Ewan McGregor Joins ‘The Shining’ Sequel ‘Doctor Sleep’

Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining is considered one of the greatest horror films of all time, despite Stephen King not being a fan of the filmmaker’s adaptation of his novel. A sequel to the story, Doctor Sleep, is getting the live-action adaptation treatment, with Ewan McGregor taking on the role of Danny Torrance. The film will be directed by Mike Flanagan and will land in theaters on January 24, 2020.

Stephen King’s website describes the story, “Haunted by the inhabitants of the Overlook Hotel where he spent one horrific childhood year, Danny Torrance has been drifting for decades, desperate to shed his father’s legacy of despair, alcoholism, and violence. Finally, he settles in a New Hampshire town, an AA community that sustains him, and a job at a nursing home where his remnant ‘shining’ power provides the crucial final comfort to the dying. Aided by a prescient cat, he becomes ‘Doctor Sleep.’ Then Dan meets the evanescent Abra Stone, and it is her spectacular gift, the brightest shining ever seen, that reignites Dan’s own demons and summons him to a battle for Abra’s soul and survival.”

According to Variety, King has given his blessing to the casting of McGregor. This upcoming adaptation will mark Flanagan’s second King adaptation, having previously delivered audiences the Netflix film Gerald’s Game.

The 1980 adaptation of The Shining delved deep into the decomposing mental state of Jack Torrance, played by Jack Nicholson, with many King fanatics being disappointed that the film failed to depict the character’s warmer side, making his descent into madness more effective in the novel. King helped develop a miniseries based on the story in the mid-’90s, which was directed by Mick Garris.

“If you read the book first, that’s what it’s about, is the alcoholism and the humanity of a guy losing his humanity. That pressure cooker that’s going to blow, that this is a guy saddled by guilt and alcoholism,” Garris previously shared with ComicBook.com. “Whereas Kubrick’s film, at the time, I really was not a fan of the movie at all and I didn’t know anyone who was, but it resonated with young people like teenagers and everything.”

He added, “I recognize it now as a great Kubrick film, but a flawed King adaptation. At that time, that book was my favorite book of all time. I was thinking, ‘God, the genius of Stanley Kubrick and The Shining. This is going to be the scariest movie ever made.’”

Ahead of Doctor Sleep, fans can expect Pet Sematary on April 19, 2019 and IT: Chapter Two on September 7, 2019.

How do you feel about this casting decision? Let us know in the comments below or hit up @TheWolfman on Twitter to talk all things horror and Star Wars!

[H/T Variety]