The upcoming release of Mike Flanagan’s The Fall of the House of Usher has generated significant excitement.
This is not surprising, given Flanagan’s impressive track record with popular productions such as Doctor Sleep, Midnight Mass, and The Haunting of Hill House (and Bly Manor).
With the addition of Edgar Allan Poe’s influence, Flanagan and his team’s potential for innovative storytelling is limitless.
The release of the horror series is only two months away, and we have all the information you need to know.
Will it be as successful as Mike Flanagan’s previous streaming hits?
Read on to discover the plot, premiere date, and other essential details that Netflix viewers should know regarding The Fall of the House of Usher.
The Fall of the House of Usher plot
The plot seems to update Edgar Allan Poe’s dark short story for modern times.
According to a write-up by Netflix, the series will star Bruce Greenwood as Roderick Usher, a big-wig CEO of a vast pharma company who begins losing each of his children. The press release says he has been contributing to corrupt practices in the pharmaceutical industry for a long time, and the creeping death of his kin might be a result of his life choices.
The same Netflix statement says Carla Gugino will play Verna, a demonic shapeshifter with ties dating back centuries.
It’s a very loose adaptation of the 1839 story that mostly took place in one setting. The Netflix series sounds as terrifying but less claustrophobic than Poe’s narrative.
Additionally, it sounds like Flanagan plans to pull from many different Poe stories to form one epic horror tale.
The Fall of the House of Usher cast
Besides Bruce Greenwood and Carla Gugino, who reunite after their appearance in Gerald’s Game, the upcoming series will feature several other well-known actors.
Rahul Kohli, who played in Midnight Mass and Haunting of Bly Manor, is returning to the Flanaganverse as Napoleon Usher. Henry Thomas, who has appeared in almost every project by The Haunting of Hill House director, will also appear.
Kate Siegel will again join her husband’s (Flanagan) series as Camille, while Robert Longstreet from Midnight Mass will also play a part in the Edgar Allan Poe adaptation.
The series will also see the return of some Doctor Sleep alumni. Katie Parker, who played Wendy Torrence in The Shining follow-up, will make another appearance alongside Carl Lumbly, who played Dick Hallorann, a role originally made famous by Scatman Crothers in the famous Kubrick adaptation.
In the upcoming series, audiences will recognize several familiar actors. But, there are new additions to the cast worth mentioning. The legendary Mark Hamill will be portraying Arthur Pym, a character from a different Edgar Allan Poe story. Mary McDonnell, known for her role in Independence Day, will star as Madeline Usher. Fans of Poe’s story will be able to connect the dots with this casting.
How many episodes will there be of The Fall of the House of Usher?
Variety has reported that the upcoming limited series will consist of eight episodes.
This is a typical choice for a Mike Flanagan series, as demonstrated by the seven-episode run of Midnight Mass and the nine-episode watch of Haunting of Bly Manor.
The only exception is Haunting of Hill House, which had a lengthy ten-episode plot.
But when can readers expect the eight-episode premiere?
The Fall of the House of Usher premiere date
The first two episodes of the Netflix series will be shown at Fantastic Fest.
After that, there will be a two-week wait until the series is released on October 12, just in time for the horror season.
Until then, stay tuned for more updates about The Fall of the House of Usher at Monsters and Critics.