Doctor Sleep Trailer Breakdown: 10 Things You Need To See
The Shining's sequel is loaded with things you might have missed.
Horror fans, rejoice. The trailer for The Shining's long-awaited sequel Doctor Sleep is upon us, and it actually looks remarkably great.
Historically speaking, another filmmaker attempting to follow up a Stanley Kubrick film with a sequel has not gone very well (looking at you 2010: The Year We Make Contact). But even before the trailer, there was plenty of reasons to be cautiously optimistic about the film. Helmed by acclaimed writer/director Mike Flanagan (The Haunting of Hill House, Hush, Gerald's Game, etc.) and featuring a decidedly left-of-center - yet ludicrously talented - cast of big names, the film has a lot going for it.
And now that we've gotten our first look at the footage, things are looking even greater. But there's still tons of questions lingering over this thing. How faithful will it be to the Doctor Sleep book? Will it be a proper sequel to Kubrick's film or King's novel or an amalgamation of both? What's the deal with Redrum's return?
Let's dive in and see if we can't figure out what Flanagan may have in store for us come November...
10. Danny Boy
After nearly forty years, Danny Torrance is back and undoubtedly more troubled than ever.
Played by Ewan McGregor this time around, the trailer opens on Danny in his room, giving us a glimpse into his day-to-day life as a hospice worker. In the novel, this is where Danny earns the nickname of ‘Doctor Sleep’, as his shining abilities allow him to bring a kind of comfort to those in pain and about to die. It looks as though the film will be following this same path.
It’s also worth noting that the trailer hints at some potential flashbacks for Danny as well. In the novel, Danny spends a large chunk of his adult life dealing with the same alcoholic rage that his father did, and there is a strong chance we'll be getting a brief look at this in the shot of an extremely frazzled Danny sporting a beard.
McGregor seemed like an excellent choice for the character from the get-go and the glimpses we get here only further make it seem like there’s a strong chance that he will deliver a wonderful performance as the character.