The DOCTOR SLEEP Trailer Makes Sure You Know This Is A Sequel To THE SHINING

Well, here it is, at long last: the first trailer for Mike Flanagan's Doctor Sleep, based on the novel - and, yes, The Shining sequel - of the same name by Stephen King. I cannot, in good conscience, sugarcoat things and pretend to have enjoyed that novel, but I'll tell ya this: Mike Flanagan directed Gerald's Game, a King adaptation that none of us ever thought would exist, and he absolutely crushed it. So if anyone's got the goods to weave Doctor Sleep's limp straw into sparkling gold, it's probably gonna be him. 

Let's see what he's done with it.

So, as you can see, they're really selling this thing on the back of Stanley Kubrick's The Shining. Sets have been rebuilt. Footage has been reused. They are definitely not soft-pedaling the connection here. I suppose this makes sense - you're not gonna sell a Shining sequel just on Danny Torrance's name - but making Doctor Sleep so beholden to Kubrick's adaptation feels like a bold move. At that point, you're just asking for people to draw direct comparisons between the two, and given the fact that The Shining is one of the most beloved horror films of all time...well, like I said: that's a bold move. I'm not sure it'll pay off for 'em, but I definitely respect it.  

Here's an official plot synopsis:

"Struggling with alcoholism, Danny Torrance remains traumatized by the sinister events that occurred at the Overlook Hotel when he was a child. He soon finds a new purpose when he forms a psychic connection with a girl who shares his shining ability."

Aaand here's a new poster: 

Doctor Sleep hits theaters on November 8th. Think you'll give it a day in court? Sound off in the comments below, and stay tuned for more on this one as further updates roll in.