Mike Flanagan’s New Book Adaptation Can Revive A 42-Year-Old Stephen King Movie Tradition

Mike Flanagan’s next film project is the adaptation of Stephen King’s The Life of Chuck, and it can bring back an old King tradition that hasn’t been seen in a long time. Mike Flanagan has become one of the modern masters of horror thanks to his works on both TV and film. Flanagan’s career as a filmmaker began in 2011 with Absentia, but he rose to fame two years later with Oculus, written and directed by him. Since then, Flanagan has been unstoppable, bringing stories like Hush and Ouija: Origin of Evil to life before bringing his style of horror to TV.

Flanagan found great success with the TV series The Haunting of Hill House, The Haunting of Bly Manor, and Midnight Mass, but there’s also one specific horror branch where he has become quite popular. Flanagan is part of the world of Stephen King thanks to two adaptations of King’s works. First, it was Netflix’s Gerald’s Game, in 2017, and in 2019, he brought Doctor Sleep, the sequel to The Shining, both King’s novel and Stanley Kubrick’s movie. Now, Flanagan is returning to King’s universe with The Life of Chuck, with which he can revive an old Stephen King tradition.

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Mike Flanagan’s The Life Of Chuck Adaptation Could Revive Stephen King’s Movie Cameo Tradition

Stephen King Had Cameos In Various Adaptations Of His Works

Mike Flanagan’s The Life of Chuck is an adaptation of the novella of the same name published in King’s collection If It Bleeds, in 2020. The Life of Chuck is divided into three acts arranged in reversed chronological order. These tell the life story of Chuck Krantz (to be played by Tom Hiddleston), from his childhood as an orphan raised by his paternal grandparents to his death of a brain tumor at the age of 39 – and, of course, as this is a Stephen King story, there’s a sinister turn in Chuck’s life.

The Life of Chuck has a star-studded cast, which could include Stephen King as a surprise addition. Although King isn’t an actor, he has had fun cameo appearances in many adaptations of his works. However, it has been a while since he appeared in a movie or TV show based on his works. The last time King had a cameo in these projects was in the 2020 TV adaptation of The Stand, though it was a sneaky one as he appeared in a photo. In film, King’s last cameo was in It Chapter Two, playing a shopkeeper.

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The Life Of Chuck Can Break This Trend

At the time of writing, it’s unclear if Stephen King will have a role (minor or a cameo) in Mike Flanagan’s The Life of Chuck, but if he does, he would also be breaking a Flanagan/King tradition. As mentioned above, Flanagan directed Gerald’s Game and Doctor Sleep, and King didn’t have a cameo in either of those movies. The Life of Chuck, then, can revive the Stephen King cameo tradition and, at the same time, break the trend of not showing up in Mike Flanagan’s adaptations of his stories.

The Life of Chuck

Based on the short story written by Stephen King, The Life of Chuck is a drama/supernatural film by writer-director Mike Flanagan. Tom Hiddleston stars as the titular Charles Krantz and traverses three phases of his life, including his time spent growing up in a haunted house.