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In a surprise development, Mike Flanagan’s latest collaboration with Stephen King — The Life of Chuck, an adaptation of King’s 2020 novella of the same name — has won the Toronto International Film Festival’s prestigious People’s Choice Award, often seen as an indicator of future Academy Award success… despite not yet having a release date in U.S. theaters.

The movie was written and directed by The Haunting of Hill House and The Fall of the House of Usher’s Flanagan in 2023 and features an all-star cast that includes Tom Hiddleston, Karen Gillan, Mark Hamill, David Dastmalchian, Matthew Lillard, and Kate Siegel. The Life of Chuck had its world premiere at TIFF this year, and debuted at the festival without a distribution deal or release date. (Both of which, I’d suggest, are likely to quickly acquire as a result of this award.)

In a statement about the win, Flanagan — who’ll be a guest at this year’s New York Comic Con — said, “I’m absolutely overwhelmed. We’re so grateful that The Life of Chuck connected with audiences in such a powerful way, but never expected this.”

The win is a big deal, and an unlikely one; the TIFF People’s Choice Award is voted on by audience members and has previously been seen as a signifier of future Oscars success — in the past, winners have included future Academy Award Best Picture winners such as Nomadland, 12 Years a Slave, The King’s Speech, Slumdog Millionaire, and American Beauty. (Other winners have included Academy Award Best Picture nominees The Fabelmans, Jojo Rabbit, La La Land, and Silver Linings Playbook.)

What does this mean for The Life of Chuck’s release prospects in the US and beyond? It remains to be seen, but it’ll be a surprise if someone doesn’t pick up the rights to the movie with great haste after the win — perhaps by the time Flanagan and Kate Siegel make their NYCC 2024 appearances. Keep watching Popverse for more updates.

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