The upcoming film The Life of Chuck (which Neon will be giving a theatrical release on June 6th) is the latest Stephen King adaptation from Mike Flanagan, who has previously been at the helm of the Stephen King adaptations Gerald’s Game and Doctor Sleep (and is also developing series adaptations of The Dark Tower and Carrie for Amazon Studios) – but it is not a horror movie. JoBlo’s own Chris Bumbray got to see the movie a while back (you can read his 7/10 review HERE) and described it as a “bittersweet tearjerker.” A teaser trailer dropped online a month ago, now a full trailer has arrived and you can watch it in the embed above!

Based on the short story from King’s 2020 anthology If It Bleeds, The Life of Chuck consists of three separate stories linked to tell the biography of Charles Krantz in reverse, beginning with his death from a brain tumor and ending with his childhood in a supposedly haunted house. Here’s the official synopsis: A life-affirming, genre-bending story based on Stephen King’s novella about three chapters in the life of an ordinary man named Charles Krantz.

Tom Hiddleston (Loki) is playing Chuck, with Mark Hamill (Star Wars) playing a character named Albie. They are joined in the cast by Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave), Matthew Lillard (Scream), Jacob Tremblay (The Predator), Mia Sara (Ferris Bueller’s Day Off), Kate Siegel (Hush), Benjamin Pajak (Past My Bedtime), Trinity Jo-Li Bliss (Avatar: The Way of Water), Q’orianka Kilcher (The New World), Antonio Raul Corbo (Into the Dark: Pilgrim), Harvey Guillén (What We Do in the Shadows), Carl Lumbly (Doctor Sleep), Annalise Basso (Ouija: Origin of Evil), Samantha Sloyan (The Midnight Club), Rahul Kohli (Midnight Mass), Matt Biedel (Aliens Abducted My Parents), Sauriyan Sapkota (The Fall of the House of Usher), Saidah Arrika Ekulona (The Haunting of Hill House), Michael Trucco (Battlestar Galactica), Violet McGraw (M3GAN), Molly C. Quinn (Castle), and Heather Langenkamp (A Nightmare on Elm Street). Karen Gillan (Guardians of the Galaxy) and David Dastmalchian (Late Night with the Devil) are also in there. Gillan has called the movie “a beautiful masterpiece,” and Dastmalchian described it as “a beautiful, heartfelt drama.”

Are you looking forward to The Life of Chuck? Take a look at the trailer, then let us know by leaving a comment below.

The post The Life of Chuck trailer: Mike Flanagan’s new Stephen King movie reaches theatres in June appeared first on JoBlo.

The upcoming film The Life of Chuck (which Neon will be giving a theatrical release on June 6) is the latest Stephen King adaptation from Mike Flanagan, who has previously been at the helm of the Stephen King adaptations Gerald’s Game and Doctor Sleep (and is also developing a series adaptation of The Dark Tower for Amazon Studios) – but it is not a horror movie. Neon has released a new poster of The Life of Chuck, which evokes a mysterious, but beautiful journey into an introspection of life.

Based on the short story from King’s 2020 anthology If It Bleeds, The Life of Chuck consists of three separate stories linked to tell the biography of Charles Krantz in reverse, beginning with his death from a brain tumor and ending with his childhood in a supposedly haunted house.

Tom Hiddleston (Loki) is playing Chuck, with Mark Hamill (Star Wars) playing a character named Albie. They are joined in the cast by Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave), Matthew Lillard (Scream), Jacob Tremblay (The Predator), Mia Sara (Ferris Bueller’s Day Off), Kate Siegel (Hush), Benjamin Pajak (Past My Bedtime), Trinity Jo-Li Bliss (Avatar: The Way of Water), Q’orianka Kilcher (The New World), Antonio Raul Corbo (Into the Dark: Pilgrim), Harvey Guillén (What We Do in the Shadows), Carl Lumbly (Doctor Sleep), Annalise Basso (Ouija: Origin of Evil), Samantha Sloyan (The Midnight Club), Rahul Kohli (Midnight Mass), Matt Biedel (Aliens Abducted My Parents), Sauriyan Sapkota (The Fall of the House of Usher), Saidah Arrika Ekulona (The Haunting of Hill House), Michael Trucco (Battlestar Galactica), Violet McGraw (M3GAN), Molly C. Quinn (Castle), and Heather Langenkamp (A Nightmare on Elm Street). Karen Gillan (Guardians of the Galaxy) and David Dastmalchian (Late Night with the Devil) are also in there. Gillan has called the movie “a beautiful masterpiece,” and Dastmalchian described it as “a beautiful, heartfelt drama.”

JoBlo’s Chris Bumbray saw The Life of Chuck at TIFF, saying it was one of his Top 10 Films from the annual event. In his review, Chris writes, “Ultimately, Life of Chuck is different for Flanagan because he can fully explore the rich characterizations that define his work without hitting those genre beats. While that might limit his audiences, his fans (of which I am one) will undoubtedly appreciate this detour and find The Life of Chuck a bittersweet tearjerker. More than anything, it’s a warning that our time on earth is limited and that it’s best to find joy wherever we can, even in the most fleeting moments.”

