# The Life of Chuck

The Life of Chuck is a 2024 American drama film written and directed by Mike Flanagan. It is based on the 2020 novella by Stephen King. The film stars Chiwetel Ejiofor, Tom Hiddleston, Annalise Basso, Benjamin Pajak, Karen Gillan, Mia Sara, Matthew Lillard, Carl Lumbly, Samantha Sloyan, Harvey Guillén, Jacob Tremblay, Kate Siegel, and Mark Hamill.
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 the United States by Neon on June 6, 2025.

## Cast

* Chiwetel Ejiofor as Marty Anderson
* Tom Hiddleston as Charles "Chuck" Krantz
** Benjamin Pajak as young Chuck
** Jacob Tremblay as young Chuck
** Cody Flanagan as young Chuck
* Annalise Basso as Janice Halliday
* Karen Gillan as Felicia Gordon
* Mia Sara as Sarah Krantz
* Matthew Lillard as Gus
* Carl Lumbly as Sam Yarbrough
* Samantha Sloyan as Miss Rohrbacher
* Harvey Guillén
* Kate Siegel as Miss Richards
* Mark Hamill as Albie Krantz
* Nick Offerman as the Narrator
* Q'orianka Kilcher as Ginny Krantz
* David Dastmalchian as a grieving father
* Rahul Kohli as Bri
* Heather Langenkamp as Vera
* Michael Trucco
* Molly C. Quinn as Chuck's mother
* Lauren LaVera
* Antonio Raul Corbo
* Trinity Bliss as Cat McCoy
* Violet McGraw as Lily
* Taylor Gordon as a street drummer
* Hamish Linklater as US Reporter
* Matt Biedel
* Sauriyan Sapkota
* Saidah Arrika Ekulona
* Scott Wampler

## Production

In July 2020, Stephen King's novella "The Life of Chuck" was optioned by Darren Aronofsky's production company, Protozoa Pictures. However, in May 2023, it was announced director Mike Flanagan would adapt the story, with Tom Hiddleston and Mark Hamill set to star. 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).
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. Flanagan announced the full cast on his social media a few days later. Filming wrapped on November 16, 2023.
In December 2023, it was revealed that Flanagan would also serve as editor, as he had done in his previous films. In April 2024, the Newton Brothers, frequent collaborators of Flanagan, were announced to be serving as composers.

## Release

The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 6, 2024. On September 26, it was announced that Neon had acquired the North American distribution rights for a summer 2025 theatrical release. The film is scheduled to be released in the United States on June 6, 2025.

## Reception
### Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 85% of 40 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.4/10. Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 64 out of 100, based on 11 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.

### Accolades

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