The Life of Chuckstar David Dastmalchian teases how Mike Flanagan is approaching the upcoming Stephen King adaptation. Based on King’s novella of the same name, which can be found in his 2020 collection,If It Bleeds, the film is set to follow Tom Hiddleston’s Charles Krantz as he experiences his life in reverse order after dying from a brain tumor at age 39. It’s not yet clear who Dastmalchian is playing, but he will be joined inTheLife of Chuck’s castby previous Flanagan collaborators like Kate Siegel, Jacob Tremblay, Karen Gillan, and Mark Hamill.
In a recent interview withGamesRadar+, Dastmalchian, who had never before worked with Flanagan, discusses his experience on the set ofThe Life of Chuck, recalling just how “close-knit” and efficient the filmmaker and his team of frequent collaborators were. According to the actor, who will seemingly only have a small part as he was only on set for a couple of days,audiences can expect hallmarks of Flanagan’s work thus far like “haunting and scary” themes, as well as lots of emotion. Check out Dastmalchian’s comment below:
“I had always heard about the worlds Mike would masterfully create on his sets because it is a family unit. These are people who have worked together over many years who have really strong forms of trust and communication.
“So, when I showed up for my day of working on the movie, maybe it was two days, I got there and was immediately like, ‘Oh wow, I’ve never seen something this close-knit, this incredible before.’ It’s like a circus – they just pick it up and set it up in the next place, they are all friends and have been doing this together for so long.”
“The way he [Mike Flanagan] works is so hands on and with deep love, which is really sweet when you consider how macabre his mind is, how dark the stories he tells can be. He’s just this deeply loving human being and I think Life of Chuck really explores themes that are haunting and scary, but it’s also very emotional in a way that I wasn’t expecting.”
What Dastmalchian’s Tease Means For The Life Of Chuck
The Stephen King Adaptation Sounds Like A Classic Flanagan Project
While some filmmakers will work with different actors on every project,Flanagan is a writer/ director who seems to very much enjoy working with the same people. Flanagan has worked with Siegel, for example, his wife, on projects includingHush(2016),The Haunting of Hill House(2018),Midnight Mass(2021), and2023’sThe Fall of the House of Usher. Gillan worked with Flanagan onOculus(2013), while Hamill worked with him onThe Fall of the House of Usheras well. As Dastmalchian teases, working with previous collaborators evidently fosters a positive on-set environment.
Matthew Lillard also appears inThe Life of Chuckand, like Dastmalchian and Hiddleston, he has never worked with Flanagan before.
Dastmalchian’s comments about the story are also fitting given Flanagan’s previous work, asreviews forMidnight MassandThe Haunting of Hill House, among other projects, generally praise his ability to weave strong emotional storytelling with inventive scares and haunting atmospheres. Flanagan brought these same qualities to his previous King adaptation,Doctor Sleep(2019). From Dastmalchian’s comment, audiences should expect many of those classic Flanagan sensibilities mixed with some familiar faces, which already setsThe Life of Chuck Upfor success.
Mike Flanagan’s New Stephen King Movie Can Beat The Original Book Thanks To One Major Change
Mike Flanagan is bringing one major change to his upcoming Stephen King adaptation, which proves that the movie might even beat the source material.
Our Take On Dastmalchian’s The Life Of Chuck Comments
The Upcoming Flanagan Project Has The Makings Of A Hit
For the most part, Flanagan’s work has been acclaimed by both critics and audiences, so his unique storytelling and filmmaking sensibilities are clearly striking a chord with audiences. In addition to featuring plenty of what viewers tend to like about his projects, Chuck’s unique story and the time-travel elements of King’s novella suggest thatThe Life of Chuckwill also feature some fun departures. IfThe Life of Chuckcan blend the familiar and the fresh, it could end up being an especially excitingadaptation of King’s workand one of the better entries in Flanagan’s already-strong filmography.
The Life of Chuck
Cast
The Life of Chuck is a film exploring the life of Chuck Krantz, presented in reverse chronological order.