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A teaser for Mike Flanagan’s (Midnight Mass, Doctor Sleep, The Haunting of Hill House) adaptation of the Stephen King novella The Life of Chuck is here to punch you in the heart and leave you feeling reflective about life and all its wonders. The Life of Chuck teaser trailer comes from NEON, which scooped up the rights to release the People’s Choice Award-winning drama starring Tom Hiddleston and an A-list cast of Hollywood greats. I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for King to hit me with a Shawshank Redemption-level story. Can he pull it off with Mike Flanagan by his side? We’ll find out when the film comes to theaters on May 30, 2025.

Variety posted a description for The Life of Chuck in September, saying, “Adapted from Stephen King’s 2020 novella, The Life of Chuck stars Tom Hiddleston and is directed by Mike Flanagan. Billed as a ‘life-affirming’ story about an ordinary man named Charles Krantz, the film is split into three distinct chapters that unfurl in reverse chronological order and are set against the backdrop of a world that appears to be slowly crumbling.”

The Life of Chuck stars Tom Hiddleston as Charles Krantz, with Karen Gillan and Harvey Guillén sharing the top of the bill. Mia Sara, David Dastmalchian, Matthew Lillard, Annalise Basso, Samanta Sloyan, Nick Offerman, Jacob Tremblay, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Carl Lumbly, Rahul Kohli, Kate Siegel, Mark Hamill, Lauren LaVera, and Q’orianka Kilcher.

NEON’s The Life of Chuck teaser trailer reminds us that life is fleeting, and we all live against borrowed time. As the clocks tick and tock, Hiddleston’s Charlie opines about the universe and his place within it. The teaser is exceptionally moody, enigmatic, and minimalistic in plot detail. I’m digging it. It’s a nice change from the bam-boom-pow trailers we typically get, and they didn’t tease the footage with a 3-second bumper at the start. Thank you, NEON!

JoBlo’s Chris Bumbray saw The Life of Chuck at TIFF, saying it was one of his Top 10 Films from the annual event. In his review, Chris writes, “Ultimately, Life of Chuck is different for Flanagan because he can fully explore the rich characterizations that define his work without hitting those genre beats. While that might limit his audiences, his fans (of which I am one) will undoubtedly appreciate this detour and find The Life of Chuck a bittersweet tearjerker. More than anything, it’s a warning that our time on earth is limited and that it’s best to find joy wherever we can, even in the most fleeting moments.”

What do you think about NEON’s The Life of Chuck teaser trailer? Let us know in the comments section below.

The post A teaser trailer for Mike Flanagan’s The Life of Chuck puts Tom Hiddleston at the center of a gripping Stephen King story appeared first on JoBlo.

The upcoming film The Life of Chuck (which Neon will be giving a theatrical release on June 6th) is the latest Stephen King adaptation from Mike Flanagan, who has previously been at the helm of the Stephen King adaptations Gerald’s Game and Doctor Sleep (and is also developing a series adaptation of The Dark Tower for Amazon Studios) – but it is not a horror movie. JoBlo’s own Chris Bumbray got to see the movie a while back (you can read his 7/10 review HERE) and described it as a “bittersweet tearjerker.” We’re still waiting to see a trailer for this one, but today a teaser poster has been unveiled and can be seen at the bottom of this article.

Based on the short story from King’s 2020 anthology If It Bleeds, The Life of Chuck consists of three separate stories linked to tell the biography of Charles Krantz in reverse, beginning with his death from a brain tumor and ending with his childhood in a supposedly haunted house.

Tom Hiddleston (Loki) is playing Chuck, with Mark Hamill (Star Wars) playing a character named Albie. They are joined in the cast by Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave), Matthew Lillard (Scream), Jacob Tremblay (The Predator), Mia Sara (Ferris Bueller’s Day Off), Kate Siegel (Hush), Benjamin Pajak (Past My Bedtime), Trinity Jo-Li Bliss (Avatar: The Way of Water), Q’orianka Kilcher (The New World), Antonio Raul Corbo (Into the Dark: Pilgrim), Harvey Guillén (What We Do in the Shadows), Carl Lumbly (Doctor Sleep), Annalise Basso (Ouija: Origin of Evil), Samantha Sloyan (The Midnight Club), Rahul Kohli (Midnight Mass), Matt Biedel (Aliens Abducted My Parents), Sauriyan Sapkota (The Fall of the House of Usher), Saidah Arrika Ekulona (The Haunting of Hill House), Michael Trucco (Battlestar Galactica), Violet McGraw (M3GAN), Molly C. Quinn (Castle), and Heather Langenkamp (A Nightmare on Elm Street). Karen Gillan (Guardians of the Galaxy) and David Dastmalchian (Late Night with the Devil) are also in there. Gillan has called the movie “a beautiful masterpiece,” and Dastmalchian described it as “a beautiful, heartfelt drama.”

Are you looking forward to The Life of Chuck? Take a look at the teaser poster, then let us know by leaving a comment below.

The post The Life of Chuck: Mike Flanagan’s new Stephen King movie unveils a teaser poster appeared first on JoBlo.

After winning the People’s Choice Award at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, the Mike Flanagan-directed adaptation of Stephen King’s The Life of Chuck is getting an official release date. Flanagan’s fantasy drama, starring Tom Hiddleston, Karen Gillan, Harvey Guillén, and more, comes to theaters on May 30, 2025. Neon distributes the adaptation, which also stars Mia Sara, David Dastmalchian, Matthew Lillard, Jacob Tremblay, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Kate Siegel, Mark Hamill, Lauren LaVera, and Q’orianka Kilcher.

