One of the stars of a Stephen King adaptation filmed in Alabama says he thinks the movie “is sort of what the world needs in a lot of ways right now.”

The comment about “The Life of Chuck” comes from Matthew Lillard in an interview with GamesRadar+, a site focusing on news about video games and other entertainment formats. Lillard seems to be speaking about the movie’s heart and humanity in general, rather than in relation to any particular national or world events.

Lillard appears in the film as Gus, a minor character he described as “the most rudimentary man ever.”

“He packs a whole fistful of humanity in a little 5-minute scene and it’s work that I’m really proud of,” says Lillard. “But on top of it, I think it really shifts the movie into an emotional place. And so I’m excited for people to get to see Gus and live through that movie because I think the movie is sort of what the world needs in a lot of ways right now.”

In the interview, Lillard says filmmakers were surprised (in a good way, presumably) at how much laughter the film generated at the Toronto International Film Festival. He also talks about his bond with director/co-writer Mike Flanagan, who shot the adaptation of a Stephen King short story earlier this year at a variety of south Alabama locations including downtown Mobile, Bay Minette and Fairhope.

“The Life of Chuck” isn’t a typical King horror story: In reverse order, it recounts several episodes in the life of a man named Charles Krantz. In the first segment, his death coincides with the apparent end of the world. Tom Hiddleston plays the title role, and others involved in the film include Mark Hamill, Karen Gillan, David Dastmalchian and Chiwetl Ejiofor. Early reviews have been generally positive, with some finding the film overly sentimental.

Flanagan has taken an unusual path with “The Life of Chuck.” He got a rare waiver to proceed with filming during a strike by Hollywood union SAG-AFTRA that shut down most film production. That meant the movie was filmed like an independent production. Flanagan has described it as his “tenacious little miracle of a movie.”

The lack of major studio backing left its prospects uncertain. But reviews of its showing at the Toronto festival generated considerable attention within the industry, helping lead to a deal with distributor Neon. A release in summer 2025 has been predicted, though date and details have yet to be revealed.