Mike Flanagan's "The Life of Chuck" confronted a formidable billboard challenge.
With his most recent project, "The Life of Chuck," Mike Flanagan—known for his eerie adaptations of Stephen King's work including "Gerald's Game" and "Doctor Sleep"—is returning to the realm of King. Based on the novella collection "If It Bleeds," this forthcoming film stars Tom Hiddleston as Chuck alongside an amazing ensemble including Mark Hamill, Karen Gillan, David Dastmalchian, Mia Sara, Matthew Lillard, Kate Siegel, and Chiwetel Ejiofor. But during production Flanagan ran across an unexpected obstacle: a plain-looking billboard, even with a gifted crew and an A-list cast.
Chuck's Life: An Issue With a Billboard
In an episode of the podcast "Director's Commentary with Mike Flanagan," Flanagan said that erecting a billboard presented the toughest obstacle his art department encountered. It seemed like a simple chore: just a flat image needing to stand straight. But the truth was far more convoluted. Filming the billboard physically impossible due to its size, the need of it being on top of a building, and the logistical challenges generated by the location made filming impossible.
"We finished it digitally," Flanagan said. "We couldn't seem to get something flat. It was just the size of it, and it had to be on top of a building; the logistics of that...there was some safety [issues], there was some questions regarding the roof itself, about wind, about powerlines nearby. "Guys, we can solve this," I said. You hardly have to mount it either. We can simply raise it and hold it still for five seconds then lower it. It was only one of these things where the whole time we arrived with the digital option whereby I could say, "This just feels like we have missed so many chances to do this a better way.'"
The Significance of This Billboard
"The Life Of Chuck" depends critically on this apparently basic billboard. Flanagan doesn't specifically mention the movie on the podcast, but it's rather evident he's referring to "The Life of Chuck." Filmed in 2023, this film revolves mostly on a towering billboard atop a bank.
Should the film faithfully follow King's novella, it will show Chiwetel Ejiofor's Marty coming across the billboard early on. The billboard shows Chuck along with the words "Charles Krantz." 39 fantastic years. Thank you Chuck! This apparently benign picture sets off a riddle that develops over the film.
A riddle opens out.
King's novella, told in reverse order, makes one uncomfortable even if "The Life Of Chuck" isn't a horror film. The world is in anarchy at the start of the narrative; California is drowning, Florida is turning into a swampland, and the internet is permanently dark. Images like the billboard showing Chuck start showing up everywhere among this upheaval. This broad picture begs issues about Chuck's identity and what he did to justify such massive advertising, so clouding the story.
A Nod in King's Custom
"The Life of Chuck" marks a return to a Stephen King legacy - a feeling of the enigmatic and the unknown. It also buckes another trend by not adhering to a rigid horror genre. This film seems to be an exciting investigation of the human condition mixed with King's trademark suspenseful and supernatural approach.
The first promotional picture for "The Life of Chuck" seems to have already shown us a hint of the billboard. The picture with Tom Hiddleston fits the description from King's novella. The billboard promises to be a key component in Flanagan's much awaited film even though it cannot be physically filmed.
