The annual highlights on Netflix also include Mike Flanagan’s horror formats. After “Spuk in Hill House”, “Spuk in Bly Manor” and “Midnight Mass”, the series “Goosebumps at Midnight” recently appeared on the streaming service, which is currently one place behind the leader “In the internal Netflix top 10” in Germany “. Dahmer – Monster”. But while many subscribers probably haven’t seen the entire miniseries yet, Flanagan’s sequel is already in the starting blocks: “The Fall Of The House Of Usher”.
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The series is based on Edgar Allen Poe’s short story “The Fall of the House of Usher” among other things, but is also based on other works by the world-renowned author. It’s all about a nameless man who visits his old, aristocratic childhood friend in a dilapidated mansion. A strange crevice runs through the walls and the house sits on an eerie, misty lake, where a demonic force is said to be playing mischief. The series has been cast with Mark Hamill (“Star Wars”), Carla Gugino (“The Game”) and Kate Siegel (“Hush”).
The shooting of the eight-episode miniseries wrapped up in the summer after production suffered a major setback midway through: Frank Langella (“Frost/Nixon”), the show’s original lead actor, was fired over sexual harassment allegations. All scenes featuring family patriarch Roderick Usher’s character had to be re-shot. The role was recast by Bruce Greenwood (Pike from Star Trek).
Opposite to Mike Flanagan has now commented on “Usher” and once again sparked fans’ anticipation, though he already chose similar words in October 2021: “It’s crazy. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever done, in a different direction. My favorite way to describe it to people is: “Hill House” is a string quartet of sorts, “Bly Manor” is this delicate, somehow beautiful piece of classical piano music, and “The Fall Of The House Of Usher” is heavy. metal. Rock’n’roll.”
What is new, however, is the stylistic orientation that Flanagan has now mentioned for the first time: “I can’t get any closer to a giallo. it’s wild It’s colorful and dark and blood-soaked and evil and fun and aggressive and scary and hilarious. I’ve never gotten around to working on something like this. It’s just bombastic fun. I’m very excited when it comes out because I think both ‘The Midnight Club‘ like ‘guard‘ just going in their own drastically different directions and side by side are fascinating to me.”
The giallo is an Italian subgenre of classic crime novels, where the focus is not necessarily on an elaborate plot, but on explicit murders, sexual subtexts and the highly aesthetic craftsmanship of camera, decor, lighting and music. Well-known examples are Mario Bava’s “Bloody Silk”, Massimo Dallamano’s “The Secret of the Green Pin” and Dario Argento’s “Profondo Rosso”. James Wan recently staged a Giallo homage with “Malignant”.
When “The Fall Of The House Of Usher” will come to Netflix is not yet clear. But since the miniseries is already in post-production, you can probably go back to the time period Halloween 2023 contract. Mike Flanagan did not direct all the episodes himself, but shared the direction with Michael Fimognari, who was previously Flanagan’s cinematographer. Fimognari also directed two episodes of The Midnight Club“.