Variety posted a description for The Life of Chuck in September, saying, “Adapted from Stephen King’s 2020 novella, The Life of Chuck stars Tom Hiddleston and is directed by Mike Flanagan. Billed as a ‘life-affirming’ story about an ordinary man named Charles Krantz, the film is split into three distinct chapters that unfurl in reverse chronological order and are set against the backdrop of a world that appears to be slowly crumbling.”

JoBlo’s Chris Bumbray saw The Life of Chuck at TIFF, saying it was one of his Top 10 Films from the annual event. In his review, Chris writes, “Ultimately, Life of Chuck is different for Flanagan because he can fully explore the rich characterizations that define his work without hitting those genre beats. While that might limit his audiences, his fans (of which I am one) will undoubtedly appreciate this detour and find The Life of Chuck a bittersweet tearjerker. More than anything, it’s a warning that our time on earth is limited and that it’s best to find joy wherever we can, even in the most fleeting moments.”

Oh, boy. The Life of Chuck sounds like it will hit me right in the feels. I’m already dangling by a thread. Do I really need Mike Flanagan and Stephen King to add to the pile? Then again, an old-fashioned retrospective nightmare builds character. Now, perhaps more than ever, it’s worth taking stock of all you have, knowing it could all go away in the blink of an eye. I love the idea of Mike Flanagan breaking out of his usual material for The Life of Chuck. We might never reach Shawshank Redemption heights, but we can try.

The post Mike Flanagan’s adaptation of Stephen King’s The Life of Chuck starring Tom Hiddleston gets a release date appeared first on JoBlo.

The impact that Kevin Wiliamson and Wes Craven had with Scream way back in 1996 is undeniable. “Ghostface” become quite a horror legend, As well, the classic feature spawned a new group of actors to popularity. Neve Campbell, Skeet Ulrich, Courtney Cox, David Arquette, Drew Barrymore (of course), and more. The features also offered up a stand-out performance was given by Matthew Lillard as “Stu Macher.” The actor is perhaps just as memorable in the classic than the three leads who survived a few more masked psychos along the way.

The actor continued to work in many a comedy. Even still it seems that he tends to get noticed as a horror guy. Thanks to movies like Scream, Thir13en Ghosts, and now Five Nights at Freddy’s, the dude has earned his genre cred. So much so that Lillard has moved into a few other lanes with his career. Bringing his love of all things geek-centric, the actor recently launched a little something called Find Familiar Spirits. It’s a spirits company that included the popular Quest End Whiskey. And just in time for Halloween, he has a new spell to unleash. ‘Macabre’ Tequila. And each bottle comes with a very detailed and nicely packed short story by the incomparable Mike Flanagan.

Recently, we spoke with Matthew about his latest project. And yes, the conversation brought about Scream, and a whole lot of horror talk came out of it. Lillard opened up about creating Macabre and working with Flanagan and taking on different avenues with his career. And he even dropped a few words on his previous horror entries, as well as the upcoming Five Nights at Freddy’s 2. It was a terrific conversation, and if you’d like to know more, you should check out the official site for Macabre here.

It’s Halloween, perhaps the perfect time to expand your taste with something a little Macabre.

The post Interview: Matthew Lillard on Five Nights at Freddy’s 2, Horror Movies and More! appeared first on JoBlo.

Mike Flanagan’s The Life of Chuck is earning high praise and building hype after the film won the People’s Choice Award at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival. Our own Chris Bumbray even listed it as one of the 10 favorite films of his from the festival. In his review, he states, “Ultimately, Life of Chuck is different for Flanagan because he can fully explore the rich characterizations that define his work without hitting those genre beats. While that might limit his audiences, his fans (of which I am one) will undoubtedly appreciate this detour and find The Life of Chuck a bittersweet tearjerker. More than anything, it’s a warning that our time on earth is limited and that it’s best to find joy wherever we can, even in the most fleeting moments.”

Variety is now reporting that the Stephen King adaptation has been sold to the indie production company Neon and is predicted to be released in the summer of 2025, with an awards push in the fall. Although the film is currently closing with Neon, the terms of the deal have not yet been announced as they are not yet completely finalized. Furthermore, Variety has not been able to get a spokesperson for the film distributor to comment on the acquisition at this time.

Per Variety, “Adapted from Stephen King’s 2020 novella, The Life of Chuck stars Tom Hiddleston and is directed by Mike Flanagan. Billed as a ‘life-affirming’ story about an ordinary man named Charles Krantz, the film is split into three distinct chapters that unfurl in reverse chronological order and set against the backdrop of a world that appears to be slowly crumbling. Mark Hamill, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Karen Gillan, and Jacob Tremblay co-star in The Life of Chuck, which has been compared to King adaptations like Shawshank Redemption and Stand By Me rather than It or Pet Sematary.”

One of the notable scenes from the film’s hype is Tom Hiddleston partaking in an extended dance sequence. Hiddleston spoke about his experience in filming such a sequence, “I had to do all of these technical dances, none of which I have any training in. There are some that came more easily than others. I found I love dancing jazz and swing. Bossa nova is a technical thing that took my hips a minute to get my head around. Polka is like a 100-meter sprint. It feels like a gallop.”

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The winners for this year’s Toronto International Film Festival have been announced, with Mike Flanagan’s The Life of Chuck taking home the People’s Choice Award.

