It’s Official: Mike Flanagan Will Adapt Stephen King’s DOCTOR SLEEP

Doctor Sleep is a divisive title amongst Stephen King nerds, a sequel to The Shining that revolves around a cult of polyester-clad old folks (calling themselves the True Knot) that abducts and tortures children who share Danny Torrance's psychic gift. The idea is that these traveling sadists are really quasi-immortals who feed off the "steam" these kids emit, thus extending their lives into eternity. It's a strange fucking book, as King is returning to old stomping grounds in an attempt to craft something iconic as a follow-up, right down to forty-year-old Danny's new sidekick, the spunky, gifted Abra Stone. 

However, if anybody has proven that they can take controversial King material and turn it into a great horror film, it's Mike Flanagan. For those who may have missed it, we absolutely loved his Netflix take on Gerald's Game here at BMD, going as far as to call it "quintessential King cinema". 

Now, Flanagan is back, taking what was once a rumor and making it his next project with Doctor Sleep. Flanagan will rewrite the script - originally adapted by Akiva Goldsman (note: thank fucking God) - and produce with regular partner Trevor Macy. After Gerald's Game, BMD is all about following this director back to the Overlook. 

Also awesome: the picture is set up at Warner Bros., who have fast tracked the Shining sequel following the overwhelming success of IT. For the King devoted, this is great news, as it means we're seeing a revitalized interest in his terrifying fiction, complete with the budgets and talent they need to become stellar movies. What an exciting time to be a horror freak.