Doctor Sleep was not a Box Office success. Released last fall, it seemed few people even knew it existed. While it is a mystery to those who have seen it as to why it was not well received, it has had a recent revival.
“Doctor Sleep” is the sequel to The Shining, also written by Stephen King. McGregor plays the grown-up Danny Torrance and life has not been kind to him. The description of the film per King’s website is “Haunted by the inhabitants of the Overlook Hotel where he spent one horrible year, Danny Torrance has been drifting for decades, desperate to shed his father’s legacy of despair, alcoholism, and violence.” Torrance settles in a small New Hampshire town and meets Abra Stone, a teen with the brightest shine Torrance has ever encountered. Suddenly he must confront his demons again and help Abra in a battle against an evil unlike no other.
Fans of the film and of Ewan McGregor began to enthusiastically tweet their praise for the 3-hour Director’s Cut that HBO Max released. The Director’s cut includes extended scenes and some new footage, adding to the richness of the story. Director Mike Flanagan knew the film was too long for a theatrical release. He is thrilled the full cut is getting exposure. He stated to Collider, “I’m really excited that the WB let me create this cut, much less release it. They really supported it-to the point they made sure all the new material with VFX was fully finished-it’s a finished, complete, fully polished new cut of the movie.”
As the film gets praise, so does Ewan McGregor. Best known for his roles as Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars Prequels and Mark Renton in “Trainspotting“, his other work often gets overlooked. Yesterday, fans tweeted their appreciation for his full body of work and included gifs and pictures from his other films. The appreciation for McGregor continues today as he and the film continue to trend on Twitter.
Nerd Alert News, in Partnership with Ewan McGregor Fan Event Appearances and Projects Watch on Facebook are presenting a free double-feature screening of “The Shining” and the “Doctor Sleep” Director’s Cut on Friday July 3rd starting at 5 pm EST. The screening will be shown on Kast, a free online application. Event details can be found on the Nerd Alert News Facebook page or at the Ewan McGregor Fan Event Appearances and Projects Watch Facebook group.
At the time of this publication, news became available that a prequel series to The Shining is in early development. While this show is not based on a Stephen King book, King is collaborating with producers on the series. The working title is “Overlook.”
Written by Michelle Haab
