Stephen King is the most adapted living author, and the adaptations keep rolling out. Now, we will soon be getting more from the world of The Shining with a film adaptation of Doctor Sleep. Horror director Mike Flanagan, known for his work on Hush, Oculus, and another Stephen King adaptation, Gerald’s Game, has signed into the project as director. The project is being developed at Warner Brothers.
Doctor Sleep follows Danny Torrence as an adult as he deals with others who have the gift of The Shining as well as struggling with the same alcoholism as his father. The book was published in 2013, after a 2009 poll on King’s website showed that fans were wanted a sequel to The Shining over the next in the Dark Tower series. Having read the book, I certainly admit that it might not lend itself well to a traditional visual adaptation, so hopefully Flanagan will bring his signature mind-bending sensibilities to the project.
This isn’t the only one of King’s titles that is being released in the near future. Pet Sematary, the novel about death and re-animated corpses, is getting a remake from Paramount with Kevin Kölsch and Dennis Widmyer directing. There’s also part two of IT to be had as well, though there is very little information yet on that production.
