Mike Flanagan offers update on Stephen King movie, as one of its stars describes it as "heartbreaking" and "beautiful"

Mike Flanagan has confirmed that he's completed post-production on his upcoming movie The Life of Chuck, as one of its stars, David Dastmalchian, has shared his early reaction to the star-studded sci-fi drama. The filmmaker shared the good news in the comments section on his review of The First Omen on Letterboxd.

Based on Stephen King's novella of the same name, which features in the author's If It Bleeds collection (along with Mr. Harrigan's Phone, which inspired the 2022 Netflix adaptation), it's set to follow the titular Charles 'Chuck' Krantz (Loki's Tom Hiddleston) as he travels back in time to watch his life play out in reverse order after he dies. Having passed away from a brain tumor at 39, Chuck walks back through major events, before finding himself once again living in a supposedly haunted house. (Well, it wouldn't be a Flanagan flick without some ghosties now, would it?)

"It's beautiful. You think, 'Oh, Mike Flanagan, Stephen King, this thing's going to just be the most horrifying, terrifying, thing you've ever seen.' [But] it is so beautifully rendered, heartfelt, the drama, the performances," gushed Late Night with the Devil star Dastmalchian in a new interview with Gizmodo. 

"The cast in this is deep. [Matthew] Lillard has a moment in this film that just breaks my heart. Karen Gillan, another one who I think rides that incredible ski slope between her small indie art films and then big studio budgeted things," he continued. "One of the best actors in Hollywood right now. Kate Siegel, I mean there's so [many] great people! Ah, what a joy."

Alongside the actors mentioned, The Life of Chuck also stars Chiwetel Ejiofor (Doctor Strange), Mia Sara (Ferris Bueller's Day Off), Q'orianka Kilcher (Yellowstone), Harvey Guillén (What We Do in the Shadows), and Mark Hamill, who recently collaborated with Flanagan for the first time on The Fall of the House of Usher. Other frequent members of the Flanafamily appearing in the movie include Samantha Sloyan, Rahul Kohli, and Jacob Tremblay.

The director is no stranger to adapting King's works for the big screen, having previously helmed The Shining sequel Doctor Sleep, which sees a grown-up Danny Torrance (Ewan McGregor) try to wrestle with his past – and get to grips with his supernatural gifts.

The Life of Chuck does not yet have a release date. For more, check out our list of the most exciting upcoming movies heading our way.