There’s a lot to theoretically be nervous about with Doctor Sleep – chiefly, its status as a sequel to The Shining, rated among the very greatest horror films of all time. But there’s every chance this could be brilliant, and it seems things are beyond on-track right now. Its proposed January 2020 release date has now shifted forward considerably, and we’ll be seeing the film this year. Doctor Sleep’s new release date is 8 November 2019, meaning we’ll get it more than two months earlier than initially anticipated.
If you’re not caught up, the film is based on Stephen King’s 2013 novel of the same name, which follows a grown-up Danny Torrance – here to be played by Ewan McGregor – who still experiences his psychic ‘shining’ powers and becomes drawn into a plot surrounding a sinister cult that preys on kids who ‘shine’. Most exciting of all, this is being written and directed by Mike Flanagan, who has a strong run of top recent horrors including Hush, Ouija: Origin of Evil, and Netflix’s brilliant The Haunting Of Hill House miniseries. Plus, he delivered an excellent film adaptation of King’s novella Gerald’s Game, taking a tricky premise and crafting a horror gem out of it.
Doctor Sleep’s new release date not only suggests that Warner Bros. are happy with how it’s coming along, but could signal something else – in a world where the Academy recognised Get Out at the 2018 Oscars, is it being repositioned for potential awards recognition? We’ll wait and see.
Keep up to date with all the latest movie news, click here to subscribe to Empire on Great Magazines and have the latest issue delivered to your door every month.