Back in 2013, Stephen King revisited the story of Danny Torrance in Doctor Sleep, the sequel to The Shinning. The novel picked up a few years after Danny’s disastrous stay at the Overlook Hotel with his family and explored what happened when his powers returned. Now, King’s fans may soon get to see the book on the big screen, as director Mike Flanagan has officially signed on to adapt Doctor Sleep.
The Hollywood Reporter broke the story about Flanagan’s deal to direct Doctor Sleep. Flanagan already caught the attention of King fans with his excellent adaptation of Gerald’s Game last year on Netflix. He’s previously directed Oculus, Before I Wake, and Ouija: Origin of Evil.
Within the book, Danny spends years as an alcoholic while attempting to move on with his life. After giving up drinking, Danny rediscovers his lost shining abilities and uses them to comfort dying patients at a hospice where he earns the “Doctor Sleep” nickname. From there, Danny encounters a young girl named Abra Stone, whose powers may be even greater than his own.
While this story is a sequel to The Shining, it’s not necessarily a follow up to Stanley Kubrick‘s adaptation of the story from 1980. Although Kubrick’s The Shining is widely regarded as a horror classic, King hasn’t been shy about his dissatisfaction with that movie. If Flanagan sticks closely to the text of Doctor Sleep, we may see some of those Overlook Hotel ghosts again. But the main story of the novel can be told without dwelling on Danny’s past.
Are you excited to see Doctor Sleep on the big screen? Come play with us in the comment section below!
Images: Warner Bros./Scribner
More of the spooky and scary!
- Our review of the flatly amazing Gerald’s Game movie!
- A guide to the Lovecraftian gods in Stephen King’s work!
- Why we secretly love the Children of the Corn movie from the ’80s!
