimated by a cemetery, you're making the wrong movie. If you're making a movie about how a parent could never resist the chance to save their child, then you're making the right movie. 'What always leaps out to me is, what is he really talking about here? Because if you say 'The Shining' is about a haunted hotel, and you don't say 'The Shining' is about alcoholism, you've missed it.' King is 'someone with enormous courage in exploring corners of life that some of us might be too frightened to explore,' Hiddleston adds. But Flanagan smartly 'doesn't pigeonhole Stephen King. He sees King's breadth and range.' Of King's more than 60 novels – plus many short stories and novellas – Mark Hamill figures he's read at least 40. (Currently, he's deep into King's 'On Writing.') For the "Star Wars" icon, who plays Chuck's grandpa Albie, the magic of King's prose is in the language. 'It's not like adjusting to the way Charles Dickens writes, or Mark Twain. He speaks the way we speak,' Hamill says. 'You're comfortable in space and time and familiar with the characters. So when things do go wonky, he already has you in his grip." King's writing is "timeless," says "Chuck" castmate Karen Gillan. "We're all dealing with different things at different stages of life, but ultimately, he's exploring emotions that we can all connect to." When a new King book is released, Flanagan first digs in as a fan. 'He's always been such a visual writer that inevitably there's this imaginary movie that plays in your head when you read it,' he says. With 'Gerald's Game,' Flanagan had that movie in his head for more than a decade before making it for Netflix. 'Doctor Sleep' was 'this incredible puzzle box' where he had to weave together conflicting aspects of King's original 'Shining' narrative and Stanley Kubrick's classic movie, 'and it was nauseating every day to try to navigate it,' he says. And after being emotionally steamrolled by his first reading of King's "Chuck" novella – to the point of "tears on my cheeks" – Flanagan's mission was simple: "Don't mess it up. It's about taking that beautiful story and just getting it up on the screen." This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'The Life of Chuck': New Stephen King movie digs into his humanity
