TV SERIES · 2018–2018 · USA
The Haunting of Hill House
- Created by
- Mike Flanagan
- Network
- Netflix
- Seasons
- 1
- Episodes
- 10
- Studio
- Amblin Television, FlanaganFilm, Paramount Television Studios
221 archived facts 8 topics 1 source Last reviewed Nov 2026
Flashing between past and present, a fractured family confronts haunting memories of their old home and the terrifying events that drove them from it.
221 Interesting Facts About The Haunting of Hill House
Interesting Facts (30)
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Contains a major spoiler — show
To portray William Hill aka Bowler Hat Man, actor Fedor Steer would wear prosthetics to give his face that sunken bone structure look. Steer would also be outfitted with arm and leg extensions. The arm extensions were two feet long and would strap on underneath the actor's wardrobe. Handgrips were provided that allowed Steer to move the hands back and forth. Magnets were used in the hands so that the Bowler Hat Man could hold his cane. For the disturbing scene where the Bowler Hat Man peers beneath a bed, an additional actor would perform the ghost's legs in the background. Finally, the floating gag would be achieved with wire rigs provided by the show's stunt team.
- #007
Contains a major spoiler — show
One of the most chilling recurring ghosts in The Haunting of Hill House would be the "Bent Neck Lady". The injured woman would have several makeup phases including a 'beauty' version, a clean appearance with the broken neck, and finally a moldy ghost look The artists at Robert Kurtzman MUFX would sculpt a large bulge sticking out the side of the ghost's neck as if her spine had popped. A silicone neck appliance was then created that would carry up onto the side of actress Victoria Pedretti's face, because Robert Kurtzman says, "she had to bend her neck all the time to get into that position, and I didn't want the stress to be right on her jawline or the prosthetic would have started to pop up every day."
- #008
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- #012
One of the late additions to the makeup effects list was the creepy kittens. Rather than use real kittens, the production team requested small mechanical kittens at very short notice. Robert Kurtzman recalls feeling the pressure: "I'm like, oh crap!" The kittens would be built by Jason Collins and Mike McCarty at Autonomous FX and fitted with air bladders for a breathing motion. Some CGI enhancements would be made for the close-ups when the kittens' eyes pop out and an insect emerges from their mouths. Kurtzman remembers the kittens fondly: "I loved them."
- #013
- #014
Actor Fedor Steer would wear prosthetics to give his face a sunken bone structure in order to play William Hill, also known as the Bowler Hat Man. Steer would also be fitted with arm and leg extensions. The arm extensions were two feet long and would be strapped beneath the actor's wardrobe. Grips were provided to allow Steer to move his hands back and forth. Magnets were used in his hands so the Bowler Hat Man could hold his cane. For the disturbing scene in which the Bowler Hat Man looks under the bed, an additional actor would play the ghost's legs in the background. Finally, the floating gag would be achieved with wire rigs provided by the series' stunt team.
- #015
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- #017
Henry Thomas (young Hugh Crain) wore blue contact lenses throughout the season. Older Hugh Crain (played by Timothy Hutton) has grey eyes. Hugh enters Hill House wide-eyed, having encountered a problem he could never solve. As time passes, Thomas's bright blue eyes turn into Hutton's steel grey, and the older Crain distances himself from his children and from the events that have haunted him ever since.
- #018
- #019
One of the most chilling ghosts to recur in The Haunting of Hill House would be the "Bent Neck Lady." The injured woman would have several makeup stages, including a 'beauty' version with a clean look and a broken neck, and finally a moldy ghost appearance. Artists at Robert Kurtzman MUFX would create a large protrusion emerging from the side of the ghost's neck, as if her spine were jutting out. A silicone neck appliance was then created to carry the side of actress Victoria Pedretti's face, because Robert Kurtzman says: "She had to keep her neck bent to get into that position, and I didn't want the stress to be right on the jawline, or the prosthetic would start to show every day."
- #020
- #021
Stephen King was a big fan of The Haunting of Hill House, directed by Mike Flanagan, and the two are known to be great admirers of each other's work. Flanagan has made several King adaptations, including Doctor Sleep (2019) (the sequel to The Shining (1980)) and Gerald's Game (2017). There are parallels between this series and The Shining: both center on an isolated family with a child who has a remarkable psychic ability, and both stories feature a parent driven mad by ghosts or spirits who persuade them to kill family members.
