- Primary Subject: Mike Flanagan’s The Mist
- Key Update: Director Mike Flanagan confirmed his new take on the Stephen King novella will go in a different direction and is not a retread of Frank Darabont's 2007 film.
- Status: Confirmed
- Last Verified: March 4, 2026
- Quick Answer: Mike Flanagan is writing and directing a new adaptation of The Mist for Warner Bros., promising a unique perspective that differs from previous versions.
Mike Flanagan returns to the Stephen King universe by adapting one of the author’s most iconic works, The Mist, for the big screen at Warner Bros.
Although this novella already received a critically acclaimed film adaptation by Frank Darabont in 2007 and a 2017 TV series on Spike, Flanagan faces a major challenge, as Darabont’s movie had already introduced significant changes that enhanced the source material.
So, how can Flanagan deal with it?
How Can Mike Flanagan Surpass Frank Darabont’s Version of The Mist?
King’s The Mist has seen several adaptations over the years, from a movie and a game to a radio drama and a TV series. Among these, one of the most unforgettable is Darabont’s 2007 film.
Featuring an ensemble cast including Thomas Jane, Marcia Gay Harden, Laurie Holden, Andre Braugher, and Toby Jones, the movie earned generally positive reviews and was a box office success, grossing $57.3 million on a $13–$18 million budget.
Critics praised its “impressive camerawork” and “politically incisive script,” calling Darabont’s The Mist a “truly frightening experience.”
With that level of acclaim, Flanagan has big shoes to fill. The 2007 film’s true terror came not just from the creatures in the mist, but from the human drama and fear it revealed.
While Flanagan may remain faithful to the source material, he faces the challenge of setting his adaptation apart and giving audiences a reason to revisit The Mist.
So, how does he plan to do it?
“I love Darabont’s film, and there’s zero point in remaking it. Which is why I’m going in a different direction,” he told Bluesky.
How Did Frank Darabont Change Stephen King’s The Mist?
Frank Darabont made a major change to Stephen King’s The Mist in his 2007 film adaptation by altering the ending to make the story far more tragic, which the author himself approved.
In the novella, David Drayton, his son Billy, and the other survivors leave the supermarket where they had been trapped, driving into the mist without knowing whether they would make it safely to Hartford.
David is aware that they will eventually need to stop for gas, which presents a major risk, but the ending leaves their fate ambiguous.
The film, however, offers no hope – only heartbreak. As the group tries to escape, they run out of gas, and David (Thomas Jane) believes they are about to die.
In a desperate act to end their suffering, he shoots everyone in the car, including his own son.
When his turn comes, however, the gun is empty. Just as he prepares to surrender to the monsters, the military unexpectedly arrives to rescue him.
In a 2007 interview with Yahoo! Entertainment, King praised the film's ending, saying he “thought it was terrific.” Audiences also had the same positive reaction.
So, with Flanagan promising a new direction for his adaptation, The Mist may have a completely different ending that many hope could match or even surpass Darabont’s unforgettable take on it.
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