For my money, and that of many others out there, The Haunting of Hill House was one of the biggest and most splendrous TV surprises of 2018. It had chills to spare, a thick-as-soup atmosphere, and one of the most talented small screen ensembles out there. The matriarch of the generation-spanning family was portrayed by fan-favorite actress Carla Gugino, who's got a wild new Cinemax show debuting soon.
Ever since Netflix officially announced that it was moving forward with a second season for the awards-snubbed horror series, which will go by the name The Haunting of Bly Manor, fans have wondered if show creator Mike Flanagan is looking to tap some of Season 1's actors for the upcoming adaptation of Henry James' Turn of the Screw. Carla Gugino could offer no concrete answers, but what she did say is quite positive.
Well, I can’t say anything definitive at this point, other than Mike and I really love collaborating and working together and any opportunity where a schedule allows for us to do that, we will, and I would be honored to. So we’re talking a lot about it and we’ll just see if all schedules allow.
Even if her declaration couldn't be definitive, Carla Gugino at least convinced me that she would be willing to return to the Haunting-verse to work with Mike Flanagan on this next paranormal fright fest. It would be their third time working together on a project, as Gugino and Flanagan also paired up for the Stephen King adaptation Gerald's Game. The two of them plus a disturbing novel equals a gripping experience regardless of whether it's TV or film.
The way Carla Gugino puts it, the main factor would be figuring out a way to work their schedules around each other. Gugino currently has Cinemax's action-oriented series JETT on the way, which could be a factor if Season 2 gets ordered soon into Season 1. Plus, the actress is currently filming the thriller Gunpowder Milkshake, which also co-stars Michelle Yeoh, Angela Bassett, Lena Headey and Karen Gillan. (Let's get all those actresses for Haunting at Bly Manor, too.)
Not that The Haunting at Bly Manor would be going into filming in the immediate future. Mike Flanagan's latest big screen effort, the Stephen King adaptation Doctor Sleep, is gearing up for its promotional season on the way to its November release. It might be safe to say that Flanagan is getting his pre-production materials together and carving out the story he wants to build within Bly Manor. But there's likely still time before the cast members will all be needed on the sets.
As such, there's still time for Carla Gugino to map out a spot in her future to slot in some filming time for The Haunting of Bly Manor. If she did return, she would obviously be playing a completely different character. Not only did Hill House's Olivia Crain go very much the way of the do-do bird, but we're also dealing with a completely different piece of literary history from the Shirley Jackson novel that Mike Flanagan remixed to make Season 1.
Carla Gugino's words to The Wrap are slightly more vague than comments made by Hill House vet Oliver Jackson-Cohen, who told the outlet he would "get shot" if he ever gave an answer to the question of whether he's in Bly Manor or not. That's not the kind of answer that someone walks away thinking, "That person probably isn't in that project he was just talking about." But it's not like we could instantly figure out who Jackson-Cohen would be playing anyway.
Do you guys hope to see Carla Gugino returning for The Haunting of Bly Manor? Let us know in the comments what your thoughts are, and don't forget that The Haunting of Hill House is available to watch in full on Netflix right now.
