Mike Flanagan has recently confirmed that there are no plans to continue his Haunting anthology on Netflix, at least for the time being. The in-demand creator said as much while answering a fan question on Twitter, though he attests that things could change, given the right circumstances.
"At the moment there are no plans for more chapters," Flanagan said when asked if we'll get a follow-up series to this year's The Haunting of Bly Manor. "Never say never, of course, but right now we are focused on a full slate of other [Intrepid Pictures] projects for 2021 and beyond. If things change we will absolutely let everyone know!"
When The Haunting of Hill House arrived on Netflix the show surprised horror fans with its bone-chilling atmosphere, heart-stopping jump-scares, and Easter egg apparitions that seemed to blend into the background of select scenes. It was quickly hailed as one of the best horror projects on offer that year and labeled Flanagan as a creator that could do the genre justice and then some. Not only did Flanagan get the green light for The Haunting of Bly Manor as a result of Hill House's success, but he also became attached to a number of other projects that are currently in the works.
Flanagan is currently developing two different TV series, Midnight Mass and The Midnight Club. To be presented as a seven-episode web series, Midnight Mass is coming from Mike Flanagan and Trevor Macy and their Intrepid Pictures. The show focuses on an isolated island community that experiences miraculous events – and frightening omens – after the arrival of a charismatic, mysterious young priest. Flanagan will direct and serve as an executive producer alongside Macy, with Annabeth Gish (The Haunting of Hill House), Michael Trucco (Hunter Killer), Samantha Sloyan (Grey’s Anatomy), Henry Thomas (The Haunting of Hill House), Rahul Abburi (Killer Ransom), Crystal Balint (The Bletchley Circle: San Francisco), Matt Biedel (Altered Carbon), Alex Essoe (Doctor Sleep), Rahul Kohli (Supergirl), Kristin Lehman (The Chronicles of Riddick), Robert Longstreet (Doctor Sleep), Igby Rigney (Blue Bloods), and Annarah Shephard all set to star.
Details are a bit thinner for The Midnight Club, though we do know that the series follows a group of five terminally ill patients at Rotterdam Home, who begin to gather together at midnight to share scary stories.
Are you upset that it sounds as if we won't get another Haunting series? As much as I enjoy both series, I'd like to see Flanagan and his partners move on to new ideas and characters. Variety is the spice of life after all, and I'm positive that Flanagan has plenty of spooky stories worth telling outside the Haunting anthology. I say bring it on.