Actress Carla Gugino talks the future of the Netflix franchise that brought audiences The Haunting of Hill House and The Haunting of Bly Manor. Creator and director Mike Flanagan brought The Haunting anthology series to audiences with loose connections to the 1959 novel, which was written by Shirley Jackson. Hill House cuts back and forth between a deeply dysfunctional family in present time and flashbacks to the paranormal events that took place in their massive home growing up.
Meanwhile, Bly Manor follows a story being recounted about an au pair looking after a couple of children, but little does she realize, the manor is haunted. Even though it's considered the follow-up to Hill House, there are no narrative connections between the two. However, the crew and some of the cast returned for this second installment of the anthology. Both Netflix seasons received generally positive critical reception. The series will even be inspiring mazes at Universal Studios' Halloween Horror Nights this Fall.
In an interview with Comic Book, Gugino talked some about The Haunting anthology and its possible future. She confirmed that she's not currently working with Flanagan, although she'd like to collaborate with him again in the future, even if it's unrelated to the Netflix series. While Gugino explained that she wasn't aware of whether or not Flanagan's done with the series, but if he is, then it's because he's found something better to make. See below for Gugino's full comments:
I'm not attached to what [Flanagan is currently working on], but we do really, really love to collaborate together. So I think, yeah, I'm excited about what we get to delve into next, whether it be another Haunting or something else.
I think it's always so hard, as an audience, and I relate, because I'm an audience for things that I'm not in, and it's hard because you love -- you get invested and you love these things. But I think the thing that we also should remember, in terms of supporting and being excited is, for an artist, if you look at like [Bob] Dylan or anyone, you look at any great artists, they're always going to have to go like, 'Okay, now I'm done with that chapter because I want to remain great and keep getting better.' You know what I mean? So whether he is done or not done [with The Haunting], I don't know, but I think no matter what, if there wasn't a third one, it would be because he thinks whatever is next is better. And if he can make that one great, then that'll be the thing.
While The Haunting anthology has its skeptics, it draws a lot of interest for its fans. Flanagan has an impressive filmography, especially as it relates to horror or horror-adjacent storytelling. His more mainstream work began with Oculus in 2013. After making Hush, he released Before I Wake, Ouija: Origin of Evil, and Gerald's Game within a short time. Having now worked on properties as big as Doctor Sleep, he's shown his ability to work on projects of various sizes. He currently has two television series in the works, including Midnight Mass and The Midnight Club, so fans will have to wait to see what he has coming next.
The tone between Hill House and Bly Manor is quite a bit different. While the former offers a family drama with moments of chills and thrills, the latter is more of a Gothic romance at its core. While some audiences went along with the ride, others found them to not truly be horror series. Nevertheless, Flanagan has created a truly special anthology series that has made an impact on the streaming service. Even if he doesn't decide to continue The Haunting anthology, it's clear that Gugino has a lot of faith that he'll continue making thrilling projects that could achieve even greater heights.
Source: Comic Book