The Haunting of Hill House director Mike Flanagan isn’t stepping out of the horror genre just yet. Following his latest Netflix hit, Flanagan will develop Doctor Sleep, a sequel to Stephen King’s classic novel The Shining.
The film, starring Ewan McGregor in the lead role, follows a grownup Danny Torrance, the son of Jack Torrance, who “carries the trauma of the Overlook Hotel into adulthood,” Variety reports. Battling alcoholism and dealing with his trauma, he has become a reflection of his father, who terrorized him and his mother in King’s original novel and Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 film adaptation. When he embraces sobriety, Torrance’s “shining” powers return, and he is given the opportunity to help a young girl, who shares his extreme abilities.
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While little is known about the film, which was first announced to be in the works in January, Flanagan told Bloody Disgusting that he would acknowledge both King’s novel and Kubrick’s film in his own adaptation.
“I think you do have to acknowledge that. There is no version of the world where I am trying not to acknowledge one of the greatest films ever made. There’s no upside in shying away from that reality,” he said. “At the same time, this is not The Shining. It’s its own story and in a very specific way. If you’ve read the book, you know exactly why it’s so different but it’s quite a tightrope that we’re walking I think. I’m having a great time doing it. I’m just going to get the movie out and then turn off the internet for two weeks and see how it all goes.”
Flanagan is no stranger to the horror genre. His name is also behind titles such as Ouji: Original Evil, Kate Seigel-starring film Hush, and Netflix’s recent reimagining of King’s Gerald’s Game. His most recent venture into the horror genre, The Haunting of Hill House, a reimagining of Shirley Jackson’s 1959 novel of the same name, was praised by King as being “close to a work of genius.”
THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE, revised and remodeled by Mike Flanagan. I don’t usually care for this kind of revisionism, but this is great. Close to a work of genius, really. I think Shirley Jackson would approve, but who knows for sure.
— Stephen King (@StephenKing) October 17, 2018
The series follows the Crain family, who, following the death of one of their youngest members, are forced to confront the trauma and paranormal events of their childhood and returning to Hill House, the home where they spent one summer that upturned their lives.
Doctor Sleep is set to hit theaters on January 24, 2020. Both Gerald’s Game and The Haunting of Hill House are available for streaming on Netflix.
