Mike Flanagan‘s new Lovecraftian movie seems to have the potential to repeat the success of one of John Carpenter‘s most iconic horror remakes. Considering Flanagan’s long history of success in the horror genre, it is hard not to be hyped about every new project he ends up working on in the genre. However, it looks like his upcoming movie will be his most challenging big screen endeavor to date.

Over the years, Flanagan has helmed numerous movies based on Stephen King’s books and stories. Even some of his TV shows have traces of Stephen King’s influence. After continuing this trend with the upcoming adaptation of Carrie, Flanagan is also set to give us another remake of one of Stephen King’s most Lovecraftian stories, The Mist.

Given how Flanagan has barely dipped his feet in Lovecraftian horror in the past, it will be interesting to see how he will handle The Mist‘s adaptation. However, since The Mist already has one incredible movie adaptation that came out in 2007, Flanagan might have to find a creative way to make his adaptation standout while still retaining the source material’s cosmic horror.

Like John Carpenter’s The Thing, Mike Flanagan’s The Mist Remake Can Be Beat The Original

Long before John Carpenter’s The Thing saw the light of day, John W. Campbell’s novella Who Goes There? had been adapted into the 1951 classic The Thing from Another World. The 1951 film was widely appreciated by the viewers and critics for its originality and fun exploration of many pseudo-scientific ideas.

Despite the original’s critical success, Carpenter managed to deliver a remake of Who Goes There? by giving its story a whole new sci-fi horror spin. Although The Thing was initially panned by critics and even struggled at the box office, it has been revisited several times over the years and praised for its groundbreaking practical effects and masterful blend of psychological tension and cosmic horror.

Mike Flanagann is now seemingly treading the same path as John Carpenter by taking on a Stephen King story that already has a widely loved movie adaptation. Frank Darabont’s 2007 adaptation of The Mist is a bold and incredibly bleak take on Stephen King’s original story that embraces its source material’s Lovecraftian elements and does not shy away from leaving viewers with an incredibly bleak ending.

Since Frank Darabont’s The Mist almost seems perfect as an adaptation of the original Stephen King story, it is hard not to be a little skeptical about Mike Flanagan’s upcoming take on it. However, like John Carpenter, Mike Flanagan has established himself as one of the most talented creative forces in the horror genre.

If anyone can deliver a brilliant remake of Stephen King’s The Mist, it is Flanagan. Like Carpenter, he has previously displayed his ability to honor literary classics while modernizing their stories in adaptations like The Haunting of Hill House. He is expected to achieve something similar with his take on The Mist.

The Mist’s Remake Must Embrace Lovecraftian Storytelling Like Carpenter’s The Thing

John Carpenter’s The Thing was initially divisive because many viewers and critics could not appreciate how brilliantly it embraced nihilism. Even Frank Darabont’s The Mist received criticism after its premiere for changing the original story and making it a little too grim towards the end. The Thing and The Mist may not have been commercial hits, but their cult classics because they dared to be different.

Both movies could have easily flattened the Lovecraftian aspects of their original stories and delivered more conventional horror narratives to appeal to the masses. This might have allowed them to achieve short-term commercial success but would have tainted their long-term legacies.

Mike Flanagan’s The Mist should walk down the same path and attempt to be a crowd pleaser. Since Stephen King’s The Mist is among the author’s most Lovecraftian stories, even the new movie adaptation should fall into the cosmic brand of horror storytelling.

Given how Darabont’s adaptation has already mastered the art of telling a deeply Lovecraftian story about the insignificance of humanity with its bleak ending, Flanagan’s The Mist faces the challenge of justifying its existence by finding a fresh angle to instill the same “fear of the unknown.” However, like John Carpenter, Mike Flanagan has the vision to give us a whole new compelling take on the Stephen King story.