Doctor Sleep helmer Mike Flanagan will direct and produce a new horror film, The Season of Passage, based on Christopher Pike's book. Best recognized for his acclaimed Netflix horror anthology series, The Haunting, which spanned two shows - The Haunting of Hill House (2018) and The Haunting of Bly Manor (2020), Flanagan has established himself as a revered name within the horror genre. Lately, Flanagan's career has been advancing at a fast pace, as he is committing to making more poignant and spine-chilling content for both TV and films. The writer/ director just finished production on his Netflix series, Midnight Mass, and he has already jumped in to adapt Pike's The Midnight Club for the streamer. Now Flanagan has set his sights on yet another of Pike's novels.
As announced by Deadline, Flanagan has signed to direct the adaptation of Pike's 1993 Mars-based sci-fi horror novel The Season of Passage. Universal Pictures acquired the film's rights after a competitive bidding war, and it will be producing the movie alongside Flanagan and his Intrepid Pictures partner Trevor Macy. Flanagan is also involved in the writing process, as he is penning the script with his brother, James Flanagan. At the moment, the plot details are being kept under wraps. However, it's clear that the movie would revolve around the novel's protagonist Dr. Lauren Wagner, a celebrated researcher who was involved in a groundbreaking manned expedition to Mars.
A space-set horror saga sounds just about the right property for the prolific Flanagan, whose previous works, including Gerald's Game, Hush, and Oculus stand as a testament to his ability to tell compelling, frightening genre-bending stories. Additionally, Flanagan's approach of combining tangible traumas with supernatural aspects means that he will be able to fully harness the mind-bending undertones of Pike's book in The Seasons of Passage movie, hence, accounting for a loyal adaptation. Right now, no talents are attached to the movie, but fans can expect some of Flanagan's frequent collaborators to fill up the cast very soon.
The Seasons of Passage novel synopsis reads as follows: Dr. Lauren Wagner was a celebrity. She was involved with the most exciting adventure mankind had ever undertaken: a manned expedition to Mars. The whole world admired and respected her. But Lauren knew fear. Inside―voices entreating her to love them. Outside―the mystery of the missing group that had gone before her. The dead group. But were they simply dead? Or something else? A haunting and unforgettable blend of science fiction, fantasy, horror, and suspense from one of America’s bestselling writers. A novel you won’t soon forget.
Source: Deadline