Mike Flanagan’s New Lovecraft Movie Is The Perfect Step Forward After His 8-Part Netflix Masterpiece

Mike Flanagan is working on a new Stephen King adaptation, which will become his most Lovecraftian project to date. A closer look at one of his best horror shows on Netflix reveals how his upcoming Lovecraftian movie is the perfect step forward for him.

When it comes to adapting Stephen King’s works, Flanagan has, time and again, proven that his cinematic vision of the King of Horror’s stories rarely falters. Not all Stephen King stories adapted by Mike Flanagan have been big hits at the box office. However, from a critical standpoint, all of them have performed incredibly well. Traces of King’s work can also be found Flanagan’s small-screen creations like The Haunting of Hill House and The Fall of the House of Usher.

Given how Flanagan has seemingly mastered the art of adapting Stephen King’s books, it is hard not to be excited about his two upcoming projects: Carrie and The Mist. What specifically makes The Mist‘s new movie adaptation intriguing, though, is that it marks Flanagan’s foray into Lovecraftian horror. It is the perfect step forward for him after The Fall of the House of Usher.

The Fall Of The House Of Usher Proves Mike Flanagan Is Ready To Adapt Stephen King’s The Mist

The Fall of the House of Usher borrows its title from Edgar Allan Poe’s short story of the same name. However, instead of solely focusing on the short story, Flanagan takes elements from numerous stories and poems written by Poe and merges them to create a more modern TV adaptation. Interestingly, Mark Hamill’s character’s backstory in The Fall of the House of Usher is based on one of Poe’s most cosmic horror works.

Hamill’s character is named Arthur Pym, whose backstory in the show has been derived from Edgar Allan Poe’s The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket. The short cosmic horror story also served as the key inspiration behind H.P. Lovecraft’s At the Mountains of Madness. This connection in Mike Flanagan’s The Fall of the House of Usher establishes that he has dabbled with Lovecraftian horror before.

Apart from the direct reference to The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket, Netflix’s The Fall of the House of Usher includes other Lovecraftian elements. For instance, the overarching supernatural villain, Verna, is portrayed as an amoral and almost godly being who exists outside the constraints of linear time.

Even the portrayal of ancestral guilt in the Netflix horror show is reminiscent of similar thematic elements in H.P. Lovecraft’s The Rats in the Walls or The Shadow Over Innsmouth. Like Lovecraftian stories, the show also explores the risks of interacting with the unknown by showing the consequences faced by Roderick and Madeline after agreeing to a pact with Verna.

While it would not be fair to say that The Fall of the House of Usher is entirely Lovecraftian, it has a few cosmic horror elements. Owing to this, it can be seen as the perfect stepping stone for Mike Flanagan to delve deeper into the horror subgenre and adapt more Lovecraftian stories like Stephen King’s The Mist.

The Mist Is Still A Risky Project For Mike Flanagan

Mike Flanagan is one of the greatest modern horror directors, and his movies and shows rarely disappoint. However, what makes The Mist a little tricky is that it already has an incredible movie adaptation. Frank Darabont’s 2007 take on the Stephen King novel is widely remembered as one of the best takes on the author’s works.

The movie also adopts the Stephen King book’s Lovecraftian roots by fully embracing its themes of humanity’s insignificance against the vastness of the universe. Even its harrowing ending is still considered one of the most memorable conclusive arcs in horror movie history.

Since 2007’s The Mist is already a near-perfect adaptation of the Stephen King story, it is hard not to wonder whether Mike Flanagan will be able to bring something better with his take. The director can still find creative ways to bring a more modern spin to The Mist, just like he did in Netflix‘s The Fall of the House of Usher. However, since the 2007 film has already set a high benchmark, Mike Flanagan‘s The Mist will have to be boldly reimagined and flawless to be able to leave its mark.