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Russ Tamblyn, who appears as Nell's therapist in The Bent-Neck Lady (2018), played Luke Sanderson in The Haunting (1963), the original adaptation of Shirley Jackson's novel. His character in the series is also named Dr. Montague, after Dr. John Montague, one of the main characters in Shirley Jackson's novel.
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Production Story (50)
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The first 15 minutes and 38 seconds of the sixth episode (excluding the 1:20 opening credits) were shot in a single take. The episode consists of five long takes, including a third take that runs over 17 minutes. Production shut down for six weeks of detailed rehearsals to pull off these shots.
- #040
Robert Kurtzman explains that as many as 30 'Easter egg' ghosts were placed throughout the series. 'Creator/director Mike Flanagan's plan from the beginning was to place these kinds of little Easter eggs and see whether people could spot them.' While working on the main prosthetic makeup each day, the makeup team also produced up to four 'hidden ghosts' for Flanagan to scatter into the shadows.
- #041
- #042
The team at Robert Kurtzman MUFX created several silicone bodies for the morgue and autopsy scenes. The autopsy bodies were built with realistic cavities in their torsos and even a layer of fat beneath the skin flaps. The top of the skull was also removable to simulate the procedures of a real autopsy. The series' morgue consultant, Brittany Godfrey (who supplied the makeup effects team with the appropriate waxed thread used in autopsies), thought the bodies were spot-on. Robert Kurtzman says, 'She was completely fascinated.'
- #043
A late addition to the makeup effects list was a creepy kitten. Rather than use real cats, the production requested small mechanical cats, and on very short notice. Robert Kurtzman recalls feeling the pressure: 'Oh my God, I said!' The cats were made by Jason Collins and Mike McCarty of Autonomous FX and fitted with air bladders for a breathing motion. In close-ups, CGI enhancements were used for the scenes where their eyes bulge out and a bug emerges from the mouth. Kurtzman remembers the cats fondly: 'I loved them.'
- #044
To play the character William Hill (Bowler Hat Man), actor Fedor Steer wore prosthetics to give his face a sunken bone structure. Steer was also fitted with arm and leg extensions. The arm extensions were two feet long and were strapped beneath the actor's clothing. Grips were provided that allowed Steer to move his hands back and forth. Magnets were used in the hands so that Bowler Hat Man could hold his cane. In the disturbing scene where Bowler Hat Man looks under a bed, an additional actor played the ghost's legs in the background. Finally, the floating effect was achieved with wire rigs provided by the series' stunt team.
- #045
The 'Rotting Moldy Basement Ghost' was played by amputee actor Josh Campbell, who is missing a leg. The horrifying character was one of the most extensive full-body prosthetic makeups produced for the series. The appliances included a chest piece, arm pieces, face pieces, clumps of burnt hair and a charred prosthetic leg.
- #046
The makeup effects team also built a practical pregnant belly for actress Samantha Sloyan. The belly was made of silicone. Half a dozen air bladders were made from thin silicone layers and then mounted to the lower stomach form, allowing the pregnant belly to swell and pulse. CGI was used when the veins in the belly began to grow and change color. The digital artists referenced the color, veining and splatter effects that Robert Kurtzman and his team used in the ghost makeups.
- #047
One of the creepiest recurring ghosts in The Haunting of Hill House was the 'Bent Neck Lady.' There were several makeup stages for the injured woman, including a 'beauty' version, a clean look with a broken neck, and finally a moldy ghost look. The artists at Robert Kurtzman MUFX sculpted a large lump protruding from the side of the ghost's neck, as if her spine were jutting out. A silicone neck appliance was then created that extended up the side of actress Victoria Pedretti's face, because, Robert Kurtzman says, 'she had to keep bending her neck to hold that pose, and I didn't want the stress to land directly on the jaw line, otherwise the prosthetic would start to lift every day.'
- #048
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- #051
The look and style of the makeup began with sketches. From there they moved on to front sculptures. The ghost designs often changed at the sculpture stage and then changed again at the coloring stage. Multiple camera tests were done with different lighting scenarios to achieve Flanagan's desaturated color palette. Robert Kurtzman would say that it was hard to get there, that they couldn't use the typical red blood tones that might be the first choice for split heads and other violent injuries. 'We really had to pull that back and find the colors that would work for it.'
