Oliver Jackson-Cohen: Mike Flanagan surpasses Hill House with Bly Manor

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

Netflix and DOCTOR SLEEP director Mike Flanagan's much-anticipated second season of their masterpiece horror anthology series THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE is coming soon. It's called THE HAUNTING OF BLY MANOR this time around and it's set to hit the streaming giant this year. 

And today we hear from THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE, THE HAUNTING OF BLY MANOR, and THE INVISIBLE MAN star Oliver Jackson-Cohen that Flanagan surpasses the first season with his new nightmare.

Specifically, Jackson-Cohen says:

It’s quite strange. It was quite strange at the beginning going back because it’s Victoria Pedretti and I – we both played twins last year – and so we’re back together but we’re in Vancouver, we were in Atlanta last year, and it’s a completely different crew but it’s the same creator. It was very very weird to start off with. It was strange because how do you kind of take a show that was that well received and that loved, how do you do a second version of it? And he’s sort of surpassed it. It’s quite amazing what he’s done with Bly. 

RELATED: FLANAGAN SAYS HAUNTING OF BLY MANOR IS UNBELIEVABLY SCARY

Flanagan will be helming at least one episode of this new season with other episodes being handled by directors such as Ciaran Foy (CITADEL, SINISTER 2), Yolanda Ramke & Ben Howling (CARGO), Liam Gavin (A DARK SONG), and Axelle Carolyn (SOULMATE, TALES OF HALLOWEEN).

On top of Oliver Jackson-Cohen, THE HAUNTING OF BLY MANOR will see the return of THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE alumni such as Henry Thomas, Victoria Pedretti, and Kate Siegel. Based on the Henry James story The Turn of the Screw, season two might follow the novel's synopsis:

a psychological thriller about a woman who takes a governess job for two orphans in a Victorian home. She begins to see what she believes are ghosts and suspects the children's bizarre behavior is the result of supernatural powers.

RELATED: THE HAUNTING SEASON 2 WILL UP THE HIDDEN GHOSTS GAME

The book The Turn of the Screw was perhaps most famously adapted back in 1961 as THE INNOCENTS directed by Jack Clayton (SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES). That version starred Deborah Kerr as Miss Giddens, Martin Stephens as Miles, and Pamela Franklin as Flora.

This second season comes as part of a multi-year overall television deal Netflix has signed with Flanagan and producer Trevor Macy. Flanagan and Macy will develop and produce new series exclusively for Netflix, including this all-new chapter in THE HAUNTING anthology. THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE was a modern reimagining of Shirley Jackson's iconic novel, produced with Paramount Television and Amblin Television. In addition to Flanagan and Macy, the show was executive produced by Meredith Averill and Co-Presidents of Amblin Television Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey.

THE HAUNTING OF BLY MANOR hits Netflix in 2020. How excited are YOU? Let us know below!