Doctor Sleep star Carl Lumbly is just as excited as audiences are for him to reunite with Mike Flanagan for his new Netflix horror series The Fall of the House of Usher. Lumbly starred in Flanagan's adaptation of Stephen King's Shining sequel novel and sequel to Stanley Kubrick's adaptation of the prior novel as Dick Hallorann, the late head chef of the Overlook Hotel who helped Danny learn about his shining abilities. Lumbly took over the role from Scatman Crothers in Kubrick's The Shining, appearing as a spirit to both a young Danny and Ewan McGregor's adult Danny to offer support and push him in the right direction in life.
Lumbly and Flanagan are reuniting for The Fall of the House of Usher, which serves as an adaptation of Edgar Allen Poe's short story of the same name as well as other works in the author's bibliography. Alongside the Doctor Sleep star, the cast for the Netflix horror series includes Bruce Greenwood, taking over from the fired Frank Langella, Carla Gugino, Mary McDonnell, Mark Hamill, Samantha Sloyan, Willa Fitzgerald, Rahul Kohli, Henry Thomas, T'Nia Miller, Kate Siegel and Zach Gilford. As production nears an end on The Fall of the House of Usher, one star is looking back on their time working with Flanagan once again.
While speaking exclusively with Screen Rant to discuss his role in the biographical drama I'm Charlie Walker, Carl Lumbly opened up about reuniting with Mike Flanagan for The Fall of the House of Usher. The Doctor Sleep star expressed a feeling of "bliss" to be working with the acclaimed filmmaker again and believes he's "even better" on his new Netflix horror series than the Stephen King sequel movie. See what Lumbly said below:
"Bliss. Bliss. I don't exactly know if it's my place to say this, but he's even better than he was when we did Doctor Sleep. He's what I love about being in this business and being an artist, he's constantly seeking, he's constantly going, he doesn't finish. Anything you could do, you could do richer, deeper, fuller and better and I think that's the way he operates. So it's just a joy and it's the kind of joy that you know is real, because I'm not the only one who thinks so. Everyone, and I'm talking about crew people and everyone on that project, has that same sense of this individual. He is a real deal."
As Lumbly mentions, Flanagan has a real knack for drawing back various cast and crew members thanks to both his respect for those he works with as well as the quality of his work. Since first working together on his breakout hit Oculus, Flanagan and actress Kate Siegel not only became partners in life, but also in work as they co-wrote the acclaimed home invasion thriller Hush, of which he directed, and she has appeared in nearly every one of his projects, save for Doctor Sleep. Flanagan has also developed close collaborators behind the camera, including his producing partner Trevor Macy as well as cinematographer Michael Fimognari and composers The Newton Brothers.
Doctor Sleep's Carl Lumbly won't be the only Flanagan familiar to appear in The Fall of the House of Usher, nor the only Doctor Sleep star as Bruce Greenwood, Kyleigh Curran, Henry Thomas and Robert Longstreet will all be appearing in the Netflix horror series. Even recent Flanagan vets are making their returns, most notably Midnight Mass star Rahul Kohli, who has kept anticipation high for the show with various behind-the-scenes teases and saying it will be one of Flanagan's most violent and graphic projects to date. While audiences await proper looks at The Fall of the House of Usher, they can revisit Flanagan and Lumbly's first collaboration with Doctor Sleep streaming on Tubi now.