- #052
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- #055
Henry Thomas (Young Hugh Crain) wore blue contact lenses throughout the season. Timothy Hutton, who plays Older Hugh Crain, has grey eyes. Hugh enters Hill House as a house flipper with bright eyes who has never encountered a problem he could not solve. Over time, Thomas's bright blue eyes turn into Hutton's steel grey, as the older Crain has cut himself off from his children and from the events that have troubled him to this day.
- #056
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Henry Thomas (Young Hugh Crain) played the Bartender/Jack Torrence in Doctor Sleep (2019). Doctor Sleep author Stephen King admits to being a fan of Shirley Jackson; Jackson's novel The Haunting of Hill House partly inspired King's The Shining, the predecessor to Doctor Sleep. Doctor Sleep also deals with a man traumatized by ghostly events in childhood who ultimately returns to a place inhabited by countless ghosts. Thomas's character is the patriarch in both adaptations, but in King's film Jack is a ghost who never left.
- #060
The series takes place in 1992 and 2018; Henry Thomas plays Hugh Crain in the 1992 version, while Timothy Hutton plays the 2018 version. Hugh is supposed to have aged 26 years, yet Hutton is only 11 years older than Thomas. In addition, while Luke and Nellie are supposed to be 32 years old, Victoria Pedretti (Nellie) was only 22 during filming and was nine years younger than her 'twin' Oliver Jackson-Cohen (Luke).
- #061
Lulu Wilson (Young Shirley) and Elizabeth Reaser (present-day Shirley) played daughter and mother in Ouija: Origin of Evil (2016). Henry Thomas (young Hugh) also appeared in that film as the priest/school principal. That film was also directed by Mike Flanagan and starred Henry Thomas (who plays their father in this series). Kate Siegel also appears in the film but is not related to the other characters.
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Mike Flanagan initially did not tell Robert Kurtzman what his next project was about. He was left in the dark, so to speak. Kurtzman was very excited when he learned it was The Haunting of Hill House. To help Flanagan achieve his goal of capturing as much as possible in camera, Kurtzman hired Mark Boley, Marcia King and a talented team of Atlanta-based makeup FX artists from the Gerald's Game (2017) crew. From the start, Kurtzman and his team faced a unique challenge: 'Mike Flanagan wanted that desaturated look with all the ghost characters.'
- #066
- #067
Stephen King was a big fan of Mike Flanagan's The Haunting of Hill House, and the two are known to admire each other's work. Flanagan has made several King adaptations, including Doctor Sleep (2019) (the sequel to The Shining (1980)) and Gerald's Game (2017). There are parallels between this series and The Shining. Both involve an isolated family with a child who has remarkable psychic ability, and in both stories a parent is driven mad by ghosts or spirits that persuade him to kill his family members.
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The concept of the 'Red Room' comes from Charlotte Brontë's 1847 classic novel 'Jane Eyre.' Young Jane's greatest fear is being forced to stay in the Red Room of the mansion where she lives, where the previous lord died and which is said to be haunted. When she is locked there as punishment, she faints from fear. Stephen King also famously referenced this in The Shining with the phrase 'redrum.'
- #074
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- #076
Mrs. Dudley explains to Olivia Crain the rule about not staying late at Hill House: 'We don't stay after dark, Horace and I. I work during the day; night is very different, different in the dark.' There is a similar line in the book, and in The Haunting films Mrs. Dudley says to Eleanor (Nell): 'I don't stay after I set out dinner, I go when it starts to get dark. I go before it gets dark, so if you need help there won't be anyone around; we can't hear you, no one can, at night, in the dark.'
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Elizabeth Reaser, who plays Shirley, also plays Esme Cullen in Twilight (2008). In The Haunting of Hill House, Shirley's husband Kevin (Anthony Ruivivar) tells her to send Nell's body to Carlisle because he does a great job. Esme Cullen was married to Carlisle Cullen in Twilight. Young Shirley (Lulu Wilson) also names the first dead kitten Jasper. In Twilight, Esme has an adopted son named Jasper Hale.
Behind the Scenes (38)
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The look and style of the makeup would start with sketches. From there, they would move to the preliminary sculptures. The ghost designs would often change in the sculpture stage and then change again in the coloration phase. Multiple camera tests with different lighting scenarios were done to achieve Flanagan's desaturated color palette. Robert Kurtzman would say getting there was tough, that they couldn't use the typical red blood tones that one might first choose for split-open heads and other violent injuries. "We really had to pull that back as we tested and find the colors that would work for him."
