Mike Flanagan’s tradition of releasing Netflix horror series just in time for Halloween continues in 2023 withThe Fall of the House of Usher. Except for 2019, every year sinceThe Haunting of Hill House, we are blessed with a spooky TV show where Flanagan is creator, writer, and director.The Fall of the Houseof Usheris based onEdgar Allan Poe’s short story of the same name, also incorporating elements from some of his other most famous tales. Since “House” is in the title, there may be some doubts or expectations regarding its placement inthe Flanaganverse, more specifically, if this series belongs in the Haunting series. The short answer is no — but here’s a little more scoop on the topic.
What Does ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’ Have in Common With the Haunting Series?
Well, firstly, the series is about a house — and not just any house.In the short story on which Flanagan’sFall of the House of Usheris based, the house is also a character with a journey, very much like Hill House and Bly Manor. Like the two Hauntingseasons that precede it,The Fall of the House of Usheris also based on a work of literature. Given Poe’s source material, Flanagan’s trademark of diving into the psychological motivations of his characters can therefore be expected as well. Flanagan’s tendency to modernize literary settings is also present inThe Fall of the House of Usher, bringing this story to a contemporary setting. He has previously done this withHill Housetaking place in the present day, whileBly Manorwas set in the 90s.
Flanagan’s use of actors from previous projects is also present inThe Fall of the House of Usher, with it probably being the project with most returning actors.Kate Siegel, who stars as Camille L’Espanaye, started working with Flanagan inOculus. After getting married, they worked together inHush,Ouija: Origin of Evil,Flanagan’s adaptation ofStephen King’s novelGerald’s Game,the Haunting series, andMidnight Mass.Carla GuginoandHenry Thomas, who will portray Verna and Frederick Usher respectively, have also appeared in the latter two with Gugino also starring inGerald’s Game. This King adaptation also starredBruce Greenwood, who will play the main role of Roderick Usher. Frequent collaboratorsRahul Kohli,Samantha Sloyan, andZach GilfordfromMidnight MassandThe Midnight Clubwill also make appearances as several of Poe’s characters.
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How Will ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’ Be Different From the Haunting Series?
Since The Haunting is known to be an anthology series, having Flanagan make this a third outing of the show would be the logical way to go. But it has been established thatThe Fall of the House of Usherwill stand on its own as a limited series, the wayMidnight Massdid at the time. Unlike the crowing jewel of the Haunting series,Hill House,Fall of the House of Usherwill not necessarily be based on one single book. It will be similar toBly Manor, which waslargely based around theHenry JamesnovellaThe Turn of the Screwbut included aspects of several of James' short stories. Likewise,The Fall of the House of Usherwill incorporate more of Poe’s works, mainly by includingCarl Lumbly’s C. Auguste Dupin, a detective who appears in several of Poe’s stories, but not inThe Fall of the House of Usher. We can also expect to see elements of Poe’s"The Raven," “The Premature Burial,“and"Annabel Lee.”
Flanagan himself makes it very clear, stating that while Hill House and Bly Manor are houses with ghosts, the House of Usher doesn’t have these apparitions, thus not being a haunting.The Fall of the House of Usherwill rely on craziness, over-the-top tropes, and the macabre, setting it apart fromHill HouseandBly Manor. He compares The Haunting series to a “sad, sweeping violin ballad,” withThe Fall of the House of Usherbeing more “like rock and roll.”Also, Flanagan is working with some new faces this time around in addition to his regulars. Among the newcomers is the aforementioned Lumbly,Mary McDonnell, playing Roderick’s twin sister Madeline Usher,Star Wars’Mark Hamill, who plays Arthur Pym – a character from yet another Poe story –, andPaola Nuñezfrom theResident EvilTV series.
Flanagan is a craftsman. Every film, TV show, and/or franchise he gives life to is carefully crafted and developed with its own personality. He could be churning season after season of the Haunting series with the risk of diluting the concept and tiring the audience but, fortunately, he isn’t. For the time being, there are no plans of releasing a third Haunting season, but Flanagan’s happy that people are enthusiastically wanting for more. A third outing of The Haunting is highly unlikely at this point, sinceFlanagan and partnerTrevor Macysigned a deal with Amazon, moving their production company, Intrepid Pictures, to their Prime Video streaming service.
Flanagan’sThe Fall of the House of Usherdrops on Netflix on October 12.
