We have the first poster for sequel toThe Shining,Doctor Sleep. This movie may be flying a bit under the radar for some, but this is going to serve as a sequel to what many consider to be one of the greatest Stephen King books and movies of all time, if not the single greatest. So it won’t be flying under the radar for much longer, especially since we just got a new trailer, in addition to this poster.
The poster itself was shared by director Mike Flanagan ahead of theDoctor Sleep trailer release. It features a dark green background with some shattered glass at its center. In the center, there is just one, very familiar word in the form of “Redrum,” which makes it inescapably clear that this is connected toThe Shining. To help seal the deal, the movie’s title and release date at the bottom are reversed. It’s simple, really gets the point across and, most importantly, doesn’t contain any bad photoshop work. It’s a very encouraging first sneak peek.
The trailer itself offers our first real look atEwan McGregor as the adult version of Danny Torrenceand offers heavy connections toThe Shining. For those who may not be familiar,Doctor Sleepwas initially released as a novel in 2013. The plot, very basically, follows Danny years after the events of the Overlook Hotel. He is still dealing with the horrific events from all of those years ago and, much like his father, has turned into an alcoholic. Danny’s life takes a major turn when he comes across a young girl who also has the ability to Shine. They are then pitted against a strange cult that seeks out those individuals who possess this particular gift.
The cast also includesRebecca Ferguson(Mission: Impossible - Fallout), Zahn McClarnon (Westworld), Bruce Greenwood (The Post), Alex Essoe (Midnighters), Jocelin Donahue (Insidious: Chapter 2) and Jacob Tremblay (Room). We’re currently in a major Stephen King renaissance, largely thanks to the success ofIT. As such, if there were ever a good time to do something as risky as asequel to The Shining, the time is now. It also doesn’t hurt that Mike Flanagan has proven himself to be a bit of a modern horror master. Not to mention he turned King’sGerald’s Gameinto a highly-regarded movie, something previously thought impossible to do.
We’ve got compelling source material. We’ve got a great cast. It seems we’ve got the right man for the job. Let’s just hope this turns out to be as good as the parts of the whole make it seem like it could be. Originally, the movie wasn’t supposed to arrive until January of next year. However, Warner Bros decided it would be better to get it out in theaters by year’s end, which signifies a pretty great deal of confidence in what they’ve got.Doctor Sleepis set to hit theaters on November 8. Be sure to check out the poster fromMike Flanagan’s Twitteraccount.
