Tom Hiddleston Compares His New Movie to ‘Shawshank Redemption’
Marvel maestro Tom Hiddleston spilled the beans on his stint, filming the latest Stephen King flick, ‘The Life of Chuck,’ directed by Mike Flanagan. Making a guest appearance on Josh Horowitz’s laid-back ‘Happy Sad Confused’ podcast, Hiddleston finally delved into his role in Flanagan’s adaptation of King’s 2020 novella ‘If It Bleeds.’ The man with the Golden Globe opened up about the sheer delight of working with Flanagan, the crew, and the cast, dubbing it “the most wonderful time.”
In the podcast chat, Hiddleston showered praise on Flanagan’s “extraordinary script,” drawing parallels to the warmth and spirit reminiscent of Stephen King who wrote ‘The Shawshank Redemption’ in 1994, a flick intriguingly inspired by yet another of King’s novellas.
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“There’s a warmth and a kind of spirit that’s really on the side of life in the story, that I really connected to when I read it,” Hiddleston shared. “It was just the most extraordinary script. I connected to it immediately. So when we met, I just said ‘This is amazing. Can I come and do it? Can I please come and do it?’ And yeah, and we had a great time.”
The reels for ‘The Life of Chuck’ started rolling last October, securing a SAG-AFTRA waiver that allowed the cast to continue despite an ongoing actors’ strike. Fast forward to 17th November, and Flanagan joyfully announced the wrap-up of production, calling it a “tenacious little miracle of a movie” and expressing gratitude to the stellar cast and crew. Hiddleston takes on the role of Charles Krantz in the film, depicting his life story in three distinct phases: from his demise due to a brain tumour to his childhood in a haunted house.
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Alongside Hiddleston, the film features ‘Star Wars’ veteran Mark Hamill, fresh from his corrupt attorney role in Flanagan’s previous Netflix series, ‘The Fall of the House of Usher.’ Hamill takes on the character Albie in this Stephen King adaptation.
Joining this dynamic duo are Flanagan’s regular collaborators, including Kate Siegel, Samantha Sloyan, Rahul Kohli, Carl Lumbly, Karen Gillan, Jacob Tremblay, and more. Horror icons Heather Langenkamp and Matthew Lillard join the ensemble, alongside the return of Mia Sara in her feature acting comeback. Langenkamp, a veteran of Flanagan’s works, previously starred in Netflix’s ‘The Midnight Club’ series as Dr. Stanton.
The diverse cast also includes Chiwetel Ejiofor, David Dastmalchian, Harvey Guillén, Trinity Jo-Li Bliss, Q’orianka Kilcher, Antonio Raul Corbo, Taylor Gordon and Benjamin Pajak.
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As of now, the release date for ‘The Life of Chuck’ remains under wraps, with no distributor attached to the project at this time. The anticipation for this star-studded adaptation is palpable, promising a cinematic treat for fans of King and those who appreciate the eerie touch Flanagan brings to the screen.
-Britney Jones
