Mike Flanagan is developing one of his most Lovecraftian projects, which will potentially make up for a disastrous Stephen King show. If Stephen King is the King of Horror, Mike Flanagan rightfully deserves to be called the King of Stephen King adaptations. While Flanagan has worked on a few original and non-Stephen King adaptations as well, his long line of critically acclaimed King projects has consistently proven that he understands the author’s work better than most other filmmakers.
The director’s upcoming small-screen project, Carrie, is also based on a Stephen King book that has been adapted multiple times in the past. Considering how Carrie is among the most adapted Stephen King stories, it is hard not to wonder whether Flanagan’s take on it will be able to bring anything new to the table. However, time and again, he has proven even the most familiar classic stories can feel fresh again in his hands.
Interestingly, Carrie is not the only Stephen King adaptation he is actively working on. As reports confirm, he has also been taken on board to direct a new movie adaptation of Stephen King’s The Mist, which has already been turned into a major movie and show in the past. Only time will tell how Flanagan’s take on the Stephen King story will turn out, but it has the potential to make up for its critically panned TV adaptation.
Mike Flanagan’s Adaptation Of Stephen King’s The Mist Can Make Up For Its Failed TV Adaptation
The Mist‘s first major adaptation was in 2007. Directed by Frank Darabont, the movie did not shy away from featuring a bleak Lovecraftian ending that left viewers with a feeling of helplessness and doom. Owing to its ending, The Mist was initially quite divisive. However, over the years, it has gained “cult classic” status and is still remembered as one of the best takes on Stephen King’s works.
Roughly a decade after the movie, The Mist was given the small-screen treatment. Since the movie had already set a high bar, many viewers were already skeptical about the show. Unfortunately, the show did not change many minds and proved to be an underwhelming adaption of the original Stephen King novel. Another decade later, Mike Flanagan is adapting The Mist again for the big screen.
Since the Lovecraftian story has already been done so many times for the screen, Mike Flanagan’s take on it almost feels forced and unnecessary. After all, there are so many unadapted Stephen King stories out there that Flanagan could have picked up. The horror director could have also doubled down on his effort to bring us his highly-anticipated small-screen adaptation of The Dark Tower.
However, with Mike Flanagan at its helm, it is hard not to believe that the new Mist movie will have ingredients that other previous adaptations lacked. Flanagan has a unique ability to deliver a mishmash of several literary works instead of creating a loyal adaptation. He also finds creative ways to modernize elements of classic stories, which makes them more relatable.
Considering his history of delivering one critically acclaimed Stephen King adaptation after another in the past, he certainly can bring a unique spin on The Mist and make the adaptation work all over again. If his adaptation of the story proves to be a hit, it will make up for the show’s failures.
Flanagan’s Take On The Mist Will Struggle To Beat The 2007 Movie
Even though 2007’s The Mist changes the original Stephen King story’s ending, the author himself could not help but praise the film. The movie works so incredibly well is that, while having a fairly linear storyline, it embraces the Lovecraftian undertones of its source material. It perfectly captures how insignificant humans are in the vastness of the universe and highlights how “the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown.“
Capturing the same sense of existential dread and doom will not be an easy feat for the Mike Flanagan movie. Flanagan’s take on The Mist will also have to avoid having any similarities with the Frank Darabont movie. While it can borrow a few ingredients, any significant parallels could make the new adaptation feel derivative, which would prompt viewers to compare it with the 2007 film.
Mike Flanagan’s impressive line of work in horror brings hope that he will give us another compelling take on Stephen King‘s The Mist. At the same time, though, since the 2007 movie already seems almost perfect, any new adaptation will inevitably face the challenge of justifying its existence. Hopefully, Mike Flanagan‘s The Mist will not disappoint.
