Director Mike Flanagan is stepping away from his typical work in the horror genre to put the Stephen King novella, “The Life of Chuck,” on screen.
Both Flanagan and King have built defining voices in the horror genre, but “The Life of Chuck” is a story “so delicate and sweet that doesn’t have a horrific bone in its body,” Flanagan said in a statement shared with the Deseret News.
A lifelong fan of King’s work, when Flanagan first read the novella, “It knocked me over,” he said.
“It was one of my favorite things I’d read in many years, and I’m a ride-or-die King fan. This one hit me in the heart, and I wanted to make it immediately.”
Flanagan adapted “The Life of Chuck” into a screenplay and directed the film with help from an impressive cast, including Tom Hiddleston, Mark Hamill, Jacob Tremblay, Mia Sara and Karen Gillan, with Nick Offerman as the narrator. Stephen King served as executive producer.
Below is an exclusive clip from a scene in “The Life of Chuck” featuring Hamill as Albie Krantz and Benjamin Pajak as a young Chuck Krantz.
“The Life of Chuck” tells the story of Chuck (Hiddleston) in reverse ending with his childhood, emphasizing the beauty of ordinary people who live ordinary lives.
“I hope this is the kind of movie that makes a viewer smile until their face hurts at the end,” Flanagan said.
He continued, “I hope it makes them remember their loved ones who have gone before. I hope it makes them cherish their loved ones who are here. I hope it gives them an extra ounce of courage in these weird moments to be joyful, and to choose to put down this learned shyness or shame that we have with expressing joy.”
When does ‘The Life of Chuck’ come out?
“The Life of Chuck” will be released in select theaters on Friday, June 6 and nationwide on Friday, June 13. It is rated R for language.