Warner Bros. has moved up the release of Stephen King’s sequel adaptation toThe Shining,Doctor Sleep, from January 2020 to November 8th, 2019. The film is directed byThe Haunting of Hill House’s Mike Flanagan and stars Ewan McGregor, Jacob Tremblay and Rebecca Ferguson. There’s not a likely chance thatDoctor Sleep’s earlier release date will have any effect on its quality since the film has already been in post-production for a few weeks.
Doctor SleepfollowsDanny Torranceas he tries to move past the horrific events that took place inThe Shining. The story features Danny first as a child, then as an adult as he struggles with alcoholism and anger problems, not to mention dealing with his traumatized mother who is slowly recovering from wounds inflicted upon her by Danny’s father. Thankfully Danny soon finds a way to utilize his psychic abilities by helping to calm patients who reside in a hospice, and this strange yet effective method of care soon earns him the name “Doctor Sleep.” But his new life is suddenly halted when he encounters a young girl who also possesses the shining, and she warns him of evil forces that hunt her. The sequel was not only another big hit withStephen King fans, but also continued a darkly fascinating tale of supernatural horror. And now that it’s going to be hitting the big screen, there’s going to be even more to discover.
The moved up release ofDoctor Sleeplooks to be part of a major schedule update for Warner Bros., as they also justannounced new datesfor Matt Reeves’The Batmanand James Gunn’sSuicide Squad 2.Doctor Sleepfinished principal photography in December of last year, and so there will be plenty of time to finish the film before the new release date comes knocking. But despite the film still being many months away, Stephen King fans can rejoice in knowing that thePet Semataryremake is hitting theaters on April 5th, followed by the hugely-anticipatedIt: Chapter 2on September 6th. CBS also just announced that a new series based on King’s massive novel,The Stand, is currently in development.
What’s comforting about the moved up release forDoctor Sleepis that the first month of the year is usually a time that studios unveil projects they believe are almost sure to fail. And it seems more and more these days thatNovember is becoming a prime spotfor many major releases. In November of 2018, alone, there were commercial hits such asBohemian Rhapsody,Dr. Seuss’s The GrinchandFantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. So this release date change definitely looks like a move in the right direction for all involved.
Doctor Sleepcould very well turn out to beanother massive Stephen King hit. Director Mike Flanagan proved himself with Netflix’sThe Haunting of Hill House, as well as indie horror films likeHush,Oculusand coincidentally another Stephen King adaptation,Gerald’s Game. So the film is in good hands, and Flanagan’s impressive talent will surely be complemented by his A-list cast.Doctor Sleepis set to hit theaters on November 8th, 2019. This news comes fromDeadline.
