Summary
- The Life of Chuck has the advantage of being a Stephen King adaptation without the risks associated with well-known stories, giving it low expectations.
- Doctor Sleep failed at the box office due to high expectations of being a sequel to The Shining, but The Life of Chuck is more likely to succeed with lower expectations.
- Being an indie film, The Life of Chuck gives Mike Flanagan more creative control and a better chance of creating a successful and thrilling adaptation.
Mike Flanagan has taken on another Stephen King adaptation, The Life of Chuck, and it already has an advantage over Doctor Sleep, his King book-based horror movie that flopped at the box office four years ago. The drama tells the story of a man named Charles “Chuck” Krantz who has a terminal brain tumor. King’s short story of the same name tells the tale in reverse chronological order, working its way back to Chuck’s childhood living in a haunted house.
This movie news about The Life of Chuck points to many advantages over Doctor Sleep.
All 15 Mike Flanagan Actors Returning In His New Stephen King Movie
Horror director Mike Flanagan will be reuniting with several actors from his previous productions for his Stephen King adaptation.
Mike Flanagan's Life Of Chuck Has Far Lower Expectations Than Doctor Sleep
The Life of Chuck gets the benefits of being a Stephen King movie without the risks. King’s name is bound to bring in a huge audience since he’s one of the most iconic modern horror writers. However, the short story “The Life of Chuck” from the collection If It Bleeds isn’t super well-known because it’s one of the author's most experimental works. Because of this, there are very low expectations for the movie.
Stephen King's book If It Bleeds was published in 2020 and previously saw an adaptation of its short story "Mr. Harrigan's Phone" released on Netflix in 2022.
The Life of Chuck directly contrasts with Doctor Sleep, which was a sequel to one of Stephen King’s best-known books and movie adaptations. Audiences had very strong opinions about The Shining, which undoubtedly impacted the turnout. With the baggage attached, Doctor Sleep was almost doomed to fail. This matches up with the outcome that it bombed at the box office but received decent reviews. With lower expectations, The Life of Chuck is more likely to gain both a good box office turnout and positive reviews.
Mike Flanagan's Stephen King Movie Is Already More Exciting Than His Dark Tower Adaptation
Mike Flanagan is working on a different Stephen King adaptation besides The Dark Tower, and his other King-based project is even more exciting.
Life Of Chuck's Indie Production Is Great News For Mike Flanagan's Adaptation
Unlike previous Stephen King adaptations by Mike Flanagan, The Life of Chuck will be an indie film from the production companies Intrepid Pictures and QWGmire. In contrast, Netflix produced Gerald’s Game, and Warner Bros. made Doctor Sleep. Because Netflix and Warner Bros. are massive companies, Flanagan had to answer to more people, giving him less creative control over the final product. Moreover, Flanagan had the nearly impossible job of balancing the book and movie versions of The Shining when making the sequel Doctor Sleep.
By giving Flanagan creative control, The Life of Chuck has a better chance of succeeding. The director has already shown his ability to adapt written materials effectively with the miniseries The Fall of the House of Usher and The Haunting of Hill House. Moreover, his track record proves that he can create a spooky horror movie. Flanagan will undoubtedly make The Life of Chuck into a thrilling film.
Source: Box Office Mojo
