While We Wait For The Dark Tower, Mike Flanagan Is Making A New Stephen King Adaptation With Tom Hiddleston And Mark Hamill
In an update about his developing adaptation of The Dark Tower back in February, Mike Flanagan said that he is being patient with the project and letting the universe/industry tell him when it's time to make it. That means that fans are going to have to exhibit some patience as well – but that's going to be a whole lot easier now. Following Flanagan's work on Gerald's Game and Doctor Sleep, it's been announced that Flanagan is developing yet another King adaptation, and it already has some incredible talent attached.
According to Deadline, the writer/director is now working on a feature film version of The Life Of Chuck – which is based on the novella of the same name from the 2020 collection If It Bleeds (the same book that includes "Mr. Harrigan's Phone," which was adapted by writer/director John Lee Hancock last year). The project is going to be shopped at the upcoming Cannes market later this month, and one big selling point for it is the fact that it already has both Tom Hiddleston and Mark Hamill attached to star. Hiddleston will play the titular character while Hamill will play Albie, Chuck's grandfather who raised him after the death of his parents at a young age.
The novella "The Life Of Chuck" is split three acts that play out in reverse chronological order – with the opening being a surreal story that follows a protagonist living in what could be described as Chuck's internal world as he dies at the age of 39 from a brain tumor (it's quite the odd read). It's not a story that seems like a natural fit for a feature adaptation, but that's what people said about Gerald's Game, and Mike Flanagan's 2017 film is one of the best Stephen King movies of all time.
Per the trade report, Flanagan has been working on the script in the months leading up to the on-going WGA strike, and the tone is described as being in line with some big screen Stephen King classics: Stand By Me, The Shawshank Redemption, and The Green Mile.
The Life Of Chuck would mark Tom Hiddleston's first time working with Mike Flanagan, but it would be the filmmaker's second experience collaborating with Mark Hamill. The beloved Star Wars actor is a part of the exceptionally ensemble that has been put together for Flanagan's upcoming Netflix series The Fall of the House of Usher, which is now in post-production and expected to arrive on the streaming service before the end of the year.
Hopefully we'll hear some exciting news about The Life Of Chuck out of the Cannes Film Market, which kicks off next Tuesday – so stay tuned for more updates. Meanwhile, you can keep track of all of the Stephen King projects that are presently in the works for both the big and small screens via our Upcoming Stephen King Movies and TV guide.