- #084
A late addition to the makeup effects slate would be a litter of creepy kittens. Instead of using real kittens, the production requested tiny mechanical ones, and at very short notice. Robert Kurtzman remembers feeling the pressure, "I'm like, oh crap!" The kittens would be built by Jason Collins and Mike McCarty at Autonomous FX and would be fitted with air bladders for breathing action. There would end up being some CGI enhancements to the kittens for close-ups when their eyes would bulge out and for when a bug crawls out of one's mouth. Kurtzman fondly recalls the kittens, "I loved them."
- #085
The crew at Robert Kurtzman MUFX would create several silicone bodies for mortuary and autopsy scenes. The autopsy bodies were built with realistic cavities in their torsos, and even the fatty layer beneath the skin flaps was included. The top of the skull would also be removable to simulate the procedures of a real autopsy. The show's mortician consultant Brittany Godfrey (who would supply the makeup effects team with the proper waxed thread used in autopsies) thought the bodies were dead on. Robert Kurtzman says, "She was completely blown away."
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Initially, Mike Flanagan didn't tell Robert Kurtzman what his next project was about. He was kept in the dark, so to speak. Kurtzman was very excited to find out it was The Haunting of Hill House. To help him achieve Flanagan's goal of capturing as much in-camera as possible, Kurtzman recruited fellow Gerald's Game (2017) team members Mark Boley, Marcia King, and a talented crew of Atlanta-based makeup FX artists. From the outset, Kurtzman and company were tasked with a unique challenge: "Mike Flanagan wanted to have this desaturated look with all of the ghost characters."
- #091
Contains a major spoiler — show
The makeup effects crew also constructed a practical pregnant belly for actress Samantha Sloyan. The belly was made out of silicone. Half a dozen air bladders were made from thin silicone sheets and then mounted to the stomach's underform where they could make the pregnant belly swell and pulse. Once the veins start to grow on the belly and it begins to change color, CGI was used. The digital artists took references from the color, veining, and splatter effects that Robert Kurtzman and team were using on the ghost makeups.
- #092
Contains a major spoiler — show
To portray William Hill, also known as the Bowler Hat Man, actor Fedor Steer wore prosthetics to give his face a sunken bone structure look. Steer was also outfitted with arm and leg extensions. The arm extensions were two feet long and would strap on underneath the actor's wardrobe. Handgrips were provided that allowed Steer to move the hands back and forth. Magnets were used in the hands so that the Bowler Hat Man could hold his cane. For the disturbing scene where the Bowler Hat Man peers beneath a bed, an additional actor performed the ghost's legs in the background. Finally, the floating gag was achieved with wire rigs provided by the show's stunt team.
- #093
Contains a major spoiler — show
The first 15:38 minutes of episode six (excluding the beginning 1:20 beginning credits sequence) were done in one straight take. The episode itself is comprised of five of these long takes, the longest being the third, which is over 17 minutes. The production was shut down for six weeks of detailed rehearsals to accomplish this.
- #094
Contains a major spoiler — show
The "Crispy Moldy Basement Ghost" was played by actor Josh Campbell, an amputee missing one leg. The frightening character was one of the most extensive full-body prosthetic makeups produced for the show. Appliances included a chest piece, arm pieces, facial pieces, chunks of burnt hair, and a fake leg that was burned to a crisp.
- #095
Contains a major spoiler — show
One of the most chilling recurring ghosts in The Haunting of Hill House would be the "Bent Neck Lady". The injured woman would have several makeup phases including a 'beauty' version, a clean appearance with the broken neck, and finally a moldy ghost look. The artists at Robert Kurtzman MUFX would sculpt a large bulge sticking out the side of the ghost's neck as if her spine had popped. A silicone neck appliance was then created that would carry up onto the side of actress Victoria Pedretti's face, because Robert Kurtzman says, "she had to bend her neck all the time to get into that position, and I didn't want the stress to be right on her jawline or the prosthetic would have started to pop up every day."
- #096
Contains a major spoiler — show
The makeup effects crew would also construct a practical pregnant belly for actress Samantha Sloyan. The belly was made out of silicone. Half a dozen air bladders would be made from thin silicone sheets and then mounted to the stomach's underform where they could make the pregnant belly swell and pulse. Once the veins start to grow on the belly and it begins to change color, CGI would be used. The digital artists would take references from the color, veining, and splatter effects that Robert Kurtzman and team were using on the ghost makeups.
