Netflix has revealed the first look images for Mike Flanagan's The Haunting of Bly Manor, the second season in the horror anthology series referred to as The Haunting. Flanagan kicked off his procession of unsettling haunted-house stories in 2018 when his chronology-bending horror saga, The Haunting of Hill House, first debuted on Netflix. Translating the emotional scares of Shirley Jackson's 1959 gothic-horror novel with chilling satisfaction, Hill House was hailed overwhelmingly by critics. The show, for quite some time around its premiere, was a cultural obsession that kept audiences hooked to their screens via its memorable creepy sequences, terrifying jump scares, stunning cinematography, and thoughtful explorations of relationships and trauma.
The Haunting of Hill House's critical and commercial success enticed Netflix to order its follow-up from the same creator. But since Flanagan thought that the original show's central Crain family had been through enough, he decided not to pursue a narrative based around the same characters. In February 2019, the show was renewed for a second season as an anthology series. And it was subsequently revealed that the second part, called The Haunting of Bly Manor, would break free from Shirley's possessed, confining mansion and adapt Henry James's award-winning ghost-story novella The Turn of the Screw instead. Now, a new scoop has offered some updates about Flanagan's upcoming show, which has clearly not been delayed due to the coronavirus.
Recently, The Haunting of Bly Manor revealed via Twitter, the first look at Flanagan's upcoming show. It was also announced that the show was primed to debut on Netflix in fall. Much unlike its predecessor, which dealt primarily with strained family relationships, the scares in Bly Manor stem from heartbreaks, romantic obsessions, and futile love stories. Fans can see a sneak peek of the new and returning faces in the images below:
Apart from offering an insight into the new characterizations in Bly Manor, the first-look images also reveal the show's new set and reworked aesthetic. The original show's main setting, the denominative Hill House, was always perceived as a gothic-mansion that imbued a classic and suspicious haunted-house vibe. The Bly Manor- as it's also visible in the images- is, however, starkly different. It is a sunlit American stately home with a very welcoming presence, and it doesn't give off an unearthly vibe. Flanagan has deliberately induced this cinematic style in The Haunting of Bly Manor to differentiate it from his past show, and to honor James' original vision of the possessed space.
The Haunting of Bly Manor preview has put an end to fans long wait for a new iteration of their favorite Netflix Original. Also, provided that Bly Manor is tipped for a fall debut, Netflix may release it around Halloween, making the show even more timely and watchable. The Haunting of Bly Manor's first-look images are sheer expressions of Flanagan's creative vision and a manifestation of his efforts to make his forthcoming show stand out from its predecessor. While the concept of possessed places and possessed people remain intact in the new season, there is clearly no redundancy in terms of premise and plotlines. And although several actors from the first season are returning, their characters are distinguished and unfamiliar and do not offer any reminiscence of the Hill House crew.
Source: The Haunting of Bly Manor