Recently we passed along the news that Alex Essoe (STARRY EYES) and veteran character actor Carl Lumbly joined director Mike Flanagan's upcoming sequel to Stephen King's THE SHINING as Dick Halloran and Wendy Torrance. The two join the already confirmed cast of Ewan McGregor as adult Danny Torrance and Rebecca Ferguson as Rose the Hat, the leader of the group that's out to torture and kill people who shine.
And today we have word via McGregor himself – who is out and about doing the publicity junket for his new adorable-looking reboot for Winnie the Pooh, CHRISTOPHER ROBIN – that Flanagan's take on Stephen King's DOCTOR SLEEP is extremely faithful to the source material.
McGregor to Stephen Colbert:
Well, it’s very faithful to the book, the script. If you’ve read the novel, that’s the story we’re going to tell.
This is good to hear from my point of view because I have yet to read King's novel. It is the top book on my must-read list so I'll be getting to it soon, and I think it'll be cool to read the novel while not only picturing this new cast as the characters on the page, but also knowing most of what I read will make it to the screen.
The DOCTOR SLEEP screenplay was initially written by Akiva Goldsman, then Flanagan did his own rewrite. Goldsman is executive producing the film, with Trevor Macy and Jon Berg producing.
DOCTOR SLEEP finds
Danny carrying the trauma of the Overlook Hotel into adulthood. He’s become a reflection of his murderous father, with a drinking problem that dulls his pain as well as his “shining” powers. Those abilities return when he embraces sobriety and uses his gift to help those dying at a hospice. He establishes a psychic connection with a young girl who shares his extreme skills, and who is being targeted by a group with similar abilities. They’ve found that their powers grow if they inhale the “steam” that comes off others, who have the power to shine, when they’re suffering painful deaths.
This is Flanagan's second King adaptation, following last year's GERALD'S GAME. DOCTOR SLEEP is set to reach theatres on January 24, 2020. You can watch the full video interview below. The part regarding DOCTOR SLEEP hits at 4:50. Enjoy! What do you think? Let us know below!