Hang on to your hats, horror fans: the creator of The Haunting of Hill House says that season 2, The Haunting of Bly Manor, is scarier than season 1. The Haunting of Hill House was such a success for Netflix that the streaming service decided to turn it into an anthology series, with each season telling a new story.
Season 2 of the series is The Haunting of Bly Manor, based on the 1898 Henry James novel The Turn of the Screw. The story follows a governess who moves to Bly Manor to take care of two orphaned children. During her stay, she becomes convinced the house is haunted and the children are ghosts. It soon becomes unclear if the governess is crazy, or if what she believes is real. However, fans of season 1, The Haunting of Hill House, will see some familiar faces in season 2. At least two Hill House actors will return, including Vitoria Pedretti and Oliver Jackson-Cohen.
More importantly, though, The Haunting of Bly Manor will be terrifying. Creator and director Mike Flanagan promises that season 2 of the anthology series will be even scarier than season 1. Flanagan spoke with Birth Movies Death about the new season, as well as how he’ll go about adapting James’ story. He said:
“We’re looking at all the ghost stories of Henry James as the jumping-off point for the season, so it very much is a whole new deal. It’s a cool way to expand on some of the things I loved about season one, but within the framework of a new story, without having to be restrained by the decisions we made last time. For Henry James fans, it’s going to be pretty wild, and for people who aren’t familiar with his work, it’s going to be unbelievably scary. I already think it’s much scarier than season one, so I’m very excited about it.”
Flanagan also mentioned Pedretti and Jackson-Cohen returning for new roles in season 2 but teased that other actors from Hill House might eventually turn up in The Haunting of Bly Manor. He also promised that season 2 would depend on practical effects, much like season 1. Fans who loved the hidden ghosts of Hill House hiding in the background of scenes will also not be disappointed. Flanagan promised viewers will get similar scares while watching Bly Manor. He stated the ghosts in season 2 would be treated “much the same way” as in season 1.
Flanagan is also the director of the upcoming adaptation of Stephen King’s Doctor Sleep, the sequel to The Shining. He also has previous experience adapting King’s novels, since he directed Gerald’s Game for Netflix. Flanagan will also bring Midnight Mass to Netflix, a new series based on an original idea. He’s a director who has already proved that he can bring the scares, and it seems both King and Netflix are banking on him to deliver. Fans can expect The Haunting of Bly Manor to drop on Netflix sometime in 2020.
