Is 'Midnight Mass' Somehow Related to the 'Haunting' Series?
Netflix’s ‘Midnight Mass’ is terrifying and reminiscent of the ‘Haunting’ series. But is it part of the ‘Haunting’ series or a standalone show?
Sep. 24 2021, Published 4:29 p.m. ET
Another horror series is out on Netflix and we are definitely not complaining. Midnight Mass is creator Mike Flanagan’s new magnum opus; Mike is known for creating the Haunting series, which include The Haunting of Hill House and The Haunting of Bly Manor.
While Midnight Mass shares many cast members with the Haunting series and of course, the same creator, it’s also different in many ways. Mainly, it’s not a “haunting” of any sort of “house” or “manor.”
Midnight Mass is about a community living on an island cut off from the rest of the world. But Mike keeps his trademark on it by making it as spooky as ever. So, is Midnight Mass part of the Haunting series?
‘Midnight Mass’ shares some of the cast and themes with the ‘Haunting’ series.
Midnight Mass is listed separately on Netflix from the Haunting series, but it does share the same creator and many of its cast members. Katie Siegel and Henry Thomas, who were in both Hill House and Bly Manor are working with Mike once again on Midnight Mass.
Rahul Kohli and Alex Essoe, who were both in Bly Manor, are also in Mike’s new series, and Robert Longstreet and Samantha Sloyan from Hill House appear as well.
So, with a lot of the same cast and the same creator, one would think that Midnight Mass might be related to the Haunting series. In addition, Mike has talked a lot about his sobriety, and discussed it leading up to the release of Midnight Mass. It’s likely that addiction, which is a common theme in the Haunting series, will also play a role in Midnight Mass.
Despite its connections to the ‘Haunting’ series, ‘Midnight Mass’ is not technically part of the horror anthology.
The Haunting series is an anthology that shows viewers Mike’s spin on classic horror tales. The Haunting of Hill House is based on Shirley Jackson’s story of the same name, and The Haunting of Bly Manor is an adaptation of Henry James’ The Turn of the Screw. Both stores are haunting tales filled with ghosts, mysteries, love, and abuse.
On the other hand, Midnight Mass is its own thing that doesn’t have direct source material the way the Haunting series does. (Fun fact: Midnight Mass is actually the name of a book in two of Mike’s past films, Hush and Gerald’s Game.) Mike himself has also confirmed that Midnight Mass is not part of the Haunting series in a tweet.
While Midnight Mass is not necessarily part of the Haunting universe, many horror fans are beginning to connect some dots in a larger Mike Flanagan universe… the MFU if you will.
Midnight Mass is now available to stream on Netflix.
