Ewan McGregor Is Set to Star in 'the Shining' Sequel 'Doctor Sleep'

Based on Stephen King’s novel of the same name, Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining is widely regarded as one of the best horror films of all time, and maybe even one of the best films period. The Shining novel was first published in 1977 and Kubrick’s adaptation followed in 1980. Decades after The Shining‘s initial publication, King then followed it up with a sequel in 2013 named Doctor Sleep.

Fans of the original film, and of king’s novels, will be pleased to learn that a film adaptation of Doctor Sleep is currently in the works and it has been announced that Ewan McGregor (Star Wars, Trainspotting, Beauty and the Beast) will star as a grown up Danny Torrance. As Variety reports, sources claim that King has given his blessing to McGregor’s casting.

Doctor Sleep is set to be directed by Mike Flanagan, who also directed the Netflix adaptation of King’s Gerald‘s Game. The sequel has been in the works for sometime, alongside a proposed prequel film called Overlook Hotel, but Warner Bros. has struggled to secure a budget for either project. Following the hit 2017 horror film It, many studios with rights to Stephen King novels have fast-tracked film adaptations.

Doctor Sleep follows a grown up Jack Torrance who is struggling to come to terms with the events that drove his father mad. A violent, struggling, alcoholic, Jack eventually embraces his gift and uses it for good, but it’s not long before a group with similar abilities begin hunting him. The film is expected to be released in 2020.