Doctor Sleep Filmmakers Re-Teaming for Another Stephen King Project

Writer/director Mike Flanagan and his producer Trevor Macy are gearing up to continue working in the mind of author Stephen King. The Hollywood Reporter brings word that the pair, who previously brought adaptations of Doctor Sleep and Gerald’s Game to life, are now set to adapt the King novel Revival for Warner Bros. The pair are both lined up to produce the film with Flanagan penning the screenplay and with an option to direct. Flanagan’s previous King adaptation, the sequel to The Shining, arrived to critical praise but failed to ignite the box office like th studio had hoped, but this move shows an eagerness by WB to keep letting the filmmaker do what he does best: adapt King.

Published in 2014, the official synopsis for King’s book reads: “In a small New England town, over half a century ago, a shadow falls over a small boy playing with his toy soldiers. Jamie Morton looks up to see a striking man, the new minister. Charles Jacobs, along with his beautiful wife, will transform the local church. The men and boys are all a bit in love with Mrs. Jacobs; the women and girls feel the same about Reverend Jacobs—including Jamie’s mother and beloved sister, Claire. With Jamie, the Reverend shares a deeper bond based on a secret obsession. When tragedy strikes the Jacobs family, this charismatic preacher curses God, mocks all religious belief, and is banished from the shocked town.”

“Jamie has demons of his own. Wed to his guitar from the age of 13, he plays in bands across the country, living the nomadic lifestyle of bar-band rock and roll while fleeing from his family’s horrific loss. In his mid-thirties—addicted to heroin, stranded, desperate—Jamie meets Charles Jacobs again, with profound consequences for both men. Their bond becomes a pact beyond even the Devil’s devising, and Jamie discovers that revival has many meanings.”

Flanagan previously teased his next adaptation of the best selling author when Doctor Sleep arrived in theaters, telling Cinema Blend: “[Stephen King and I] are talking actively about what’s next, and we have a great idea for that I’m not allowed to talk about yet, but it’s really cool, and yeah, I expect there will be another chance to play in that sandbox very soon.”

It’s possible that Flanagan was referring to this adaptation of Revival which he is now attached to, but he may have also been speaking about a planned idea that he and Warner Bros. had been developing to further expand on The Shining universe. After Doctor Sleep had an average reception at the box office it was revealed that Flanagan and WB had already been working on a follow-up, reportedly titled “Hallorann” and focusing on the chef at the Overlook Hotel who appeared in Kubrick’s film and Flanagan’s sequel.

Flanagan has a busy schedule already with the second season of The Haunting of Hill House chugging along for Netflix along with a recently announced adaptation of the Christopher Pike book The Midnight Club and an original series titled Midnight Mass, all for the streaming service.