An extended director’s cut of Netflix’s critically acclaimed and wildly successful horror series The Haunting of Hill House is coming to Blu-Ray. Adapted from Shirley Jackson’s classic gothic horror novel of the same name, the series skyrocketed to success last year on the streaming platform. Thanks to an intriguing and layered narrative, top-notch acting, and impressive filmmaking, the show was praised by critics and viewers alike, and quickly became one of Netflix’s most talked-about series of 2018.
Considering the show’s monumental success, the streaming giant was eager for more. Season 2 was ordered earlier this year, and instead of carrying on the story from season 1, the next season will focus on a new story and characters. Showrunner and creator Mike Flanagan confirmed that he and his longtime producer, Trevor Macy, have signed a multi-year deal with Netflix and will be turning the show into an anthology series. Season 2 will be titled The Haunting of Bly Manor, after the house from Henry James’ novella The Turn of the Screw. So far, the series has Hill House stars Victoria Pedretti and Oliver Jackson-Cohen returning for season 2, along with Flanagan returning to the director’s chair. Even though the new show isn’t set to debut until 2020, Flanagan has some other things in store for Haunting fans to tide them over until that day arrives.
Amblin Entertainment took to Twitter to share the news that an extended director’s cut of Flanagan’s series will be coming to Blu-Ray, and is currently available to pre-order on Amazon. The company jokingly exclaimed, “Why lease when you can own a lovely estate like Hill House,” adding in that it’s, “now even more spacious,” with the extended cut. Flanagan also took to Twitter to share the news, explaining that the news is, “out there a LITTLE earlier,” than he wanted, but that it was a, “blast restoring several episodes to their original form.”
The Haunting of Hill House was already filled with plenty of incredible scares and hidden easter eggs, so it’s exciting to think about what else Flanagan originally had. The director is no stranger to packing on the frights and has even exclaimed that The Haunting of Bly Manor will be scarier than Hill House, which will be using Henry James’ terrifying ghost stories as the baseline for the season. It wouldn’t be surprising if a lot of Flanagan’s extended cut also includes more ghosts, as the hidden ones throughout Hill House quickly became a favorite aspect of the show for viewers to keep an eye out for.
A director’s cut for The Haunting of Hill House seems like an incredibly worthy purchase. Considering how successful the final cut of the series was on Netflix, it’s a sure thing that Flanagan’s original cut will be just as thrilling, if not more. It’s also the perfect way to whet anxious fans’ appetites until The Haunting of Bly Manor finally makes its way onto the streaming service. Not only that, but it’ll help serve up a hefty new dose of scares right before the Halloween season.
