Stephen King gives his verdict on Mike Flanagan’s new adaptation starring Tom Hiddleston: "Maybe not what you’d expect from me"

The Life of Chuck
(Image credit: Vanity Fair)

Stephen King has taken to Twitter to give his verdict on The Life of Chuck.

"The Life of Chuck bows tomorrow evening at the Toronto Film Festival. This is one of the good ones," King tweeted. "It's sad, has a touch of the paranormal, but it's also joyful and life-affirming. Maybe not what you'd expect from me, but there ya go."

The upcoming drama – which veers off the path from a traditional King horror – is directed by Mike Flanagan, who adapted the novella of the same name from Stephen King's 2020 collection If It Bleeds. Flanagan acquired the rights to adapt the story for the big screen before the book was even released, with King himself doubtful of it getting made. A first look at the film was recently released.

Hiddleston plays Charles 'Chuck' Krantz who, beginning with his death from cancer, travels back through his entire life and ends with his childhood. Also, the world is ending and everyone is coping in their own strange ways.

The cast includes Karen Gillan as a nurse, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Matthew Lillard, Carl Lumbly, Mark Hamill, Mia Sara, Kate Siegel, Samantha Sloyan, Harvey Guillen, Annalise Basso, Rahul Kohli, and Trinity Bliss. Benjamin Pajak, Cody Flanagan, and Jacob Tremblay each play younger versions of Chuck.

The Life of Chuck will make its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 6, but does not yet have a distribution date (though an announcement will likely be made soon). For more, check out our list of the most exciting upcoming movies in 2024 and beyond, or, skip right to the good stuff with our list of movie release dates.

Lauren Milici
Senior Writer, Tv & Film

Lauren Milici is a Senior Entertainment Writer for GamesRadar+ currently based in the Midwest. She previously reported on breaking news for The Independent's Indy100 and created TV and film listicles for Ranker. Her work has been published in Fandom, Nerdist, Paste Magazine, Vulture, PopSugar, Fangoria, and more.