Nevermore...
A new trailer and a more cryptic promo for Mike Flanagan's (Midnight Mass, Doctor Sleep, Gerald's Game) latest Netflix horror series, The Fall of the House of Usher, have been released ahead of the show's premiere this Thursday, and they should give viewers a better idea of what to expect from the show.
It's been confirmed TFOTHOU won't actually serve as a direct adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe's 1839 short story of the same name, as it will also take inspiration from several of the legendary writer's other works, including The Raven.
The basic premise does seem to be pretty much the same, but this version of the macabre tale adds Carla Gugino as Verna, a rather terrifying supernatural presence who sets about haunting, stalking, and seemingly killing each member of the Usher family.
“It’s batshit crazy in the best possible way,” The Watchmen and Sin City actress told Netflix during production. “It has quite a lot of very dark humor, but also really touches the soul. There is a fantastical supernatural element to the story, and she is the manifestation of that. You could say she’s the executor of fate or the executor of karma.”
Verna is said to be at least partially based on a "very famous Poe character," and if you're familiar with his work, you can probably guess which one!
Check out the new teasers and posters below.
"Ruthless siblings Roderick and Madeline Usher have built Fortunato Pharmaceuticals into an empire of wealth, privilege and power. But past secrets come to light when the heirs to the Usher dynasty start dying at the hands of a mysterious woman from their youth," reads the official synopsis.
Flanagan has assembled a typically stacked cast, including Bruce Greenwood, Carla Gugino, Mary McDonnell, Carl Lumbly, Mark Hamill, Michael Trucco, T’Nia Miller, Paola Nuñez, Henry Thomas, Samantha Sloyan, Rahul Kohli, Kate Siegel, Sauriyan Sapkota, Zach Gilford, Willa Fitzgerald, Katie Parker, Malcolm Goodwin, Crystal Balint, Aya Furukawa, Daniel Jun, Matt Biedel, Ruth Codd and Annabeth Gish.
Kyleigh Curran, Igby Rigney and Robert Longstreet also star.
The Fall of the House of Usher marks the fifth Netflix series for Mike Flanagan and Trevor Macy under their Intrepid Pictures overall deal, after The Haunting of Hill House, The Haunting of Bly Manor, Midnight Mass, and recent Christopher Pike adaptation The Midnight Club.
Mike Flanagan and Michael Fimognari each directed four episodes.