‘The Haunting Of Hill House’ Trailer: Netflix Checks Into Shirley Jackson’s Haunted House
Shirley Jackson’sThe Haunting of Hill Houseis one of the most iconic horror stories in the history of the medium. A slow-burn chiller about mental instability as much as it is about supernatural forces,Hill Houseis getting the Netflix treatment courtesy ofGerald’s GamedirectorMike Flanagan. Flanagan has adapted Jackson’s novel into a new 10-episode series, dropping on Netflix just in time for Halloween. Watch theHaunting of Hill Housetrailer below.
The Haunting of Hill House Trailer
The Haunting of Hill Househas been adapted twice before. First in 1963, with Robert Wise’s moody, faithful adaptationThe Haunting.Then again in 1999, with Jan de Bont’s terrible, CGI-heavyThe Haunting, which traded the book’s atmospheric dread for cartoon ghosts and jump-scares. Now, Mike Flanagan is giving it a go with his new Netflix series. That said, it’s clear from both this trailer, and the official synopsis below, that Flanagan is altering Jackson’s story considerably. Check it out:
For comparison, here’s the synopsis of Jackson’s novel:
The story of four seekers who arrive at a notoriously unfriendly pile called Hill House: Dr. Montague, an occult scholar looking for solid evidence of a “haunting”; Theodora, his lighthearted assistant; Eleanor, a friendless, fragile young woman well acquainted with poltergeists; and Luke, the future heir of Hill House. At first, their stay seems destined to be merely a spooky encounter with inexplicable phenomena. But Hill House is gathering its powers—and soon it will choose one of them to make its own.
I have faith in Flanagan – he’s one of the best horror filmmakers working today, consistently delivering effective, original tales of terror. That said, it’s a little strange that he would alter Jackson’s classic story so drastically. Why attempt to improve on perfection? Nonetheless, I’m excited to see this.
The Haunting of Hill House, starringMichiel Huisman,Carla Gugino,Timothy Hutton,Elizabeth Reaser, andHenry Thomas, will hit Netflix onOctober 12, 2018.
