2017 was a massive year for Stephen King fans.ITwas easily the biggest adaptation of the author’s work this year, but many feel that Mike Flanagan’s adaptation ofGerald’s Gamefor Netflix was the best. Now, the director has his sights set on another, more high-profile, King adaptation in the form of a sequel toThe Shining,Doctor Sleep.
Stephen King wrote this sequel toThe Shiningin 2013. During a recent interview, Mike Flanagan was asked what otherStephen King workshe might be interested in adapting. He also name dropsLisey’s Story, somethingKing has also said he’d like to seebutDoctor Sleepwas also mentioned as something he would be interested in doing. Here’s what Flanagan had to say about it.
“There are so many. But the ones I’d want to do the most areDoctor SleepandLisey’s Story. In both cases, it’s because I identify with the protagonists so much. Lisey’s Story is a stunning piece of work, a beautiful exploration of marriage. And who wouldn’t want to venture back into the world ofDanny Torrance?”
Mike Flanagan has made quite a name for himself in horror, not just withGerald’s GamebutOculusandOuija: Origin of Evilmanaged to score him some credibility as well. So it’s not hard to imagine, especially given how many studios want to get in on the Stephen King action right now, that aDoctor Sleepadaptation would be off the table. And making a sequel toThe Shiningwould certainly be a bold move. Even if it wasn’t necessarily done as a sequel toStanley Kubrick’s 1980 movie adaptationofThe Shining. To give an idea of what the movie would be about, here’s an official plot description forDoctor Sleep.
“Haunted by the inhabitants of theOverlook Hotelwhere he spent one horrific childhood year, Dan 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.”
Even if Stephen King isn’t a fan,The Shiningis one of the most beloved adaptations of his work. So doingDoctor Sleepwould make sense for quite a few reasons. Mike Flanagan certainly has proved he’s capable of bringing King to the big screen, as many calledGerald’s Game"unfilmable" prior to the movie’s release. Not that stating his desire in this interview withLilja’s Librarymeans a movie sequel toThe Shiningis going to happen, but projects have been willed into existence like this before.