Check out the full list of winners below:

People’s Choice Award: The Life of Chuck, dir. Mike Flanagan 

People’s Choice Midnight Madness Award: The Substance, dir. Coralie Fargeat

People’s Choice Documentary Award: The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal, dir. Mike Downie

Short Cuts Award for Best International Film: Deck 5B, dir. Malin Ingrid Johansson 

Short Cuts Award for Best Canadian Film: Are You Scared To Be Yourself Because You Think That You Might Fail?, dir. Bec Pecaut

FIPRESCI Award: Mother Mother, dir. K’naan Warsame

NETPAC Award: The Last of the Sea Women, dir. Sue Kim

Best Canadian Discovery Award: Universal Language, dir. Matthew Rankin

Best Canadian Feature Film Award: Shepherds, dir. Sophie Deraspe

Platform Award: They Will Be Dust, dir. Carlos Marques-Marcet

That’s a promising lineup, but one movie we want to focus on especially is Mike Flanagan’s latest Stephen King adaptation, The Life of Chuck, as it has garnered just the sort of buzz we would expect and is officially part of the Oscar discussion.

No doubt TIFF had some incredible films screening this year, which our own Chris Bumbray kept our readers in the loop about over the course of the event. One of the movies he dug was indeed The Life of Chuck (read his review here), of which he wrote: “[Flanagan’s fans (of which I am one) will undoubtedly appreciate this detour and find The Life of Chuck a bittersweet tearjerker.” In other words, don’t expect your typical Stephen King fare here. Regardless, it nabbing the People’s Choice Award is a major get, edging out the Zoe Saldaña-starring Emilia Pérez and Sean Baker’s Palme d’Or-winning Anora, both of which were named runners-up.

Posting to social media following the announcement of The Life of Chuck’s achievement, Mike Flanagan wrote, “I am absolutely, positively overwhelmed by this. Thank you so much to the audiences who opened their hearts to Chuck, and to TIFF for bringing the movie to those audiences. My heart is dancing!” Every winner since 2012 has gone on to be nominated for the Best Picture Oscar, with three – 12 Years a Slave, Green Book and Nomadland – taking it home.

It would be unfair to say that Mike Flanagan put Stephen King on the screen considering people have been adapting his works since the ‘70s (hell, King himself has been involved in the screenplays since the ‘80s). But Flanagan has been one of the most committed, having previously helmed Gerald’s Game and Doctor Sleep. That he has so much love for King and selected a non-horror keeps Flanagan at the top of ideal adapters of the writer’s works.

Meanwhile, the Demi Moore-led body horror flick, The Substance, nabbed the top Midnight Madness award. Check out our review of that WILD movie right here!

Do you think The Life of Chuck has a legitimate shot at being nominated for Best Picture? Let us know below!

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PLOT: An apocalyptic event and the life of a mild-mannered accountant named Chuck (Tom Hiddleston) have an odd correlation.

REVIEW: Two kinds of folks will be checking out this review of The Life of Chuck—those who have read the short story and those who haven’t. To be transparent, I’m one of those who have not. I was tempted to read it before making the trip to TIFF to see Mike Flanagan’s big-screen adaptation, but in the end, I didn’t because I wanted to experience the film as its own thing without any preconceived notions.

Pretty much right off the bat, I was intrigued by Flanagan’s first feature since his last Stephen King adaptation, Doctor Sleep. The film begins in one of King’s sleepy small towns, where a schoolteacher (played by Chiwetel Ejiofor) tries to keep his students engaged even though they seem to be living through an apocalyptic event. California and many other major cities are no more, the internet is down (including – most cruelly of all – PornHub), and even their town seems to be falling apart. The lovelorn teacher and his ex-wife (Karen Gillan) begin to reconnect as the world falls to pieces around them (with it all explained in one of Flanagan’s trademark monologues by Matthew Lillard in a small role). But, in the meantime, everywhere they look, there are billboards thanking Chuck for thirty-nine years of great service. 

Who the heck is Chuck?

Flanagan’s film is divided into three acts, and the second two acts (or rather the first two as the movie takes place in reverse chronological order) answer those questions. Chuck, as played by Tom Hiddleston, is a kindly, mild-mannered accountant with an inoperable brain tumor who starts to find the poetry in life and reflects on how he ended up where he is now. It’s an affecting tale that will cut close to the bone to those of us who’ve realized that our time on earth is finite and that the end, often, is closer than you might think. 

It all sounds quite dark, but like in adaptations of many of King’s other stories, such as The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, Stand By Me, and even Hearts of Atlantis, the story has a lot of sweetness. Indeed, Hiddleston has rarely been as likable as he is here, with him expertly portraying a man wrestling with his own sense that the clock is running out while finding joy in unexpected moments. The big show-stopper is a set piece where Hiddleston and a young woman (Annalise Basso) have an impromptu dance in front of a busker just because the urge hits them in the right way.

Given that it’s King and Flanagan together, you might wonder where the horror aspect comes in. It needs to be said – this isn’t that film. Life of Chuck’s is not at all scary, even if it touches on the supernatural, the apocalypse, and other classic King themes. But it’s optimistic, sporting a cast of Mike Flanagan regulars. They include Mark Hamill in a meaty role as Chuck’s loving grandfather, the long-absent Mia Sara in a lovely role as his wife, Rahul Kohli, Kate Siegel, Samantha Sloyan, Carl Lumbly, and even A Nightmare on Elm Street’s Heather Langenkamp in an unexpected (and effective) cameo. So yeah, it’s not really horror, but it has a lot of people in it that horror fans love. 

