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The Life of Chuck

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the film. For the novella, see If It Bleeds § "The Life of Chuck".

The Life of Chuck
Theatrical release poster
Directed byMike Flanagan
Screenplay byMike Flanagan
Based on"The Life of Chuck"
by Stephen King
Produced by
  • Mike Flanagan
  • Trevor Macy
Starring
Narrated byNick Offerman
CinematographyEben Bolter
Edited byMike Flanagan
Music byThe Newton Brothers
Production
companies
Distributed byNeon
Release dates
  • September 6, 2024 (2024-09-06) (TIFF)
  • June 6, 2025 (2025-06-06) (United States)
Running time
110 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

The Life of Chuck is a 2024 American science fiction drama film written and directed by Mike Flanagan. It is based on the 2020 novella of the same name by Stephen King. The film stars Tom Hiddleston, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Karen Gillan, Jacob Tremblay, and Mark Hamill. Its plot follows Charles "Chuck" Krantz, whose life is chronicled in reverse-chronological order and is seemingly having an impact on the world and universe around him.

The Life of Chuck had its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 6, 2024, where it won the People's Choice Award, and is scheduled to be released in select theaters in the United States by Neon on June 6, 2025, before expanding nationwide on June 13.

Cast

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Production

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In July 2020, Stephen King's novella "The Life of Chuck" was optioned by Darren Aronofsky's production company, Protozoa Pictures.[2] However, in May 2023, it was announced director Mike Flanagan would adapt the story, with Tom Hiddleston and Mark Hamill set to star and with Protozoa no longer involved. Flanagan had previously helmed adaptations of King's novels including Gerald's Game (2017) and Doctor Sleep (2019); the film was stated to match in tone King-based drama film adaptations such as Stand by Me (1986), The Shawshank Redemption (1994), and The Green Mile (1999).[3]

Filming began in Alabama in October 2023, during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, under a SAG-AFTRA interim agreement. Deadline Hollywood reported Chiwetel Ejiofor, Karen Gillan and Jacob Tremblay had been added to the cast.[4] Flanagan announced the full cast on his social media a few days later.[5] Filming wrapped on November 16, 2023.[6]

In December 2023, it was revealed that Flanagan would also serve as editor, as he had done in his previous films.[7] In April 2024, the Newton Brothers, frequent collaborators of Flanagan, were announced to be serving as composers.[8]

Release

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The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 6, 2024.[9][10][11] On September 26, it was announced that Neon had acquired the North American distribution rights for a summer 2025 theatrical release.[12] The film is scheduled to be released in select theaters in the United States on June 6, 2025, before expanding nationwide on June 13.[13][14][15]

Reception

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Critical response

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On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 87% of 52 critics' reviews are positive.[16] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 62 out of 100, based on 12 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[17]

Accolades

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At the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival, the film was the winner of the People's Choice Award,[18] often considered a precursor to success and nominations at the Academy Awards.[19][20]

References

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  1. ^ "The Life of Chuck (2025)". Irish Film Classification Office. Retrieved April 16, 2025.
  2. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (July 10, 2020). "Stephen King Novella 'If It Bleeds' Draws Movie Deals From Netflix & John Lee Hancock/Jason Blum/Ryan Murphy, Two Others From Ben Stiller And Darren Aronofsky". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on June 6, 2021. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
  3. ^ Wiseman, Andreas (May 8, 2023). "Tom Hiddleston & Mark Hamill to Star in Stephen King Adaptation The Life of Chuck for Director Mike Flanagan; FilmNation Launches Hot Project for Cannes Market". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 13, 2023. Retrieved May 9, 2023.
  4. ^ Grobar, Matt (October 23, 2023). "The Life of Chuck: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Karen Gillan & Jacob Tremblay Join Stephen King Adaptation from Mike Flanagan". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on October 23, 2023. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
  5. ^ Wampler, Scott (October 25, 2023). "Matthew Lillard (And a Million Other People) Just Joined the Cast of The Life of Chuck". Fangoria. Archived from the original on October 25, 2023. Retrieved October 25, 2023.
  6. ^ Schreur, Brandon (November 17, 2023). "Mike Flanagan Provides The Life of Chuck Update as Stephen King Movie Wraps Production". ComingSoon.net. Archived from the original on November 17, 2023. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
  7. ^ Cotter, Padraig (December 2, 2023). "New Stephen King Movie Returns Mike Flanagan To 1 Important Role Missing From His Last 6 Horror Films". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on December 12, 2023. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
  8. ^ filmmusicreporter. "The Newton Brothers Scoring Mike Flanagan's 'The Life of Chuck'". Film Music Reporter. Archived from the original on July 9, 2024. Retrieved May 26, 2024.
  9. ^ Kay, Jeremy (June 18, 2024). "Toronto film festival world premieres to include 'Nightbitch', Elton John doc, 'The Wild Robot'". Screen Daily. Archived from the original on June 18, 2024. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
  10. ^ "The Life of Chuck". Toronto International Film Festival. Archived from the original on September 15, 2024. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  11. ^ Breznican, Anthony (September 3, 2024). "The Life of Chuck: The Feel-Good Stephen King Apocalypse Movie". Vanity Fair. Retrieved September 3, 2024.
  12. ^ Rubin, Rebecca (September 26, 2024). "'The Life of Chuck' Sells to Neon After Winning TIFF's Audience Award (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
  13. ^ Rudoy, Matthew (December 2, 2024). "Mike Flanagan's Newest Stephen King Movie Life Of Chuck Sets 2025 Release Date". Screen Rant. Retrieved December 3, 2024.
  14. ^ Eriksen, Kaare (January 8, 2025). "3 Theatrical Film Slates to Watch in the Year Ahead". Variety. Archived from the original on January 10, 2025. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
  15. ^ DiVincenzo, Alex (April 15, 2025). "'The Life of Chuck' Trailer – Mike Flanagan Crafts a Life-Affirming Stephen King Adaptation". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved April 15, 2025.
  16. ^ "The Life of Chuck". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved June 2, 2025. Edit this at Wikidata
  17. ^ "The Life of Chuck". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved June 2, 2025.
  18. ^ Pond, Steve (September 15, 2024). "'The Life of Chuck' Wins Toronto Film Festival's People's Choice Award". TheWrap. Archived from the original on September 15, 2024. Retrieved September 15, 2024.
  19. ^ Vlessing, Etan (September 15, 2024). "Toronto: Mike Flanagan's 'The Life of Chuck' Wins Audience Award". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 15, 2024.
  20. ^ Rubin, Rebecca (September 15, 2024). "Tom Hiddleston's 'The Life of Chuck' Wins Toronto Film Festival's People's Choice Award". Variety. Retrieved September 15, 2024.
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