Following a brief teaser and some promo stills, NEON has finally given us a proper look at Mike Flanagan's (Doctor Sleep, Gerald's Game) latest Stephen King adaptation, The Life of Chuck.
Though King is (obviously) best-known for his work in the horror genre, he has penned some notable sci-fi, fantasy, and even straightforward drama stories (Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption, for example). The Life of Chuck is based on the legendary author's 2020 novella, and while it does contain some sci-fi elements, it is most definitely not a horror tale.
The movie had its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 6, 2024, where it won the People's Choice Award.
The Life of Chuck has received positive reviews, and currently sits at 87% on Rotten Tomatoes. The film has been described as, "A life-affirming, genre-bending story about three chapters in the life of an ordinary man named Charles Krantz (Tom Hiddleston).
"Wherever Marty (Chiwetel Ejiofor) goes, he can't get away from Charles Krantz (Tom Hiddleston)... His face is showing up on billboards, signs — even on TV. What's so special about this seemingly ordinary accountant & why does he warrant such a sendoff? Their connection includes Marty's ex-wife, her co-worker, his neighbor, and just about everyone else they know. Chuck's life story soon begins to unravel in front of us, going back to a childhood with grandfather Albie (Mark Hamill), who teaches him about accounting and passes on a love for dancing, all the while keeping him from a prophetic secret in the attic."
The Life of Chuck also stars Chiwetel Ejiofor as Marty Anderson, Jacob Tremblay as young Chuck, Benjamin Pajak as young Chuck, Cody Flanagan as young Chuck, Annalise Basso as Janice Halliday, Karen Gillan as Felicia Gordon, Mark Hamill as Albie Krantz, Mia Sara as Sarah Krantz, Matthew Lillard as Gus, Carl Lumbly as Sam Yarbrough, Samantha Sloyan as Miss Rohrbacher, Harvey Guillén, Kate Siegel as Miss Richards, Nick Offerman as the Narrator, Q'orianka Kilcher as Ginny Krantz, David Dastmalchian as a grieving father, Rahul Kohli as Bri, Heather Langenkamp as Vera, Michael Trucco, and Molly C. Quinn as Chuck's mother.