'Bly Manor' Bringing Back Even More 'Hill House' Residents
Mike Flanagan, I'm on to you. Just go ahead and announce everyone from The Haunting of Hill House is coming back for The Haunting of Bly Manor. It's what the people want! For now, we'll have to make do with two more main Hill House actors joining the Bly Manor cast: Henry Thomas and Kate Siegel. They join Hill House alumni Oliver Jackson-Cohen and Victoria Pedretti.The Wrap broke the news about Kate Siegel joining The Haunting of Bly Manor cast, while director and creator Mike Flanagan confirmed Henry Thomas would be coming back as well. Of the main (adult) cast of Hill House, the only individuals who have yet to join Bly Manor are Michiel Huisman, Elizabeth Reaser, Carla Gugino, and Timothy Hutton. I expect some, if not all, of these names to sign up for Bly Manor very soon. Gugino, in particular, seems like a good bet – she's worked with Flanagan before on Gerald's Game, and previously confirmed she and Flanagan were discussing the possibility. "I can't say anything definitive at this point, other than Mike and I really love collaborating and working together and any opportunity where a schedule allows for us to do that, we will, and I would be honored to," said Gugino.The Haunting of Hill House took inspiration from Shirley Jackson's novel of the same name. It also told a self-contained story, which lead to Flanagan and Netflix turning the show into an anthology series. Now, The Haunting of Bly Manor will tell a completely different story, with new characters. The source material for this season is Henry James' The Turn of the Screw, which was previously adapted into the horror film The Innocents. In the original story and The Innocents, a governess is hired to take care of two children in a big, sprawling mansion. The governess quickly begins to think the place is haunted – but are the ghosts real, or all in her mind? Cue the spooky music!
In Bly Manor, Pedretti plays Dani, "a governess who takes care of two very unusual children", while Jackson-Cohen will portray Peter, "a charming fellow." Thomas and Siegel's roles have yet to be revealed. I was a big fan of Hill House, and I'm a fan of Flanagan's work in general, so I'm quite excited to see what he does with The Haunting of Bly Manor. But before Flanagan returns to haunt Netflix he'll be unleashing The Shining sequel Doctor Sleep on audiences this November.
The Haunting of Bly Manor will give Netflix viewers the creeps sometime in 2020.