Horror director and The Haunting of Hill House creator Mike Flanagan is bringing Midnight Mass to Netflix, and here’s what we know about it so far. While he’s not quite a household name on the level of someone like James Wan, Flanagan has spent the last decade establishing himself as one of the most dependable horror filmmakers working. Just about everything he’s been involved with has been great, and even his lesser efforts tend to still be decent.
Flanagan’s feature debut came with 2011’s Absentia, a haunting tale about loss and grief that just happens to contain a really creepy monster. In 2013 came Oculus, the story of two siblings and their battle with a supernaturally powerful mirror. 2016 saw Netflix original Hush, the long-delayed Before I Wake, and the greatly improved sequel Ouija: Origin of Evil arrive. Flanagan’s last two films as a director were the acclaimed Stephen King adaptations Gerald’s Game in 2017 and Doctor Sleep in 2019. That’s quite the resume, and it just keeps expanding.
In 2018, Flanagan took his talents to the TV world, creating, writing, directing, editing, and producing the wildly popular The Haunting of Hill House series for Netflix, which was later followed up by The Haunting of Bly Manor. Netflix clearly wants to stay in the Mike Flanagan business, which explains them enlisting him to create Midnight Mass for the streaming service.
Midnight Mass Story: How It Connects To Haunting Of Hill House
As one might imagine based on the title, Midnight Mass is steeped firmly in religion, and the effect it can have on its followers. The story takes place on Crockett Island, and focuses on the small community living there. Around the same time a disgraced former resident named Riley Flynn returns, a mysterious but charismatic priest named Father Paul arrives. Soon, supernatural, possibly miraculous events begin happening, and Paul is able to capitalize on a renewed faith within his new congregation. Riley, however, isn’t so quick to jump on the miracle train, setting the two as adversaries. While the two Mike Flanagan projects do have actors in common, this is a standalone story, and Midnight Mass isn’t connected to The Haunting of Hill House.
Midnight Mass Returning & New Cast
Mike Flanagan’s penchant for re-using actors he likes continues, as Midnight Mass features lots of familiar faces from The Haunting of Hill House and The Haunting of Bly Manor. Kate Siegel and Henry Thomas return after appearing on both Hauntings, while Annabeth Gish, Robert Longstreet, and Samantha Sloyan return from Hill House, and Rahul Kohli and Alex Essoe return from Bly Manor for Midnight Mass. The two lead characters in Midnight Mass, though, are played by actors fresh to the Flanagan/Netflix playhouse, with Riley Flynn played by Friday Night Lights veteran Zach Gilford, and Father Paul played by Legion’s Hamish Linklater.
Midnight Mass Release Date
Midnight Mass begins its seven-episode Netflix run on September 24, 2021. The Midnight Mass project was first announced as being in the works back on July 1, 2019. Mike Flanagan has directed the series, while also executive producing alongside frequent collaborator Trevor May, who also teamed up for The Haunting of Hill House. Midnight Mass was the first result of a lucrative content deal Flanagan and May signed with Netflix after the breakout success of Hill House.
Midnight Mass Trailer
Netflix has released its official teaser trailer for Midnight Mass, which implies that a longer preview will be forthcoming before late September. Still, the above teaser does set the stage for what looks to be a battle of good vs. evil, but the exact nature of Father Paul seems intentionally ambiguous.
More: Netflix’s Haunting of Hill House Saved The Horror Sub-Genre
