Mike Flanagan is adapting Stephen King’s story, The Mist, for a new project. He’s shared that his take on the novella will differ from both the original book and the previous film adaptation.
Stephen King first published The Mist in 1980, but it wasn’t adapted into a movie until 2007. Frank Darabont directed the film, which earned positive reviews and brought in $57.47 million at the box office (with a 74% rating on Rotten Tomatoes). A television series based on the story aired ten years later, but it received mixed reactions and was canceled after a single season.
Mike Flanagan is now adapting another Stephen King story. He recently told Entertainment Weekly at San Diego Comic-Con that the 2007 film The Mist was “done spectacularly” and is one of the most intensely disturbing movies he’s ever watched, praising its shocking ending.
Flanagan intends to offer a significantly new take on the story, believing it’s crucial to have a strong reason for revisiting The Mist. He questioned himself, “What’s the point of doing this again? What new perspective can we bring to it?”
Flanagan shared his concept with King, a fellow fan of Darabont’s The Mist, and received the popular horror author’s approval. King’s enthusiasm was essential; Flanagan wouldn’t have joined the project without it.
Flanagan didn’t share specific changes he’s making to his adaptation of The Mist, but described his approach as deconstructing the original story and rebuilding it from scratch, much like taking apart LEGOs and creating something entirely new.
Look, both Carrie and The Mist have already gotten the big-screen treatment, and honestly, those adaptations were fantastic. So, when I approached these projects, the challenge wasn’t about simply retelling the story. It was about finding a fresh angle, a new way to build on what was already there. With Carrie and The Mist, that’s exactly what we aimed to do – offer something different, not just a rehash.
This film is incredibly intense – one of the most shocking I’ve ever watched, especially the ending! My approach to telling this story felt very unique from beginning to end. When I shared my vision with Stephen King, knowing how much he admires the original movie, I needed a strong reason for making it. This adaptation isn’t just a retelling; it’s like taking the source material apart and completely rebuilding it into something new.
I would only ever do this with his approval – I wouldn’t even consider it otherwise. But yes, it’s a new approach for me creatively. It’s fascinating how he comes up with stories that can be reinterpreted and explored in many different ways.
Mike Flanagan has a strong history with Stephen King adaptations. He’s previously directed and written films like Gerald’s Game, Doctor Sleep, and The Life of Chuck. Now, he’s bringing another King story to the screen as the creator, showrunner, and executive producer of Prime Video’s new Carrie series, which will debut on October 7th.
Similar to his work with The Mist, Mike Flanagan faced the challenge of explaining why he was adapting Carrie again, particularly because the 1976 movie was so well-received and garnered Oscar and Golden Globe nominations. While Carrie has been remade several times before, Flanagan’s version is unique as it’s the first to be presented as a television series.
I’m really excited about Flanagan taking on The Mist. He’s not just directing it – he wrote the screenplay too! Plus, he’s producing alongside Tyler Thompson, Gary Barber, Chris Stone, and Alexandra Magistro, which we learned earlier this year. It sounds like he has a lot of creative control, and that’s usually a good sign.
A creepy fog rolls into a quiet town, bringing strange creatures that begin attacking people. A man, his son, and several neighbors take shelter in a grocery store, hoping to ride out the terror.
Mike Flanagan is known for directing films like The Mist (based on a Stephen King story), Absentia, Oculus, Ouija: Origin of Evil, and the soon-to-be-released The Exorcist: Martyrs. He’s also created popular TV series including The Haunting of Hill House, The Haunting of Bly Manor, Midnight Mass, and The Fall of the House of Usher.
2026-07-28 00:01