If you’re a fan of the horror genre, then the odds are that you’ve seen something by Mike Flanagan. Over the last decade, he has been omnipresent in the field. Flanagan wrote and directed film adaptations of three Stephen King novels, including Gerald’s Game and Doctor Sleep. He also has an upcoming take on The Exorcist, is writing the DC film Clayface, and has pumped out several horror series, including The Haunting of Hill House and Midnight Mass.
Sometimes when you see talent, you have to secure it. That’s exactly what Amazon has done.
Flanagan has already been hard at work for Amazon, developing a series based on King’s novel, Carrie. We’ve been reporting on that and providing updates when available. It’s a story that has seen no less than three adaptations in the past but none of them have been a straight-up television series. Amazon must have pretty high hopes for it too because they want Flanagan to do more series for them. The details are still fresh, but the deal is said to be “multi-year” and doesn’t seem to indicate anything about films.
This tracks with our previous reporting that Flanagan is working on another film adaptation of King’s The Mist. If you’re losing track of all the King adaptations he’s doing, don’t worry. The only reason we can keep them all straight is because we write about this stuff for a living. We would also note though that as of now, the information we have says that Flanagan has a contract to, “develop and produce.” That doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll be partaking in any serious show running, writing, or directing. Maybe we’ll find out more about that in the future if more details about the contract are disclosed.
Warner Bros. Pictures
The role of a producer is a flexible one. Some producers can be very hands-on in the creative process. Other producers will give general input but largely leave the show in the hands of the writers and directors. Flanagan’s track record does indicate he’s more hands on with his productions. That may not be possible here depending on the number of projects Amazon wants him to develop. Additionally, if Flanagan is completely free to direct films as well, those projects tend to be more immediately demanding of a director.
We will continue to provide updates as we learn more. We get the feeling though it might be helpful to just start a spreadsheet of all the Stephen King projects he’s doing.
