Yesterday, 39 years to the day after Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation of Stephen King’s novel The Shining opened in theaters, the trailer for Doctor Sleep hit the internet. The film adapts King’s 2013 sequel novel to The Shining and follows an adult Danny Torrance and a young girl with powers similar to his own. The best response to the creepy new trailer actually came from Stephen King himself. Take a look:
What a great year it is to be a Stephen King fan with adaptations aplenty. The remake of Pet Sematary released in theaters earlier this year, and IT: Chapter 2 and Doctor Sleep are still on the way (not to mention In the Tall Grass, which is headed to Netflix). This is the point Stephen King highlights in his perfect response on Twitter to the Doctor Sleep trailer.
The master of horror gives Doctor Sleep his endorsement, letting audiences know that it will blow their minds. That's the universal metaphor for it’s awesome and you’re going to love it, with King also reminding them that IT: Chapter 2, the sequel to the most successful horror film ever, which hits theaters sooner, will achieve this feat first. So prepare to have your mind blown twice this fall with two terrifying-looking Stephen King adaptations.
This was a clear show of support for Doctor Sleep from Stephen King, indicating that the author, who has seen the film, is high on it. While on the surface that might seem like a given, an author endorsing a movie adaptation of his book, with this story in particular it means a lot more.
That’s because despite the fact that Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation of The Shining is an all-time classic film and a pillar of the horror genre, Stephen King has been extremely vocal over the years that he does not like it at all. His criticisms primarily stem from the film’s interpretation of Jack Torrance and how it differs from his novel.
Stephen King’s response to the Doctor Sleep trailer indicates that the author is more pleased with the adaptation this time around. Doctor Sleep is meant to function as an adaptation, as well as a sequel to both The Shining novel and film. It’s a delicate balance but one that seems to have at least met Stephen King’s satisfaction.
We know that director Mike Flanagan, who previously adapted King’s Gerald’s Game, had a conversation with the author prior to making the movie about striking that balance, and it seems that this there won’t be any controversy with Doctor Sleep like there was with The Shining.
That’s encouraging to hear because you always want adaptations to please the creators of the source material. Ewan McGregor, who plays the grown up Danny Torrance in Doctor Sleep, has spoken previously about staying faithful to Stephen King’s vision and wanting to please him and it seems they have succeeded.
Doctor Sleep follows an adult Danny Torrance who meets a young girl named Abra with powers similar to his own. He must try and protect her from a cult called the True Knot, which seeks to snatch up children with the shining.
Prepare for your mind to be blown first with IT: Chapter 2, floating into theaters on September 6, followed by Doctor Sleep on November 8. Check out our 2019 Release Schedule to keep track of all of the movies you can look forward to this year.