Ultimately, Life of Chuck is different for Flanagan because he can fully explore the rich characterizations that define his work without hitting those genre beats. While that might limit his audiences, his fans (of which I am one) will undoubtedly appreciate this detour and find The Life of Chuck a bittersweet tearjerker. More than anything, it’s a warning that our time on earth is limited and that it’s best to find joy wherever we can, even in the most fleeting moments. 

The Life of Chuck

GOOD

7

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The upcoming film The Life of Chuck is the latest Stephen King adaptation from Mike Flanagan, who has previously been at the helm of the Stephen King adaptations Gerald’s Game and Doctor Sleep (and is also developing a series adaptation of The Dark Tower for Amazon Studios) – but it is not a horror movie. We’ve previously heard cast member David Dastmalchian (Late Night with the Devil) describe the film as a beautiful, heartfelt drama – and now Dastmalchian’s co-star Karen Gillan (Guardians of the Galaxy) has told Movieweb that The Life of Chuck is a beautiful masterpiece.

Based on the short story from King’s 2020 anthology If It Bleeds, The Life of Chuck consists of three separate stories linked to tell the biography of Charles Krantz in reverse, beginning with his death from a brain tumor and ending with his childhood in a supposedly haunted house.

Gillan told Movieweb, “What’s interesting is that it’s not really horror. If you know the short story, you’ll know that. But it’s beautiful. I feel like he’s created a masterpiece. I’ve just never seen anything like it before. It’s sort of experimental and just gives you an existential crisis. I just cried for days afterwards. And that sounds really dramatic and funny, but it just was one of those that, like, really stays with you for a long time.“

Tom Hiddleston (Loki) is playing Chuck, with Mark Hamill (Star Wars) playing a character named Albie. They, Dastmalchian, and Gillan are joined in the cast by Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave), Matthew Lillard (Scream), Jacob Tremblay (The Predator), Mia Sara (Ferris Bueller’s Day Off), Kate Siegel (Hush), Benjamin Pajak (Past My Bedtime), Trinity Jo-Li Bliss (Avatar: The Way of Water), Q’orianka Kilcher (The New World), Antonio Raul Corbo (Into the Dark: Pilgrim), Harvey Guillén (What We Do in the Shadows), Carl Lumbly (Doctor Sleep), Annalise Basso (Ouija: Origin of Evil), Samantha Sloyan (The Midnight Club), Rahul Kohli (Midnight Mass), Matt Biedel (Aliens Abducted My Parents), Sauriyan Sapkota (The Fall of the House of Usher), Saidah Arrika Ekulona (The Haunting of Hill House), Michael Trucco (Battlestar Galactica), Violet McGraw (M3GAN), Molly C. Quinn (Castle), and Heather Langenkamp (A Nightmare on Elm Street).

Filming on The Life of Chuck wrapped back in November, and Flanagan has since confirmed that post-production has been completed as well. Now we just need to know the release date.

Are you interested in the beautiful masterpiece that is the Stephen King / Mike Flanagan collaboration The Life of Chuck? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

The post The Life of Chuck: Karen Gillan says Mike Flanagan’s new Stephen King movie is a beautiful masterpiece appeared first on JoBlo.

The upcoming film The Life of Chuck is the latest Stephen King adaptation from Mike Flanagan, who has previously been at the helm of the Stephen King adaptations Gerald’s Game and Doctor Sleep (and is also developing a series adaptation of The Dark Tower for Amazon Studios) – but it is not a horror movie. Flanagan has let it be known that this isn’t horror, and cast member David Dastmalchian has said the same in a new interview with Gizmodo, describing the film and elements in it as beautiful and heartbreaking.

Dastmalchian, who was also in the recent King adaptation The Boogeyman, said (with thanks to Coming Soon for the transcription), “It’s beautiful. You think, ‘Oh, Mike Flanagan, Stephen King, this thing’s going to just be the most horrifying, terrifying, thing you’ve ever seen.’ [But] it is so beautifully rendered, heartfelt, the drama, the performances. The cast in this is deep. [Matthew] Lillard has a moment in this film that just breaks my heart. Karen Gillan, another one who I think rides that incredible ski slope between her small indie art films and then big studio budgeted things. One of the best actors in Hollywood right now. Kate Siegel, I mean there are so [many] great people! Ah, what a joy.“

Based on the short story from King’s 2020 anthology If It Bleeds, The Life of Chuck consists of three separate stories linked to tell the biography of Charles Krantz in reverse, beginning with his death from a brain tumor and ending with his childhood in a supposedly haunted house.

