horror director Mike Flanagan teased the potential for several familiar faces to appear in his next Dark Tower, Carrie, and The Exorcist projects. Having previously completed a five-year exclusive development deal with Netflix following the 2023 release The Fall of the House of Usher, his time with the streamer would come to be characterized by his list of frequent collaborators. Nicknamed “FlanaFam” From Flanagan’s wife and most frequent collaborator, Kate Siegel, the director’s other regular faces include the likes of Carla Gugino, Henry Thomas, Samantha Sloyan, Rahul Kohli and Bruce Greenwood.
Talking to CinemaBlend regarding his upcoming projects, Flanagan was asked if audiences could expect more appearances from his extensive list of regular collaborators. Admit it while he already has plans to approach actors for certain roleshe has not yet revealed his plans. Despite explaining that he wants to avoid getting actors’ hopes up before making any formal offers, Flanagan also admits that he occasionally makes mistakes and reveals his casting ideas, especially when it comes to Siegel, who always knows the full scope of his plans. Check out their comments below:
I didn’t tell anyone my plans because the last thing I want to do is make actors hope or hope for things before I can tell them that it’s… My favorite version of things is to go up to an actor and say, ‘ This is what I understand for you and here is an offer to do so. If I can’t do it, then I don’t do it; I try not to say anything.
I’m not perfect at this. Because sometimes I slip up, especially with Kate, who, I mean, she’s so close to the whole process. She knows what I’m thinking for everyone. So I think I said, yes, Kate Siegel knows my plans. She knows where I see [things]and it is there when it changes and when it sways. And she is always aware of this.
Occasionally I’ll mention that I like Sam Sloyan or Rahul Kohli: ‘Hey, I’d love that for you, but I don’t know if I can guarantee it.’ But in general, I try not to promise things I can’t deliver. But I have a grid of my actors that have names scribbled next to them for The Exorcist, for Carrie and for The Dark Tower. And that’s always a lot of fun. I just never want them to see the grid too soon.
What Flanagan’s Casting Decisions Mean for His Upcoming Projects
Flanagan’s work now seems inseparable from his “FlanaFam”
The revelation that Flanagan is already considering some of his regular collaborators for roles in his next film Dark Tower, Carrie, and The Exorcist projects likely won’t surprise viewers familiar with his work. Not only has Siegel been directly involved in every film and television show Flanagan has made since 2013, Glass, many of its other stars also have a long history with the director which long precedes The Haunting of Hill House and his other Netflix shows.
Likewise, his first project after his departure from Netflix, the film adaptation of Stephen King’s short story Chuck’s life, also sees the return of several key members of the “Flanafam”, including one of the group’s most recent additions, Star Wars icon Mark Hamill, who previously worked with Flanagan on Fall of the House of Usher. As such, Flanagan’s work has now become inseparable from his growing troupe of artistsand any project without at least a few recognizable faces would likely suffer greatly from their absence.
Our Take on Who Flanagan Will Cast Next
Flanagan is also known for bringing new actors into important roles.
Flanagan is far from the first filmmaker to establish a recognizable list of frequent collaborators and even the original Master of Suspense himself Alfred Hitchcock was known for working with his own collection of regular stars such as Cary Grant James Stewart Ingrid Bergman and Grace Kelly. However, like Hitchcock, Flanagan is also known for bringing new faces into the group to meet the demands of each role, like his most recent leading man, Tom Hiddleston in Chuck’s life.
As such, viewers can probably rest easy knowing that despite his penchant for casting familiar faces, Flanagan will not only offer them roles suited to their talents, but will also look further afield if necessary. As such, viewers probably shouldn’t expect actors like Thomas or Kohli to become the first choice for the central role. Dark Tower characters like the gunslinger Roland Deschain or the iconic King villain Randall Flagg. However, his next projects wouldn’t look like one of the Flanaganproductions without at least a few recognizable names.
Source: CinemaBlend