- #097
Robert Kurtzman reveals that as many as 30 "Easter egg" ghosts were placed throughout the series. "Placing those little Easter eggs and seeing whether people could spot them was [creator/director Mike Flanagan's] plan from the beginning." While the makeup team worked on the series' main prosthetic makeup every day, Flanagan would also produce up to four "hidden ghosts" to remain in the shadows.
- #098
The first 15 minutes and 38 seconds of the sixth episode (excluding the 1:20 opening title sequence) were shot in a single take. The episode itself consists of five such long takes, the longest being the third at over 17 minutes. To achieve this, production shut down for six weeks of detailed rehearsals.
- #099
The makeup effects team would also make a practical pregnant belly for actress Samantha Sloyan. The belly was made of silicone. Half a dozen air bladders would be made from thin silicone layers and then mounted on the lower part of the stomach to make the pregnant belly swell and pulse. CGI is used when the veins in the belly begin to grow and change color. The digital artists would take reference from the color, veining and splatter effects that Robert Kurtzman and his team used in the ghost makeup.
- #100
The series is set in 1992 and 2018; Henry Thomas plays the 1992 version of Hugh Crain, while Timothy Hutton plays the 2018 version. Although Hugh is said to be 26 years old, Hutton is only 11 years older than Thomas. Luke and Nellie were also supposed to be 32 years old, but Victoria Pedretti (Nellie) was only 22 during filming and was nine years younger than her "twin", Oliver Jackson-Cohen (Luke).
- #101
The first 15 minutes and 38 seconds of the sixth episode (excluding the 1:20 opening credits) were shot in a single take. The episode consists of five long takes, including a third take that runs over 17 minutes. Production was halted for six weeks of detailed rehearsals to pull off these shots.
- #102
Robert Kurtzman explains that as many as 30 'Easter egg' ghosts were placed throughout the series. 'From the very beginning, creator/director Mike Flanagan's plan was to place these little Easter eggs and see whether people could spot them.' While working on the main prosthetic makeup each day, the makeup team also produced up to four 'hidden ghosts' for Flanagan to scatter into the shadows.
- #103
- #104
The team at Robert Kurtzman MUFX created several silicone bodies for the morgue and autopsy scenes. The autopsy bodies were built with realistic cavities in their torsos and even a layer of fat beneath the skin flaps. The top of the skull was also removable to simulate the procedures of a real autopsy. The series' morgue consultant Brittany Godfrey (who supplied the makeup effects team with the appropriate waxed thread used in autopsies) thought the bodies were spot-on. Robert Kurtzman says, 'She was completely fascinated.'
- #105
A late addition to the makeup effects list was a creepy kitten. Instead of using real cats, the production requested small mechanical cats, and on very short notice. Robert Kurtzman remembers feeling the pressure: 'Oh my God, I said!' The cats were made by Jason Collins and Mike McCarty of Autonomous FX and fitted with air bladders for a breathing motion. In close-ups, CGI enhancements were applied to the shots where their eyes bulge out and a bug emerges from the mouth. Kurtzman recalls the cats fondly: 'I loved them.'
- #106
To portray the character William Hill (Bowler Hat Man), actor Fedor Steer wore prosthetics to give his face a sunken bone structure. Steer was also fitted with arm and leg extensions. The arm extensions were two feet long and were strapped beneath the actor's clothing. Grips were provided that allowed Steer to move his hands back and forth. Magnets were used in the hands so that Bowler Hat Man could hold his cane. In the disturbing scene where Bowler Hat Man looks under a bed, an additional actor played the ghost's legs in the background. Finally, the floating effect was achieved with wire rigs provided by the series' stunt team.
- #107
The 'Rotting Moldy Basement Ghost' was played by amputee actor Josh Campbell, who is missing a leg. The terrifying character was one of the most extensive full-body prosthetic makeups produced for the series. The appliances included a chest piece, arm pieces, face pieces, clumps of burnt hair and a charred prosthetic leg.
- #108
The makeup effects team also built a practical pregnant belly for actress Samantha Sloyan. The belly was made of silicone. Half a dozen air bladders were made from thin silicone layers and then mounted onto the under-form of the stomach, allowing the pregnant belly to swell and pulse. CGI was used when the veins in the belly began to grow and change color. The digital artists took reference from the color, veining and splatter effects that Robert Kurtzman and his team used in the ghost makeups.