Tom Hiddleston (Loki) is playing Chuck, with Mark Hamill (Star Wars) playing a character named Albie. They and Dastmalchian are joined in the cast by Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave), Jacob Tremblay (The Predator), Mia Sara (Ferris Bueller’s Day Off), Benjamin Pajak (Past My Bedtime), Trinity Jo-Li Bliss (Avatar: The Way of Water), Q’orianka Kilcher (The New World), Antonio Raul Corbo (Into the Dark: Pilgrim), Harvey Guillén (What We Do in the Shadows), Carl Lumbly (Doctor Sleep), Annalise Basso (Ouija: Origin of Evil), Samantha Sloyan (The Midnight Club), Rahul Kohli (Midnight Mass), Matt Biedel (Aliens Abducted My Parents), Sauriyan Sapkota (The Fall of the House of Usher), Saidah Arrika Ekulona (The Haunting of Hill House), Michael Trucco (Battlestar Galactica), Violet McGraw (M3GAN), Molly C. Quinn (Castle), and Heather Langenkamp (A Nightmare on Elm Street). As Dastmalchian mentioned, Matthew Lillard (Scream), Karen Gillan (Guardians of the Galaxy), and Kate Siegel (Hush) are in the cast as well.

Filming on The Life of Chuck wrapped back in November, and Flanagan has since confirmed that post-production has been completed as well. Now we just need to know the release date.

Are you looking forward to the beautiful, heartbreaking Stephen King / Mike Flanagan collaboration The Life of Chuck? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

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During an interview last week, Tom Hiddleston (Loki) confirmed that his work on the film The Life of Chuck – the latest Stephen King adaptation from Mike Flanagan, who has previously been at the helm of the Stephen King adaptations Gerald’s Game and Doctor Sleep (and is also developing a series adaptation of The Dark Tower for Amazon Studios) – was complete. Flanagan has since taken to social media to confirm that filming has wrapped completely… and to let us know that The Life of Chuck is not a horror movie. Which makes sense, since we’ve previously heard that the movie will be similar in tone to the likes of Stand By Me, The Shawshank Redemption, and The Green Mile (and Hiddleston himself compared it to The Shawshank Redemption).

Based on the short story from King’s 2020 anthology If It Bleeds, The Life of Chuck consists of three separate stories linked to tell the biography of Charles Krantz in reverse, beginning with his death from a brain tumor and ending with his childhood in a supposedly haunted house.

Hiddleston is playing Chuck, with Mark Hamill (Star Wars) playing a character named Albie. They are joined in the cast by Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave), Karen Gillan (Guardians of the Galaxy), Jacob Tremblay (The Predator), Mia Sara (Ferris Bueller’s Day Off), Benjamin Pajak (Past My Bedtime), Trinity Jo-Li Bliss (Avatar: The Way of Water), Matthew Lillard (Scream), Q’orianka Kilcher (The New World), Antonio Raul Corbo (Into the Dark: Pilgrim), Harvey Guillén (What We Do in the Shadows), David Dastmalchian (The Boogeyman), Kate Siegel (Hush), Carl Lumbly (Doctor Sleep), Annalise Basso (Ouija: Origin of Evil), Samantha Sloyan (The Midnight Club), Rahul Kohli (Midnight Mass), Matt Biedel (Aliens Abducted My Parents), Sauriyan Sapkota (The Fall of the House of Usher), Saidah Arrika Ekulona (The Haunting of Hill House), Michael Trucco (Battlestar Galactica), Violet McGraw (M3GAN), Molly C. Quinn (Castle), and Heather Langenkamp (A Nightmare on Elm Street).

Flanagan wrote on X, “That’s a wrap on THE LIFE OF CHUCK. This has been a tenacious little miracle of a movie from the start & I’m forever indebted to this wonderful cast and crew. This film is deeply special to me, and I’m elated that it’s going to exist in the world. It’s been a long time since I made something truly independent & it fed my soul to be back in the indie world where I started – especially here in Alabama, where we shot OCULUS, BEFORE I WAKE, HUSH and GERALD’S GAME. Our cast was an embarrassment of riches, our crew was small but fierce & the film itself is like nothing I’ve ever gotten to make, or will likely ever get to make again. I am in love with every frame & so grateful to every person who brought this slice of hope and joy to life. THE LIFE OF CHUCK is the movie I want to leave in the world for my kids, & I’m so grateful to Trevor Macy, @IntrepidPix, @QWGmire & @filmnation for making it happen. And many thanks of course to @StephenKing for trusting me with this beautiful, fragile, joyful story. Now I’m back to LA to edit (cannot wait), and start the long road of expectation setting that THE LIFE OF CHUCK isn’t a horror movie. Profound thanks to the cast & crew, & to Foley, Fairhope, Daphne, Spanish Fort, Bay Minette, and Mobile for your hospitality. That’s a wrap!“

Are you looking forward to The Life of Chuck? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

The post The Life of Chuck: Mike Flanagan confirms Stephen King movie has wrapped filming, isn’t horror appeared first on JoBlo.

Mike Flanagan – who has previously been at the helm of the Stephen King adaptations Gerald’s Game and Doctor Sleep (and is also developing a series adaptation of The Dark Tower for Amazon Studios) – recently went into production on another King adaptation, The Life of Chuck… and now, during an interview on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, star Tom Hiddleston (Loki) has confirmed that his work on the film has been completed. While talking about the film, Hiddleston also compared it to one of the most popular King adaptations, The Shawshank Redemption!

Based on the short story from King’s 2020 anthology If It Bleeds, The Life of Chuck consists of three separate stories linked to tell the biography of Charles Krantz in reverse, beginning with his death from a brain tumor and ending with his childhood in a supposedly haunted house.

