5 years later, Mike Flanagan thanks Stephen King for his support on underrated sequel to The Shining

Doctor Sleep deserved better

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Some five years after its (underwhelming) release, Mike Flanagan thanks Stephen King for his support ofDoctor Sleep.

“After a disappointing opening weekend at the box office, @StephenKing predicted time would be kind to Doctor Sleep and I love that it continues to find and build its audience half a decade later,” Flanagantweetedalongside a Hollywood Reporter article on the best movie sequels of the last 20 years. “This movie is close to my heart.”

King published Doctor Sleep, a sequel to his 1977 novel The Shining, in 2013. The book follows an adult Danny Torrance, son of the infamous Jack Torrance, as he battles demons left over from his time spent at the Overlook Hotel. The success of the 2017 It reboot would fast-track the production of a live-action Doctor Sleep adaptation, with Warner Bros. swiftly hiring Flanagan.

Flanagan adapted the novel for the screen himself, with Ewan McGregor cast as Danny and Rebecca Ferguson as primary antagonist Rose the Hat. The cast also includes Kyliegh Currant, Carl Lumbly, Zahn McClarnon, Emily Alyn Lind, Jocelin Donahue, and Jacob Tremblay. Despite receiving positive reviews from critics, the film would only gross $72.3 million against a budget of $55 million.

“Everything that I ever disliked about the Kubrick version of The Shining is redeemed for me here,” King had, who famously hated the 1980 adaptation of his novel, toldEntertainment Weeklyafter the film’s release.

Doctor Sleep is streaming now on Prime Video and Apple TV Plus. For more, check out our list of the most excitingupcoming moviesin 2024 and beyond.

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Lauren Milici is a Senior Entertainment Writer for GamesRadar+ currently based in the Midwest. She previously reported on breaking news for The Independent’s Indy100 and created TV and film listicles for Ranker. Her work has been published in Fandom, Nerdist, Paste Magazine, Vulture, PopSugar, Fangoria, and more.

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