- #109
One of the most chilling recurring ghosts in The Haunting of Hill House was the 'Bent Neck Lady.' There were several makeup stages for the injured woman, including a 'beauty' version, a clean look with a broken neck and finally a moldy ghost appearance. The artists at Robert Kurtzman MUFX sculpted a large lump protruding from the side of the ghost's neck, as if her spine were jutting out. A silicone neck appliance was then created that extended up the side of actress Victoria Pedretti's face, because, as Robert Kurtzman says, 'she had to keep bending her neck to hold that pose, and I didn't want the stress to land directly on her jawline, otherwise the prosthetic would start to lift every day.'
- #110
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The look and style of the makeup began with sketches. From there they moved on to preliminary sculptures. The ghost designs often changed at the sculpture stage and then changed again at the coloring stage. Multiple camera tests were done with different lighting scenarios to achieve Flanagan's desaturated color palette. Robert Kurtzman would say that it was hard to get there, that they couldn't use the typical red blood tones that might be a first choice for split heads and other violent injuries. 'We really had to pull that back and find the colors that would work for it.'
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Characters & Cast (52)
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The series is set in 1992 and 2018, with Henry Thomas playing the 1992 version of Hugh Crain, and Timothy Hutton playing the 2018 version. Although Hugh is supposed to have aged 26 years, Hutton is only 11 years older than Thomas. In addition, Luke and Nellie are supposed to be 32, but Victoria Pedretti (Nellie) was only 22 during filming, and is nine years younger than her "twin", Oliver Jackson-Cohen (Luke).
- #125
- #126
Lulu Wilson (Young Shirley) and Elizabeth Reaser (present-day Shirley) also starred in Ouija: Origin of Evil (2016), where they played daughter and mother. Henry Thomas (young Hugh) also starred in that movie as the priest/schoolmaster. That movie is also directed by Mike Flanagan and starred Henry Thomas (who plays their father in this series). Kate Siegel also stars but is not related to any other characters.
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Henry Thomas (young Hugh Crain) wore blue contact lenses through the entire season. The elder Hugh Crain (played by Timothy Hutton) has gray eyes. Hugh enters Hill House a wide-eyed house flipper who never faced a problem he couldn't fix. As time passed, Thomas' bright blue eyes turned into Hutton's steely gray, as the elder Crain has pulled himself away from his children and the events that haunt him to this day.
- #132
Mckenna Grace (Young Theo) and Kate Siegel (Older Theo) both kept journals in the persona of their character, writing about Theo's experiences and thoughts. The actresses would then swap journals with each other to gain a better understanding of the younger and older version of the character respectively.
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Henry Thomas (Young Hugh Crain) wore blue contact lenses throughout the season. Timothy Hutton, who plays Older Hugh Crain, has grey eyes. Hugh enters Hill House as a house flipper with bright eyes who has never encountered a problem he could not solve. Over time, Thomas's bright blue eyes give way to Hutton's steel grey, as the older Crain has cut himself off from his children and from the events that have haunted him ever since.
- #143
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Russ Tamblyn, who appears as Nell's therapist in The Bent-Neck Lady (2018), had played Luke Sanderson in The Haunting (1963), the first adaptation of Shirley Jackson's novel. His character in the series is also named Dr. Montague, a name taken from Dr. John Montague, the protagonist of Shirley Jackson's novel.
- #146
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Henry Thomas (Young Hugh Crain) played the Bartender/Jack Torrance in Doctor Sleep (2019). Doctor Sleep author Stephen King admits to being a fan of Shirley Jackson; Jackson's novel The Haunting of Hill House partly inspired King's The Shining, the predecessor to Doctor Sleep. Doctor Sleep also deals with a man traumatized by ghostly events in childhood who ultimately returns to a place inhabited by countless ghosts. Thomas's character is the patriarch in both adaptations, but in King's film Jack is a ghost who never left.
- #148
The series takes place in 1992 and 2018; Henry Thomas plays Hugh Crain in the 1992 version, and Timothy Hutton in the 2018 version. Hugh is supposed to have aged 26 years, yet Hutton is only 11 years older than Thomas. Also, while Luke and Nellie are supposed to be 32, Victoria Pedretti (Nellie) was only 22 during filming and was nine years younger than her 'twin' Oliver Jackson-Cohen (Luke).