Hiddleston is playing Chuck, with Mark Hamill (Star Wars) playing a character named Albie. They are joined in the cast by Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave), Karen Gillan (Guardians of the Galaxy), Jacob Tremblay (The Predator), Mia Sara (Ferris Bueller’s Day Off), Benjamin Pajak (Past My Bedtime), Trinity Jo-Li Bliss (Avatar: The Way of Water), Matthew Lillard (Scream), Q’orianka Kilcher (The New World), Antonio Raul Corbo (Into the Dark: Pilgrim), Harvey Guillén (What We Do in the Shadows), David Dastmalchian (The Boogeyman), Kate Siegel (Hush), Carl Lumbly (Doctor Sleep), Annalise Basso (Ouija: Origin of Evil), Samantha Sloyan (The Midnight Club), Rahul Kohli (Midnight Mass), Matt Biedel (Aliens Abducted My Parents), Sauriyan Sapkota (The Fall of the House of Usher), Saidah Arrika Ekulona (The Haunting of Hill House), Michael Trucco (Battlestar Galactica), Violet McGraw (M3GAN), Molly C. Quinn (Castle), and Heather Langenkamp (A Nightmare on Elm Street).

We had heard before that the adaptation is expected to be similar in tone to the likes of Stand By Me, The Shawshank Redeption, and The Green Mile. On the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Hiddleston said (with thanks to Screen Rant for the transcription), “As I’m speaking to you now, I’ve wrapped my days on The Life of Chuck. And I had the most wonderful time with Mike Flanagan and his team and his company. There’s a real company of actors that he works with all the time, but also some new performers, and on this Stephen King. He is a kind of primary interpreter of Stephen King, I think. And what I love about this material and the short stories out there, was it seemed to be resonant of the Stephen King who wrote The Shawshank Redemption. There’s a warmth and a kind of spirit that’s really on the side of life in the story, that I really connected to when I read it. It was just the most extraordinary script. I connected to it immediately. And then, and it’s Mike Flanagan who’s written the screenplay. So when we met, I just said this is amazing. Can I come and do it? Can I please come and do it? And yeah, and we had a great time.“

As Hiddleston mentioned, Flanagan wrote the screenplay. He is also producing the film through his company Intrepid Pictures. A few years ago, we heard that Darren Aronofsky would be producing The Life of Chuck through his company Protozoa, but he doesn’t appear to be involved with the project at this point.

Are you interested in The Life of Chuck? What do you think of it being compared to The Shawshank Redemption? Share your thoughts on this one by leaving a comment below.

The post The Life of Chuck: Tom Hiddleston compares Mike Flanagan’s Stephen King movie to The Shawshank Redemption appeared first on JoBlo.

When it was first announced that Mike Flanagan – who has previously been at the helm of the Stephen King adaptations Gerald’s Game and Doctor Sleep (and is also developing a series adaptation of The Dark Tower for Amazon Studios) – would be directing another King adaptation, The Life of Chuck, there were two actors already attached to the project: Tom Hiddleston (Loki) and Mark Hamill (Star Wars). Once filming got underway in Alabama earlier this month (the independent production was able to secure a SAG interim agreement that allows it to film while the Screen Actors Guild strike is still going on), it was revealed that Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave), Karen Gillan (Guardians of the Galaxy), and Jacob Tremblay (The Predator) are also in the cast. And now Flanagan has taken to social media to reveal the names of the rest of the characters – a list that includes A Nightmare on Elm Street icon Heather Langenkamp!

Hiddleston, Hamill, Ejiofor, Gillan, and Tremblay are joined in the cast by Mia Sara (Ferris Bueller’s Day Off), Benjamin Pajak (Past My Bedtime), Trinity Jo-Li Bliss (Avatar: The Way of Water), Matthew Lillard (Scream), Q’orianka Kilcher (The New World), Antonio Raul Corbo (Into the Dark: Pilgrim), Harvey Guillén (What We Do in the Shadows), David Dastmalchian (The Boogeyman), Kate Siegel (Hush), Carl Lumbly (Doctor Sleep), Annalise Basso (Ouija: Origin of Evil), Samantha Sloyan (The Midnight Club), Rahul Kohli (Midnight Mass), Matt Biedel (Aliens Abducted My Parents), Sauriyan Sapkota (The Fall of the House of Usher), Saidah Arrika Ekulona (The Haunting of Hill House), Michael Trucco (Battlestar Galactica), Violet McGraw (M3GAN), Molly C. Quinn (Castle), and, as mentioned, Heather Langenkamp.

Based on the short story from King’s 2020 anthology If It Bleeds, The Life of Chuck consists of three separate stories linked to tell the biography of Charles Krantz in reverse, beginning with his death from a brain tumor and ending with his childhood in a supposedly haunted house.

Hiddleston is playing Chuck, with Hamill playing a character named Albie.

The adaptation is expected to be similar in tone to the likes of Stand By Me, The Shawshank Redeption, and The Green Mile. Flanagan has written the screenplay and is also producing the film through his company Intrepid Pictures. A few years ago, we heard that Darren Aronofsky would be producing The Life of Chuck through his company Protozoa, but he doesn’t appear to be involved with the project at this point.

What do you think of the cast Mike Flanagan has assembled for The Life of Chuck? Share your thoughts on this one by leaving a comment below.

The post The Life of Chuck: Mike Flanagan reveals full cast of Stephen King film, including Heather Langenkamp appeared first on JoBlo.

