Timothy Hutton Joins Netflix’s ‘The Haunting of Hill House’ Adaptation

The lead role of the upcoming Netflix adaptation of the novel The Haunting of Hell House will be played by Timothy Hutton, according to Deadline. The actor has previously starred in adaptations of Stephen King stories like The Dark Half and Secret Window and has won an Oscar for his role in 1981’s Ordinary People.

Based on Shirley Jackson’s 1959 novel of the same name, the series will explore the supernatural exploits of four individuals who have rented out the haunted Hill House for the summer season. Rather than a direct adaptation, the series is slated to be a “re-imagining” of the source material. Details of Hutton’s character have yet to be released, but it’s theorized he would play the father of the family, with previously announced Carla Gugino playing the maternal head of the household.

Michel Huisman, Elizabeth Reaser, Kate Siegel, and Henry Thomas will also star in the series.

The upcoming series marks the third time the story will get a live-action adaptation, with a 1963 film The Haunting using the story as a source of inspiration, as well as an adaptation in 1999 by the same name, which starred Liam Neeson, Lilli Taylor, and Owen Wilson. The novel is often regarded as one of the best ghost stories of the 20th century.

The 10-episode series is only the latest in a long string of Netflix’s forays into the world of horror, having previously found success with series like Hemlock Grove and Stranger Things. In addition to the many horror series they’ve helped bring to life, the streaming service has also become a prominent name in the world of distributing genre films, like the Sundance hit I Don’t Feel At Home in This World Anymore and Osgood Perkins’ I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House.

There’s no word yet on when the series will begin shooting or when it will premiere on Netflix.