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Doctor Sleep casts Ewan McGregor in The Shining sequel - SciFiNow

Doctor Sleep casts Ewan McGregor in The Shining sequel

Ewan McGregor will shine in Stephen King’s Doctor Sleep for Mike Flanagan

We’re huge Mike Flanagan fans so the news that he was tackling Stephen King’s The Shining sequel Doctor Sleep was most welcome. Now, the director of Oculus, Hush and Gerald’s Game found his leading man.

Variety reports that Ewan McGregor has signed on to play Danny Torrance in the movie, the son of Overlook-caretaking Jack Torrance. It’s not a role that will require him to scream “Here’s Johnny,” but it’s a great part for the actor and we’re excited about the choice. They note that King has given his blessing.

Danny “carries the trauma of the Overlook Hotel into adulthood. He’s become a reflection of his murderous father, with lingering rage and a drinking problem that dulls his pain as well as his “shining” powers. Those powers return when he embraces sobriety and uses his gift to help the dying at a hospice. He establishes a psychic connection with a young girl who shares his extreme abilities, and who is being targeted by a group with similar abilities. They’ve found that their powers grow if they inhale the “steam” that comes off others with the power to shine, when they are suffering painful deaths.”

Doctor Sleep has been in the works for years at Warner Bros (along with the ever-languishing Overlook prequel) and the massive success of IT meant that it was finally a go. There’s a lot of rich dramatic material in the movie, lots of grief and trauma (prime material for Flanagan, he loves that stuff), but it’s also pretty damn scary, thanks in large part to Rose The Hat who leads the group of steam-hunting ghouls. We can’t wait to see who lands that role.

Doctor Sleep will be released on 24 January 2020. Keep up with the latest horror news with the new issue of SciFiNow