The Shining Movie Sequel, Doctor Sleep, Finds A Director Very Familiar With Stephen King's Work

Once Stephen King released the novel Doctor Sleep, a 2013 follow-up to The Shining that centers on Danny Torrance as an adult, it was only a matter of time until it was turned into a movie. Now, Warner Bros. has found the person it wants to direct the film.

According to Deadline, Mike Flanagan has been hired to helm the project, which is currently in development. His horror credits include movies like Oculus and Ouija: Origin of Evil. However, he also had some experience in bringing the words of Stephen King to life thanks to Gerald's Game.

Flanagan co-wrote and directed the 2017 Netflix movie, which stars Carla Gugino and Bruce Greenwood. He'll be joined on Doctor Sleep by Trevor Macy, the producing partner who worked with him on Gerald's Game.

In the Doctor Sleep novel, Danny grows up tormented by the events at the Overlook Hotel and has followed in his father's alcoholic footsteps. Once he finally gets sober, his Shining powers come back to him. That sets him on a journey as he works with a younger girl, with Shining powers stronger than his, to stop a group of psychically gifted people that consume the life-force of children with powers like Danny's.

Given King's very vocal dislike of Stanley Kubrick's movie adaptation of The Shining, it's unclear if the two films will be connected, though they are being released by the same studio. There is no tentative release date or cast announced for Doctor Sleep yet. However, there will be another Stephen King movie in 2019. That's when It: Chapter 2 will arrive in theaters to let Pennywise the Dancing Clown (Bill Skarsgard) terrify audiences once again.