Despite Stephen King's disdain for the movie, Stanley Kubrick's adaptation of The Shining is still commonly regarded as one of the best horror films of all time. In fact, it's so beloved that it might just be one of those movies that is simply untouchable. Even in this current Stephen King boom (which kicked into high gear thanks to the success of Andy Muschietti's IT), there would probably be cries of rage if a director tried to do a straight remake of Kubrick's film. However, that won't stop Warner Bros. from finding a new angle on this classic property. A few years back, King wrote a sequel to his horror masterpiece called Doctor Sleep, which follows an older Danny Torrance. His life hasn't exactly turned out all that great- he's still grappling with his abilities and his past. Of course, things get worse when the actual horror stuff starts happening. It was revealed a few months ago that Warner Bros. would be producing this film, and earlier today, the first crucial bit of casting information hit the internet.
Per Variety's Justin Kroll, Ewan McGregor will star as the adult Danny Torrance in Doctor Sleep. The film will be directed by Mike Flanagan, the modern horror maestro who earned praise from King fans for his work on Netflix's Gerald's Game. Flanagan is also re-writing Akiva Goldsman's original screenplay, which was reported back in January when the director was first attached. Flanagan partner Trevor Macy and Vertigo's Jon Berg are on board as producers. In the report, it's also noted that Warner Bros. has been developing this film and Overlook Hotel, a prequel to The Shining, for years without much success. Then IT came along, and everything changed almost instantly. Overlook was reported to be in the works all the way back in 2014, under the direction of Mark Romanek and screenwriter Glen Mazzara. Could that film get the green light if Doctor Sleep is a hit?
But for now, the big news of the day is McGregor's involvement, which is a huge and exciting development for the film. As demonstrated by Fargo and even T2 Trainspotting, McGregor is one of the finest actors working today, and I'm thrilled that he's taking on this blockbuster role. I find it kind of amusing that he's playing the adult version of a famous child character again, with the first instance being this August's Christopher Robin. But beyond that surface level comparison, there are likely few similarities between the two characters. Anyways, as someone who really appreciated what the studio did with IT, I'm intrigued to see where they go with this Shining sequel. Signing a terrific actor like McGregor certainly isn't going to make me less interested.
Doctor Sleep arrives in theaters on January 24, 2020.
Image: Lionsgate
Poster: Warner Bros./IMDb
Per Variety's Justin Kroll, Ewan McGregor will star as the adult Danny Torrance in Doctor Sleep. The film will be directed by Mike Flanagan, the modern horror maestro who earned praise from King fans for his work on Netflix's Gerald's Game. Flanagan is also re-writing Akiva Goldsman's original screenplay, which was reported back in January when the director was first attached. Flanagan partner Trevor Macy and Vertigo's Jon Berg are on board as producers. In the report, it's also noted that Warner Bros. has been developing this film and Overlook Hotel, a prequel to The Shining, for years without much success. Then IT came along, and everything changed almost instantly. Overlook was reported to be in the works all the way back in 2014, under the direction of Mark Romanek and screenwriter Glen Mazzara. Could that film get the green light if Doctor Sleep is a hit?
But for now, the big news of the day is McGregor's involvement, which is a huge and exciting development for the film. As demonstrated by Fargo and even T2 Trainspotting, McGregor is one of the finest actors working today, and I'm thrilled that he's taking on this blockbuster role. I find it kind of amusing that he's playing the adult version of a famous child character again, with the first instance being this August's Christopher Robin. But beyond that surface level comparison, there are likely few similarities between the two characters. Anyways, as someone who really appreciated what the studio did with IT, I'm intrigued to see where they go with this Shining sequel. Signing a terrific actor like McGregor certainly isn't going to make me less interested.
Doctor Sleep arrives in theaters on January 24, 2020.
Image: Lionsgate
Poster: Warner Bros./IMDb
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