Netflix's The Fall of the House of Usher Stellar Cast Include Mark Hamill, Carla Gugino, More

Netflix has unveiled the first five cast members for the upcoming horror thriller The Fall of the House of Usher.

The project is the newest from Mike Flanagan and Trevor Macy's The Haunting of Hill House and Midnight Mass team, and it will incorporate numerous renowned tales from legendary poet Edgar Allan Poe.

Flanagan has revealed the first wave of actors he's recruited for the project, which includes Frank Langella, Carla Gugino, Carl Lumbly, Mary McDonnell, and Mark Hamill, in honor of the series' upcoming production. The director also hinted that more names would be announced later this week, which is expected to include both newcomers and past collaborators.

What is The Fall of the House of Usher All About?

The Fall of the House of Usher "recounts the terrible events that befall the last remaining members of the once-illustrious Usher clan before it is -- quite literally -- rent asunder. With amazing economy, Poe plunges the reader into a state of deliciously agonizing suspense. It's a must-read for fans of the golden era of horror writing,” according to a GoodReads description.

"This miniseries is a modern remix of some of the most iconic works of Edgar Allan Poe. To tell this epic tale of greed, horror, and tragedy, we have assembled the largest ensemble cast in the history of Intrepid Pictures," Flanagan said of the project.

He began revealing the casting decisions on Twitter, with brief descriptions of some of the characters included in his posts. Langella portrays Roderick Usher, "the towering patriarch of the Usher dynasty," McDonnell plays "Roderick's sister and the hidden hand of the Usher dynasty," and Lumbly plays "Poe's legendary investigator C. Auguste Dupin."

The director did not say who Gugino will play, but according to Flanagan, Hamill will be "playing a character that is surprisingly at home in the shadows."

When to Expect from the Edgar Allan Poe Adaptation

The eight-episode limited series will be directed by Flanagan and Michael Fimognari, with additional cast members to be announced on Friday. No word on production dates yet, but we're hoping for hints on Friday.

After the success of The Haunting of Bly Manor, Flanagan's tease of his approach to Poe's The Fall of the House of Usher looks intriguing. The 2020 miniseries mostly adapted Henry James' The Turn of the Screw, but it also used elements from other James works, including the short tales The Romance of Certain Old Clothes and The Jolly Corner.