- #149
Lulu Wilson (Young Shirley) and Elizabeth Reaser (present-day Shirley) played daughter and mother in Ouija: Origin of Evil (2016). Henry Thomas (young Hugh) also appeared in that film as a priest/school principal. That film was also directed by Mike Flanagan and starred Henry Thomas (who plays their father in this series). Kate Siegel is in the film as well, but is not related to the other characters.
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Mike Flanagan initially did not tell Robert Kurtzman what his next project was about. He was left in the dark, so to speak. Kurtzman was very excited when he learned that it was The Haunting of Hill House. To help Flanagan achieve his goal of capturing as much as possible in camera, Kurtzman hired Mark Boley, Marcia King and a talented team of Atlanta-based makeup FX artists from the crew of Gerald's Game (2017). From the start, Kurtzman and his team faced a unique challenge: 'Mike Flanagan wanted this desaturated look with all the ghost characters.'
- #166
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Stephen King was a big fan of Mike Flanagan's The Haunting of Hill House, and the two are known to admire each other's work. Flanagan has made many King adaptations, including Doctor Sleep (2019) (the sequel to The Shining (1980)) and Gerald's Game (2017). There are parallels between this series and The Shining. Both involve an isolated family with a child who has remarkable psychic ability, and in both stories a parent is driven mad by ghosts or spirits that persuade him to kill family members.
- #168
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The Boy Scouts of America (now Scouting USA) is very protective against the use of its name in film and television, and therefore films usually use a different name (Wilderness Explorers, Camp Scouts, etc.). In the storm episode, young Hugh says he is a 'Life Scout.' Although this is probably an adaptation of the name 'Boy Scout,' for legal reasons 'Life Scout' is actually the penultimate rank in Scouting, just below 'Eagle Scout.'
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Easter Eggs & References (28)
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Henry Thomas (Young Hugh Crain) would go on to play the Bartender/Jack Torrence in Doctor Sleep (2019). Doctor Sleep author Stephen King is an admitted fan of Shirley Jackson, whose novel "The Haunting of Hill House" in part inspired his work on Doctor Sleep's predecessor, "The Shining". Doctor Sleep similarly deals with a man, traumatized by ghostly events as a child, ultimately returning to the location inhabited by numerous ghosts. Thomas' character is the patriarch in both adaptations, though in King's movie, Jack is a ghost who never left.
- #180
Mrs. Dudley explains to Olivia Crain her rule about not staying in Hill House late: "We don't stay after dark, Horace and I. I would work in the daylight; it's very different in the night, it's different in the dark." A similar line exists in the book and can be heard in the Haunting films, where Mrs. Dudley explains to Eleanor (Nell): "I don't stay after I set out the dinner, not after it begins to get dark. I leave before the dark, so there won't be anyone around if you need help; we couldn't hear you, no one could, in the night, in the dark."
- #181
Russ Tamblyn, who appears as Nell's therapist in The Bent-Neck Lady (2018), played Luke Sanderson in The Haunting (1963), the original adaptation of Shirley Jackson's novel. Furthermore, his character's name in the series is Dr. Montague, named after Dr. John Montague, a main character in Shirley Jackson's novel.
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Robert Kurtzman reveals that up to 30 "Easter egg" ghosts are planted throughout the series. "It was [creator/director Mike Flanagan's] plan from the beginning to set up these kinds of little Easter eggs and see if people could spot them." While working on the primary prosthetic makeup for the show each day, the makeup team would also produce up to four of the "hidden ghosts" as well for Flanagan to pepper in the shadows.
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The line "It's taken 60 million years to create the carnivorous biped you see before you" is spoken by the man Shirley meets at the bar in the final episode. This is a line Dr. Marquay uses to describe Luke Sanderson to Theo and Eleanor in the original novel, "The Haunting of Hill House".
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The concept of a "Red Room" stems from Charlotte Brontë's classic 1847 novel "Jane Eyre", where the young Jane's greatest fear is to be forced to stay in the Red Room (a bedroom with red drapes), where the previous lord of the manor she lives at died, and is said to be haunting. When she is locked in there as punishment, she passes out from fear. Stephen King also famously referenced this in The Shining, with the usage of the phrase "redrum".
