Netflix is not done with Mike Flanagan. Before the dust has settled from the success of Midnight Mass, the streaming service has announced today that they are working with the filmmaker again for The Fall of the House of Usher. The new series will be based on the works of the famous author, Edgar Allan Poe! While it takes its name from one particular short story from Poe, the series will adapt several of the author’s literary works.
The Fall of the House of Usher is a gothic horror short story by legendary author Edgar Allen Poe, first published in 1839 in Burton’s Gentleman’s Magazine. The story is told from the point of view of an unnamed narrator who visits his sick friend, Roderick Usher, at his home far off in the countryside. Upon his arrival, the narrator is introduced to Roderick’s sister, Madeline, who is also ill and in a much worse condition. Later, Madeline is presumed to have died and is buried in the family tomb. But as the days go by, Roderick and the narrator grow more and more paranoid as a storm rolls in, and tension begins to rise…
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The limited series from Intrepid Pictures is going to be “based on multiple works from Poe”, whether this means that the short story will be expanded upon, or that there will be cameos from other famous Poe tails is uncertain as of now. The Fall of the House of Usher will be the fifth series for Mike Flanagan and Trevor Macy at Netflix with their Intrepid Pictures deal. This deal includes the well-received Haunting Of series, which includes The Haunting of Hill House, The Haunting of Bly Manor, Midnight Mass, and the upcoming The Midnight Club. Eight episode have been ordered, with Flanagan and Michael Fimognari will direct four episodes each. Executive producers include Flanagan, Trevor Macy, Emmy Grinwis and Michael Fimognari.
This won’t be the first time The Fall of the House of Usher will be adapted to film. The first attempt was made in 1928 with La Chute de la maison Usher, a silent French horror film directed by Jean Epstein. A second silent film version was also released that year directed by James Sibley Watson and Melville Webber. The story was also made into a film in 1960 by famous cult producer, director and actor, Roger Corman. This version starred horror legend Vincent Price as Roderick Usher and Myrna Fahe as Madeline. The film was Corman’s first in a series of eight films inspired by the works of Edgar Allan Poe. There was also a 2006 film adaptation from Australian director Hayley Cloake, which starred Austin Nichols as Roderick Usher, this version put the story into modern times and gave the story a new twist. The most recent attempt at adapting the story was in 2013 in the form of an animated short, this version was narrated by Christopher Lee and was released in an anthology film titled Extraordinary Tales, consisting of different animated shorts based on Poe’s stories.
When it comes to adaptations of the infamous gothic author, most fans will say that they can be hit or miss. The idea of adapting a story such as Usher is already intriguing enough on concept alone. Hopefully it will spark new interest in the author’s work and give fans and newcomers alike something as exciting as it will be terrifying. No announcement yet on when The Fall of the House of Usher will start streaming on Netflix.
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