The cast for Mike Flanagan’s adaptation of Stephen King’s The Life of Chuck is growing. On Monday, Deadline shared three new casting confirmations for the upcoming film, including Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness), Karen Gillan (Doctor Who, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3), and Jacob Tremblay (The Little Mermaid, Luca, The Toxic Avenger). They join Tom Hiddleston (Marvel’s Loki, Crimson Peak) and Mark Hamill (The Fall of the House of Usher, The Boy and the Heron) as primary members of the cast.

Production for The Life of Chuck is going down in Alabama under an interim agreement with SAG-AFTRA. Additionally, the production and financing outfit QWGmire is making a significant investment in the project. Speaking about partnering with Flanagan for the on-fire since The Haunting of Hill House filmmaker’s next feature, QWGmire partners Molly C. Quinn, Matthew M. Welty, and Elan Gale said, “We are thrilled to partner with Mike and Trevor [Macy] on this project. Mike is a master storyteller and we can’t wait to bring his inspirational adaptation of Stephen King’s short story to audiences.”

The Life of Chuck revolves around three interconnected stories from King’s 2020 anthology If It Bleeds. The Life of Chuck focuses on Charles Krantz in reverse, beginning with his death at age 39 from a brain tumor and ending with his growing up in a haunted childhood home. The adaptation could be similar in tone to Stand By Me, The Shawshank Redemption, and The Green Mile. Flanagan has written the screenplay and also produced the film through Intrepid Pictures.

What do you think of the concept for The Life of Chuck? Did Charles grow up in a haunted house, or was the experience an early byproduct of the tumor? I have yet to read the story, so I have no idea. All I know is that I love Mike Flanagan’s work and look forward to seeing what he does with King’s material. Have you read King’s If It Bleeds? What do you think about the casting announcements for this project? Be sure to let us know in the comments section below.

The post The Life of Chuck: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Karen Gillan, and Jacob Tremblay board Mike Flanagan’s Stephen King adaptation appeared first on JoBlo.

Earlier this year, it was announced that Mike Flanagan – who has previously been at the helm of the Stephen King adaptations Gerald’s Game and Doctor Sleep (and is also developing a series adaptation of The Dark Tower for Amazon Studios) – would be directing another King adaptation, The Life of Chuck. When the announcement was made, Tom Hiddleston (Loki) and Mark Hamill (Star Wars) were already on board to play the characters of Chuck and Albie, respectively… and they remain on board now that the project has secured a SAG interim agreement that will allow it to go into production during the ongoing SAG strike. An article posted on Gulf Coast Media reveals that The Life of Chuck will begin filming in Alabama on October 16th, with a production schedule of four weeks.

A booking agency is currently looking for the 1000 extras, in a range of ages from 11 years old and up, that will be required for the project. Most of the extras are needed for two large crowd scenes that will be filmed in Baldwin County. Click over to the Gulf Coast Media link for details on how fans can try to fill one of the available extra spots.

Based on the short story from King’s 2020 anthology If It Bleeds, The Life of Chuck consists of three separate stories linked to tell the biography of Charles Krantz in reverse, beginning with his death from a brain tumor and ending with his childhood in a supposedly haunted house.

The adaptation is expected to be similar in tone to the likes of Stand By Me, The Shawshank Redeption, and The Green Mile. Flanagan has written the screenplay and is also producing the film through his company Intrepid Pictures.

A few years ago, we heard that Darren Aronofsky would be producing The Life of Chuck through his company Protozoa, but he doesn’t appear to be involved with the project at this point.

Have you read The Life of Chuck? What do you think of Mike Flanagan directing an adaptation with Tom Hiddleston and Mark Hamill in the cast? Share your thoughts on this one by leaving a comment below.

The post The Life of Chuck: Mike Flanagan’s latest Stephen King adaptation starts filming next week appeared first on JoBlo.

I haven't read Stephen King's new short story collection IF IT BLEEDS (pick up a copy HERE), but I have heard good and interesting things about one of the stories, called THE LIFE OF CHUCK. Called "phenomenal" by USA Today, THE LIFE OF CHUCK has the following synopsis: 

As the world around him crumbles into oblivion, a man realizes that he contains multitudes. A story told in reverse, starting with the end of Chuck Krantz's life, and moving back in time to show how he'd lived that life.

USA Today went into a little more detail with their description of the story, saying it's 

told backward and in three acts about a businessman named Chuck Krantz. It begins with the end of everything (as well as a billboard emblazoned with “39 great years! Thanks, Chuck!”), moves to a chapter with a joyous dance and concludes with a room that no one wants to talk about in Chuck’s grandparents’ house. Just when you think things are getting really weird, it all snaps together like an epiphany and you get to the gorgeous meat of the matter.

Now THE LIFE OF CHUCK is set to get the film adaptation treatment, with Darren Aronofsky producing the film through his company Protozoa. As of right now, Aronofsky is only on board as producer, so we'll have to wait and see if he decides to write and/or direct the film as well.

THE LIFE OF CHUCK is said to be "really weird", and Aronofsky has done some "really weird" stuff during his career (his films include PI, REQUIEM FOR A DREAM, THE FOUNTAIN, BLACK SWAN, and mother!), so this seems to be a good match of material and producer.

Films based on two more of IF IT BLEEDS' four stories are also in the works; Ben Stiller is going to produce, direct, and star in an adaptation of RAT, and John Lee Hancock is writing and directing an adaptation of MR. HARRIGAN'S PHONE for Blumhouse, Ryan Murphy, and Netflix.
 

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