Skip to main content

Update from Mike Flanagan on His Latest Stephen King Adaptation REVIVAL



On a recent episode of KINGCAST Mike Flanagan announced the screenplay for his adaptation of King's REVIVAL is complete and "Steve loves it." He went on to say "so that's one less sleepless night behind me."

Flanagan has knocked it out of the park with his two previous King adaptations. GERALD'S GAME a book considered widely to be un-adaptable and DOCTOR SLEEP, a film that managed to extend an olive branch between the film and novelization of THE SHINING. King has a legendary distaste for Kubrick's film. Neither of these are small accomplishments and speak to how well Flanagan's sensibilities align with Kings.

Flanagan always manages to craft deeply human stories in the most horrific situations imaginable. The gut punch at the end of THE HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL has nothing to do with a ghost or jump scare, its the connection he draws between regret and mortality. I haven't cried like that since the finale of SIX FEET UNDER.

And while I'm veering away form the subject, BEFORE I WAKE is a fucking masterpiece that more people need to see. It might not be the genre film you want to see but it is certainly the one you need to see.

Back to REVIVAL and Flanagan's adaptation he says "it's a return to cosmic horror.... the kind of Lovecraftian, other worldly alien horror that 1408 does so well... it's dark and mean, and I like it."

If you like to check out the podcast it can be found here. Clearly I'm excited for this one. What are your thoughts?

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Explaining the Ending of MULHOLLAND DRIVE

David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive remains one of the most haunting and enigmatic films ever made. It operates like a riddle that refuses to be solved, luring the viewer into a world where time, memory, and identity dissolve into one another. What begins as a mysterious, almost whimsical Hollywood fairy tale gradually transforms into a psychological nightmare. By the end, it’s clear that what we’ve been watching is not a mystery to be unraveled but an emotional landscape, the mind of a woman caught between fantasy and despair. The film tells the story of two women, Betty Elms and Rita, whose lives intertwine after Rita survives a car crash and loses her memory. Betty, a bright and optimistic aspiring actress freshly arrived in Los Angeles, takes her in. Together, they embark on an investigation into Rita’s identity, which unfolds like a noir detective story bathed in dreamlike light. Everything about this world feels heightened: Betty’s charm, the coincidence of events, and the ease with w...

Final Destination Bloodlines Set to Bring Fresh Horrors to the Franchise

The long-running and fan-favorite horror series Final Destination is set to make its return with Final Destination Bloodlines, bringing a new chapter of supernatural terror to the big screen. Scheduled for a theatrical and IMAX release on May 16, 2025, in the U.S. (and internationally beginning May 14), the film promises to continue the franchise’s tradition of chilling premonitions and inescapable fate. The upcoming installment features a fresh ensemble cast, including Kaitlyn Santa Juana (The Friendship Game, The Flash), Teo Briones (Chucky, Will vs. The Future), Richard Harmon (The 100, The Age of Adaline), Owen Patrick Joyner (Julie and the Phantoms, 100 Things to Do Before High School), and Anna Lore (They/Them, Gotham Knights). Also joining the cast are Brec Bassinger (Stargirl, Bella and the Bulldogs) and horror icon Tony Todd, who reprises his role from the original Final Destination films. Todd, best known for his chilling portrayal of the titular character in the Candyman fra...

Explaining the Ending of No Country for Old Men

No Country for Old Men is a tense, spare, and philosophical thriller that upends traditional narrative expectations. While it contains the elements of a crime drama—drug deals, hitmen, shootouts—it refuses to follow a conventional path. By the time the film ends, the central conflict seems unresolved, the villain walks away, and the protagonist we’ve been following disappears offscreen. To understand the film’s ending, one must look beyond plot and consider its themes: fate, violence, moral decay, and the erosion of order in the modern world. The Narrative Setup The story begins with Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin), a Vietnam veteran who discovers a drug deal gone wrong in the Texas desert and makes off with $2 million in cash. Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem), a remorseless hitman, is sent to retrieve the money. Sheriff Ed Tom Bell (Tommy Lee Jones), a weary and introspective lawman, tries to make sense of the violence unfolding around him. At first glance, the film appears to set up a c...