Doctor Sleep Director Mike Flanagan Talks Recreating Scenes from The Shining

Yesterday’s official teaser reveal for Doctor Sleep finally gave fans a look at what’s in store when the upcoming sequel to The Shining hits theaters later this year, but you may have noticed a few familiar shots in the trailer, namely scenes taken from the Stanley Kubrick classic. What you may not have noticed is that most of those shots are not copied from the original film, but they are instead recreations of those iconic scenes (with the exception of the bloody elevators).

“Have seen a few people think that we used footage from THE SHINING in the DOCTOR SLEEP trailer,” director Mike Flanagan tweeted. “Actually, we didn't. Outside of one shot (the bloody elevators), everything else was our own recreation.”

Of course, this is true. Some of the differences are obvious from the onset, such as the shot of the twins at the end of the hallway, but the tricycle scene certainly shared an uncanny resemblance to the original film at first glance. This is a very cool touch that should help connect this sequel to its Shining roots without the shots feeling out of place or like retreads.

It also creates an interesting parallel between this film and Kubrick’s, even though this is an adaptation of Stephen King’s 2013 sequel novel. However, the inspiration taken from The Shining’s very own adaptation is clearly front and center as Flanagan seeks to bring this universe to life on the big screen once more, and it’s looking like this is going to be a good one.

Official Teaser Trailer for The Shining Sequel Doctor Sleep Finally Debuts

Here’s your first look at the upcoming film from director Mike Flanagan.

Read More

Doctor Sleep brings back Danny Torrance, grown up and psychologically traumatized from what happened to him as a young boy. Danny, or Dan as he refers to himself now, spends years drifting across the country trying to find his purpose and deal with his inner-demons. He eventually settles in a New Hampshire town and finds work at a local hospice. He uses his psychic "shining" abilities to comfort the dying, and with the help of a cat that can sense the coming of death, Dan becomes known at the hospice as “Doctor Sleep.”

The cast includes Ewan McGregor (Star Wars prequels) as Dan Torrance, Kyliegh Curran as Abra Stone, Rebecca Ferguson (Life, Mission Impossible: Fallout) as Rose the Hat, Alex Essoe (Starry Eyes) as Wendy Torrance, Carl Lumbly (Alias) as Dick Halloran, Zahn McClarnon (Into the West) as Crow Daddy, and Bruce Greenwood (Star Trek, Star Trek: Into Darkness) as Dr. John.

In addition to directing, Mike Flanagan also helped rewrite a script submitted by Akiva Goldsman. Doctor Sleep is slated for release on November 8th, 2019.

About the Author

Chris Morse

Programmer by day, writer by night. Having grown up surrounded by plenty of horror movies and video games, it only made sense for Chris to combine all of these passions into one place: Dead Entertainment. Whether he's working on designs, tinkering with the platform, or just writing up the latest horror news, he's sure to be hard at work keeping the wheels turning on this website no matter what time of day it is. When not coding or gaming, you can find him donning a Cheesehead and heading to the Midwest to cheer on his favorite NFL team, the Green Bay Packers. #GoPackGo

More Reading

Deadgirl: A Twisted Tale of Lust and "True" Love

This uncomfortable, ahead-of-its-time film isn’t just another zombie flick.

Movie Review: The Girl on the Third Floor

This haunted house refuses to be renovated.

Exploitation Films: A Lost Art and Genre of Decades Past

Here’s to 50 years of freaking out with perhaps the greatest of all: I Drink Your Blood.

Weekly Horror News Round-Up February 7: Saw, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Midnight Mass

Plus, Jennifer Tilly joins the Chucky TV show, a premiere date for Castlevania is revealed, Into the Dark: My Valentine gets a trailer, and more.