Mike Flanagan's The Life Of Chuck: What We Know About The Stephen King Adaptation

Some of the greatest Stephen King movies of all time are based on the author’s novellas. The classic coming-of-age drama Stand By Me, the cinematic testament to hope The Shawshank Redemption, and the terror of The Mist all originated as King stories not quite long enough to be published as full novels. Clearly there is a lot of potential in the material for filmmakers to explore – and writer/director Mike Flanagan is now in the process of trying to add another title to the brilliant legacy by making a film out of “The Life Of Chuck.”

Announced in May 2023 with a pair of notable names attached, the developing film is being lined up as the third Stephen King adaptation from Flanagan, who previously helmed 2017’s Gerald’s Game for Netflix, and Doctor Sleep, the 2019 big screen sequel to Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining. We’ve put together this feature to keep track of The Life Of Chuck’s development as it moves through the stages of development, so keep an eye on this space as more updates about movie are announced.

What Is The Life Of Chuck Release Date?

The Life Of Chuck does not yet have a release date, but it doesn't appear as though fans will have to wait too long to see it. With an interim agreement from SAG-AFTRA amid the actors strike, production on the movie began in October 2023 with filming taking place in and around Mobile, Alabama (which is where Mike Flanagan previously made his 2017 Stephen King adaptation Gerald's Game for Netflix).

About The Novella

“The Life Of Chuck” was first published as part of If It Bleeds – the collection of novellas that first hit bookshelves in 2020. The movie will be the second based on a story from that particular book, as that tome is also the home of “Mr. Harrigan’s Phone,” which was adapted by writer/director John Lee Hancock for Netflix in 2021.

The novella is not what some might consider a natural fit for an adaptation, as while it’s a story with a literal three act structure, the events featured in each act play out in reverse chronological order and are vastly different even though they are all telling parts of the same narrative.

Headed as “Act III: Thanks, Chuck,” the first third of the story is a surrealistic journey with a protagonist named Marty who is living in a reality defined by the existence of Chuck. Marty begins to notice strangeness unfolding in his everyday life, specifically seeing billboards declaring “Charles Krantz: 39 Great Years! Thanks, Chuck!” and at the end, everything deteriorates as Chuck dies from a brain tumor at the age of 39.

The second act, “Act II: Buskers,” follows Chuck on a sunny day as he hears a drummer busking while walking through Boston on his was to an accounting conference. Feeling the beat, he begins to dance with a young woman and together they get a crowd cheering in approval. It’s after basking in the glow of this moment that he recognizes that he has a horrible headache joining his sore back and legs – the first symptom of the cancer that will eventually end his life.

“Act I: I Contain Multitudes” tells the story of Chuck Krantz’s life as a child – focusing on the period following the death of his parents in an automobile accident. He is raised by his paternal grandparents, Albie and Sarah Krantz, who are loving and sweet, and he develops a love of dancing, but he also has a haunting and life-changing experience when he discovers what is in the locked cupola of his grandparents’ home.

Tom Hiddleston And Mark Hamill Lead The Life Of Chuck Cast

The casts of Mike Flanagan’s films and television shows are regularly populated with performers with whom he has previously worked, but The Life Of Chuck will mark the filmmaker’s first time working with Tom Hiddleston, who will be playing the titular role. The Loki star has never been in a Stephen King adaptation before, and the project may end up being his first feature since 2019’s Avengers: Endgame. His work has primarily been on the small screen in the last few years, making not only the aforementioned Marvel Disney+ show, but also the Apple TV+ fantasy/drama The Essex Serpent with Claire Danes.

Also part of the cast, playing Chuck’s grandfather, is Mark Hamill, who, unlike Hiddleston, has had the opportunity to collaborate with Flanagan before. The two men recently worked together on the Netflix series The Fall Of The House of Usher. Clearly things went well, and Hamill delivers a tremendous performance.

Hamill has never starred in a King adaptation before, but this will technically be the second time that he has been in one of the author's movies. In 1992, he made an uncredited cameo in the opening sequence of director Mick Garris’ Sleepwalkers – which has the distinction of being the first film made based on an original screenplay that King wrote.

In late October 2023, it was reported that Chiwetel Ejiofor, Karen Gillan and Jacob Tremblay are all part of the Life Of Chuck cast, but two days later, Mike Flanagan took  to his personal Twitter account to announce a deluge of other actors who are in the film. The list of performers who have previously worked with the writer/director includes Annalise Basso, Matt Biedel, Saidah Arrika Ekulona, Rahul Kohli, Heather Langenkamp, Carl Lumbly, Violet McGraw, Molly C. Quinn, Sauriyan Sapkota, Kate Siegel, Samantha Sloyan, and Michael Trucco.

First-timers include Trinity Jo-Li Bliss, Antonio Raul Corbo, David Dastmalchian, Taylor Gordon, Harvey Guillén, Q'Orianka Kilcher, Matthew Lillard, Benjamin Pajak and Mia Sara.

As far as Stephen King experience is concerned, Jacob Tremblay, Carl Lumbly, Violet McGraw, and Molly C. Quinn are all in Doctor Sleep, and David Dastmalchian starred in The Boogeyman earlier this year.

Mike Flanagan Is Writing, Directing, And Producing The Film

In addition to writing the script for this film and directing, Mike Flanagan is also producing the movie with his partner Trevor Macy through their shingle, Intrepid Pictures. According to Deadline, the project is aiming to be a title compared tonally to some of the famous Stephen King “prestige” films, including Stand By Me, The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile.

While Flanagan is making the movie as his third King adaptation, it definitely won’t be his last. The filmmaker revealed in December 2022 that he has acquired the rights to King’s massive western/fantasy/sci-fi epic The Dark Tower, and he plans to bring it to life as faithfully as possible. He has said that he is not in a rush to make it, wanting to ensure that the timing is just right… which explains why he is now working on this particular book-to-screen story

Stay tuned for more updates about The Life Of Chuck as moves are made behind the scenes and the production moves toward filming. To keep track of all of the Stephen King projects in the works, head over to our upcoming Stephen King movies and TV shows guide, and learn about the full history of adaptations with my Adapting Stephen King column.