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Contains a major spoiler — show
The Boy Scouts of America (now Scouting USA) is very protective of their name being used in film and television, and therefore movies generally call it by a different name (Wilderness Explorers, Camp Scouts, etc.). During the episode with the storm, a young Hugh says that he was a "Life Scout". While this is likely an adaptation of the 'Boy Scout' name, for legal reasons, "Life Scout" is in fact the penultimate rank in Scouting, just below "Eagle Scout".
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Contains a major spoiler — show
Steven appears to be the only person to visit one of his family members when they're in their Red Room when he helps Luke with the "no girls allowed" sign in the "treehouse." It is later revealed in the last episode's flashbacks narrated by Nell that he was not actually there.
- #195
Contains a major spoiler — show
Elizabeth Reaser, who plays Shirley, also plays Esme Cullen in Twilight (2008). In The Haunting of Hill House, Shirley's husband, Kevin (Anthony Ruivivar), says she should send Nell's body to Carlisle because he would do a great job. Esme Cullen was married to Carlisle Cullen in Twilight. Young Shirley (Lulu Wilson) also named the first dead kitten Jasper. In Twilight, Esme has an adopted son named Jasper Hale.
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The "Red Room" concept originates from Charlotte Brontë's 1847 classic novel "Jane Eyre", in which young Jane's greatest fear is being forced to stay in the Red Room (a bedroom with red drapery) of the mansion where she lives, said to be where the previous lord of the house died and is remembered. When she is locked there as punishment, she faints from fear. Stephen King also famously referenced this in The Shining with the phrase "redrum".
Deeper Meaning (21)
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The concept of a Red Room stems from Charlotte Brontë's classic 1847 novel Jane Eyre, where the young Jane's greatest fear is to be forced to stay in the Red Room (a bedroom with red drapes), where the previous lord of the manor she lives at died, and is said to be haunting. When she is locked in there as punishment, she passes out from fear. Stephen King also famously referenced this in The Shining, with the usage of the phrase "redrum".
- #201
Contains a major spoiler — show
Although the exact location of Hill House is never mentioned, it can be inferred from two clues that it is located in the region of Western Massachusetts known as "The Berkshires", which was an affluent summer colony during the Gilded Age, and is indeed home to a number of massive turn of the century mansions built by the Vanderbilts and other prominent families of the era. The first clue is the sheriff mentioning the fact that Massachusetts does not have a death disclosure law, and the second being that in traveling to the house from the Boston area, Luke had stopped at a gas station in Amherst, which is about 45 to 50 miles east of the Berkshire hills.
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Contains a major spoiler — show
Stephen King was a huge fan of The Haunting of Hill House, directed by Mike Flanagan, and both are known as big admirers of each other's work. Flanagan has made several King adaptations, including Doctor Sleep (2019) (a sequel to The Shining (1980)) and Gerald's Game (2017). There are parallels between this series and The Shining. Both involve an isolated family with a child with a notable psychic ability, and both stories feature a parent driven mad by ghosts or spirits who convince them to murder family members.
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The concept of the 'Red Room' comes from Charlotte Brontë's classic 1847 novel 'Jane Eyre.' Young Jane's greatest fear is being forced to stay in the Red Room of the mansion where she lives, where the previous lord of the house died and which is said to be haunted. When she is locked in there as punishment, she faints from fear. Stephen King also famously alluded to this by using the phrase 'redrum' in The Shining.
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Mrs. Dudley explains to Olivia Crain the rule about not staying late at Hill House: 'We don't stay after dark, Horace and I. I work during the day; night is very different, different in the dark.' A similar line appears in the book, and in the films of The Haunting, Mrs. Dudley tells Eleanor (Nell): 'I don't stay after I set out dinner, I go when it starts to get dark. I go before it gets dark, so if you need help there won't be anyone around; we can't hear you, no one can, at night, in the dark.'
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Elizabeth Reaser, who plays Shirley, also plays Esme Cullen in the film Twilight (2008). In The Haunting of Hill House, Shirley's husband Kevin (Anthony Ruivivar) tells her to send Nell's body to Carlisle because he does a great job. Esme Cullen was married to Carlisle Cullen in Twilight. Young Shirley (Lulu Wilson) also names her first dead kitten Jasper. In Twilight, Esme has an adopted son named Jasper Hale.
Career & Awards (1)
Life & Family (1)
Sources & editorial notes
Reference databases
- Wikipedia
- IMDb
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