Mike Flanagan is a multifaceted creative professional, renowned for his work in feature films and television as a writer, director, editor, and founder of Red Room Pictures. Born in Salem, Massachusetts, Flanagan's family relocated frequently due to his father's service in the U.S. Coast Guard, eventually settling in Bowie, Maryland. As a child, he developed a passion for filmmaking, shooting and editing short movies on VHS, which continued through his high school years at Archbishop Spalding High School in Severn, Maryland, where he was an active member of the theatre department and Student Government Association.
After graduating from Towson University's Electronic Media and Film department, Flanagan moved to Los Angeles in 2003, where he began his career as an editor on various projects, including sketch comedy shows, reality television, documentary programming, and commercials. His breakthrough feature film, Absentia, launched his filmmaking career in 2011. Since then, he has directed, written, and edited numerous films, including Oculus, Hush, Before I Wake, Ouija: Origin of Evil, Gerald's Game, Doctor Sleep, and The Life of Chuck.
Flanagan has also ventured into television, creating, directing, and serving as showrunner on popular series such as The Haunting of Hill House, The Haunting of Bly Manor, Midnight Mass, The Midnight Club, and The Fall of the House of Usher. His work has garnered numerous award nominations and wins, including the Visionary Award from the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films in 2022. Flanagan is an active member of several industry organizations, including the Producers Guild of America, Directors Guild of America, Writers Guild of America West, Motion Picture Editors Guild, and Screen Actors Guild.
In his personal life, Flanagan is married to actress Kate Siegel, with whom he has two children, and he also has a son from a previous relationship. Since 2018, he has been sober and frequently explores themes of addiction, recovery, and empathy in his work.
