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The Haunting of Hill House season 2 release date: what we know about Bly Manor

The Haunting of Hill House season 2 is coming, but in a different way than you might have imagined: our time with the may be Crain family done, but now we'll be creeping around a chilling new setting in The Haunting of Bly Manor. We haven't heard much about The Haunting of Hill House season 2 for a while now, but despite the coronavirus pandemic, writer Mike Flanagan said production is "still on schedule."

The first series, loosely based on Shirley Jackson's 1959 Gothic novel, became one of the best new horror shows around in 2018. Next, however, we'll be transported to the dark, unsettling world of Henry James' iconic work, The Turn of the Screw. So we already have a decent idea of at least the basic foundations of the upcoming story.

Here we're breaking down the latest details on The Haunting of Bly Manor release date, and where the story will likely go. We'll also list what we know about its returning cast, so we can properly prepare ourselves for more unsettling psychological scares.

The Haunting of Bly Manor release date is this year

the haunting of bly manor

(Image credit: Netflix)

The Haunting of Bly Manor is coming in 2020, as confirmed by the tweet above. We don't have any more specific launch day information other than it's coming this year, but if we were betting people, we'd put our money on our next dose of Gothic goodness arriving at the spookiest time of year: Halloween. So, could The Haunting of Hill House season 2 release date be October 31, 2020? 

That said, it could arrive earlier: Flanagan confirmed on January 4 that he was heading to Vancouver to finish the project, which suggests the second season is at an advanced stage. Whenever season 2 lands, expect to see The Haunting of Bly Manor trailer turn up a month before launch, which is the standard way Netflix publicizes its shows. 

There was some speculation that the series might be delayed due to the complications around production and distribution caused by Coronavirus. However, Flanagan tweeted that's it's "going great" and "still on schedule" after a fan asked him about possible delays. He also explained post-production has been carrying on from home and Netflix will announce the release date "when they're ready".

The Haunting of Hill House season 2 cast sees some familiar faces

We already know a few of the cast members for Bly Manor already, and some of them are returning despite the fresh setting. Victoria Pedretti (Nellie Crain) was revealed to be returning to the show on the show's official Twitter account, alongside Oliver Jackson-Cohen who played Nellie's twin, Luke. 

However, since the Crains' narrative is now over, they will be reappearing in new roles. Thanks to Netflix, we know that Pedretti will play the governess and Jackson-Cohen will be Peter, a Bly Manor resident. In terms of new faces, Rahul Kohli (iZombie, Supergirl) may be starring in an unknown role.

Flanagan revealed on Twitter that Henry Thomas is in for the ride in an unknown role, returning from season one where he played Hugh Crain. The director is clearly a fan of the former ET child actor: he was also cast in the Flanagan-directed The Shining sequel, Dr Sleep. 

The horror supremo won't be directing The Haunting of Hill House season 2, though: instead it will be shared by up-and-coming horror directors, Yolanda Ramke, Ben Howling, Ciarán Foy, Liam Gavin, and Axelle Carolyn, Flanagan revealed on Twitter. That said, Flanagan did say he would still be "collaborating" with the new filmmakers.

The Haunting of Bly Manor story turns the screw

the haunting of hill house season 2 cast

(Image credit: Michiel Huisman/Netflix)

Before we get to Henry James, why are we leaving the Crain family? "The story of the Crain family is done," Flanagan told Entertainment Weekly. He also said that while there are other possible stories that could be pursued surrounding the family, "I felt like the Crains have been through enough [...] the show is about haunted places and haunted people, and there's no shortage of either."

Instead season 2 is based on Henry James' 1898 novel, The Turn of the Screw, which sees a governess look after two children in a large house on a remote estate. Like Shirley Jackson's novel, The Turning of the Screw is a slim novella, so there'll have to be plenty of additions if season 2 stretches to another ten episodes. However, as Flanagan said to EW, season 1 was always "more of a remix than an adaptation." 

In other words, The Haunting of Bly Manor should entrance and surprise even James experts. "For Henry James fans, it's going to be pretty wild, and for people who aren't familiar with his work, it's going to be unbelievably scary," Flanagan told Birth.Movies.Death. Not only that, but it'll be "much scarier than season 1."

What The Haunting of Bly Manor can learn from other Turn of the Screw adaptations

The best-respected Turning of the Screw adaptation is The Innocents (1961), which stars Deborah Kerr and Michael Redgrave. The horror classic builds its horror and tension gradually, which is something a Netflix show's length can leverage. It was also subtle and nuanced: each viewing yields different conclusions, if you can bear to watch multiple times.

Then there's The Others, which released in 2001. Starring Nicole Kidman and James Bentley, this Alejandro Amenabar-directed flick proved a strong update on a classic. Like The Innocents, it left plenty of questions unanswered; if Bly Manor achieves that, fans of a horror binge will be excitedly puzzling them out together on forums and message boards long after release.

2020's The Turning - starring Stranger Things' Finn Wolfhard - was less successful. Plagued by production problems, this take on Screw suffered from a complicated, muddled plot and an ending that felt abrupt and unearned, rather than subtle. In short, learning from its cinematic predecessors, Bly Manor should tease out chilling ideas slowly, ensure the plot is subtle and mysterious, and not be like this year's The Turning.

Henry James' seminal text has inspired a fair few adaptations.

The best horror show on Netflix

Even as a loose adaptation, The Haunting of Hill House had the weight of the one of the most important Gothic texts on it shoulders, but it delivered. Its intricate storytelling and use of multiple timeframes didn't just deliver expertly choreographed scares, but also managed to be a thoughtful meditation on the madness of family. The pressure of adapting The Turn of The Screw will arguably bring greater pressure, but Flanagan and his cast have already proved up to the task.



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