TV
Filming Has Wrapped on Mike Flanagan’s New Netflix Horror Series “Midnight Mass”
More small screen horror is on the way from Netflix and Mike Flanagan (“The Haunting of Hill House,” “The Haunting of Bly Manor”), and Flanagan himself has taken to Twitter this week to announce that filming on that new horror series has officially wrapped.
The series is titled “Midnight Mass,” and Flanagan directed every single episode.
The seven-episode series follows an isolated island community experiencing miraculous events – and frightening omens – after the arrival of a charismatic, mysterious young priest.
Flanagan tweets, “That’s a wrap on Midnight Mass. It has been an extraordinary, unprecedented production, and I cannot be prouder of this amazing cast and crew. In fact – and I do not say this lightly – this has been the best production experience of my career.”
“We began prepping this series in December, 2019,” he continues. “We were mere days away from shooting when the production was shut down in March 2020 because of the pandemic. We left our sets standing, dropped everything and frantically got our cast and crew to their homes as the lockdown began.”
“Our COVID safety protocols were thorough, scientific, and strictly enforced. Our precautions paid off – we did not miss a single day of production, and unlike a lot of other shows, we did not shut down once. Not one time. 83 shooting days, without interruption.
“This series has been a dream project of mine for many, many years. It is the most personal story I’ve ever told. I’ve been reluctant to direct a whole season again after Hill House, but I’m so glad I did in this case. I am so lucky to have worked with this cast and crew.”
Check out Flanagan’s tweet thread about the production below.
That’s a wrap on MIDNIGHT MASS. It has been an extraordinary, unprecedented production, and I cannot be prouder of this amazing cast and crew. In fact – and I do not say this lightly – this has been the best production experience of my career.
— Mike Flanagan (@flanaganfilm) December 16, 2020
Kate Siegel (“The Haunting of Hill House”) will star alongside Zach Gilford (The Purge: Anarchy) and Hamish Linklater (“Legion”). The cast also includes Annabeth Gish (The Haunting of Hill House), Michael Trucco (Hunter Killer), Samantha Sloyan (Grey’s Anatomy), Henry Thomas (The Haunting of Hill House), Rahul Abburi (Killer Ransom), Crystal Balint (The Bletchley Circle: San Francisco), Matt Biedel (Altered Carbon), Alex Essoe (Doctor Sleep), Rahul Kohli (Supergirl), Kristin Lehman (The Chronicles of Riddick), Robert Longstreet (Doctor Sleep), Igby Rigney (Blue Bloods) and Annarah Shephard.
Interesting to note, the project has ties to both Hush and Gerald’s Game. “Midnight Mass” was the book Maddie Young wrote in Hush, and it later appeared in Gerald’s Game.
As the inaugural season of Apple TV+’s stellar new series “Widow’s Bay” barrels toward its finale in two weeks, the latest episode gives Kate O’Flynn the spotlight as her character revisits her trauma with the Boogeyman.
“Your Baggage“, directed by Andrew DeYoung (Friendship), sees O’Flynn’s scene-stealing Patricia once again renew her fight with the Michael Myers-like stalker that slaughtered her peers during her adolescence. Thrillingly, it makes for one extended chase sequence that sees Patricia trying to warn others, while evading the undead killer.
In short, this episode’s incredible riff on Halloween and the slasher subgenre transformed Patricia into a fierce Final Girl.
“Well, that felt like a bucket list that I didn’t know was on my bucket list until I did it, but when I did it, I just lapped up every minute,” O’Flynn tells Bloody Disgusting of her triumphant turn this episode. “It felt fantastic for her to get that moment where she is becoming a badass. That was amazing.”
The actress turned to a few notable references for her performance. “Horror-wise, I go back to my youth, which was referenced in some of the episodes: Wicker Man, Carrie, and Rosemary’s Baby, that sort of thing is my kind of vibe.”
O’Flynn also notes how the series’ unique tone allows for so much creative freedom to make bold swings. “There’s something very freeing about it. Every moment is up for grabs, so it’s like we don’t have to totally land in one direction or another. It keeps it alive.“
Patricia is the eccentric assistant to Matthew Rhys‘ Mayor Tom Loftis, who’s at the forefront of trying to solve the island’s pesky curse predicament. Rhys felt the same about “Widow’s Bay” and its rare ability to make you laugh and scream in equal measure, stemming from series creator Katie Dippold.
“The mandate was, ‘It’s a real world with real people. You play for real.’ There’s no playing for comedy or horror,” Rhys echoes O’Flynn’s sentiments on how freeing the series’ tone has been.
New episodes will release every Wednesday through June 17 only on Apple TV+.
Kate O’Flynn in “Widow’s Bay,” now streaming on Apple TV.
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