Though Stephen King’s 2013 novel Doctor Sleep acts as a follow-up to 1977’s The Shining, we imagine there are still plenty of horror fans out there who are familiar with the story of the latter but not the former. With a big screen adaptation of the sequel on the way though, that’s all about to change.
As you may know, director Stanley Kubrick brought The Shining to theaters in 1980 with a movie starring Danny Lloyd as as a psychic young boy named Danny Torrance. For Mike Flanagan’s Doctor Sleep, Ewan McGregor will play the adult Danny and now, we have our very first look at him in the role thanks to the trailer up above.
Of course, this particular project, along with Shining prequel Overlook Hotel, has been in development for quite a long time, passing through the hands of many different filmmakers. But ever since It set the box office on fire, every studio under the sun has been looking to get their Stephen King properties into development and Doctor Sleep is no exception.
Now, with a November 8th release date locked in, the marketing campaign has kicked off and we must say, this first preview is certainly a promising tease of what’s to come later this year. Filled with tons of spooky imagery and unnerving moments, along with a few tributes to The Shining and some scenes that remind us a lot of Flanagan’s The Haunting of Hill House, there’s much to get excited about here and while it may not hit quite the same highs as its predecessor, this certainly appears to be another promising Stephen King adaptation.
Doctor Sleep creeps into theaters on November 8th and after this tantalizing first look at the film, we’re giddy with anticipation to see more of the horror that awaits us this fall.