Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining has been captivating audiences for over 40 years with its mix of violence and slow-build horror, cementing its legacy as one of the greatest horror films of the 20th century and furthering the legend of Jack Nicholson as Jack Torrance, the delusional, alcoholic caretaker and father of Danny, a young boy gifted (or cursed) with the ability to see the ghostly residents of the Overlook Hotel. Based on the novel by Stephen King, Kubrick’s film took many liberties with the original story but still manages to frighten audiences and foster its own legacy as a masterpiece. Doctor Sleep, an adaptation of King’s follow-up to The Shining directed by Mike Flanagan, despite the great promise and exciting horror audiences, failed to make a substantial mark at the box office, only grossing $72.4 million.

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This lacklustre performance is the reason behind the studio scrapping Flanagan’s proposal for a potential prequel, Shine: The Dick Halloran Story. Halloran, played by Scatman Crothers in the original film, is the longtime chef at the Overlook who is similarly afflicted with an ability to “shine" and comes to Danny’s rescue but is murdered by his father. In Doctor Sleep, the adult Danny (Obi-Wan Kenobi star Ewan McGregor) is visited by Halloran’s ghost (Carl Lumbly), who offers him guidance in battling a new enemy. Flanagan recently reposted on Twitter an intriguing piece of fan art by user Readful Things, expressing regret and sadness that the prequel did not happen, citing Warner Bros.’ rights to the story and characters and their reluctance to go through with it after Doctor Sleep’s low performance.

Doctor Sleep, despite overall good reactions from critics, failed to double its $45 million production budget in box office receipts. It was a surprising failure considering the film’s potential and the swift rising career of its director, Flanagan, whose star has been on the rise in recent years with Netflix hits Midnight Mass and the Haunting of Hill House, as well as several acclaimed standalone films, including another King adaptation, Gerald’s Game. The Shining sequel was long-awaited, after nearly two decades since Hollywood last visited the Overlook with a three-part miniseries adaptation of King’s novel released by ABC in 1997.

Flanagan’s regret is shared by the fans who would have loved to see more from Overlook and more of Halloran, a storyline that no doubt would appeal to old and new fans of King’s work and Kubrick’s masterpiece alike. It’s especially disheartening after a potential spin-off about the Overlook from JJ Abram’s Bad Robot Productions was also abandoned by HBO. Flanagan’s career continues to prosper, with forthcoming series The Midnight Cub and Fall of the House of Usher on the docket at Netflix.

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Source: Mike Flanagan