Los Angeles Times

How 'Doctor Sleep' earned Stephen King's endorsement and still honored Stanley Kubrick

Director Mike Flanagan is no stranger to adapting Stephen King's more difficult works. After all, his adaptation of "Gerald's Game," a story long considered to be unfilmable, was positively received in 2017.

But adapting King's 2013 story "Doctor Sleep" in a way that did justice to both the author's 1977 novel "The Shining" and Stanley Kubrick's classic 1980 film adaptation - which drastically changed some key story points - was an entirely different beast.

"It was painfully clear to me that I am not Stanley Kubrick and never will be," said Flanagan ahead of the film's Friday wide release. "What made me able to sleep at night was, instead of thinking of it as a sequel, what if this was a descendant of the movie? What if it had the DNA of its parents but still has to stand on

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Times1 min read
Netflix Beefs Up Film Ranks, Hiring ‘Bad Boys For Life’ Producer
“Bad Boys for Life” producer Doug Belgrad will join Netflix as its vice president of film as the streaming giant continues to beef up its movie ranks following a major shakeup. A longtime Sony Pictures executive, Belgrad was involved in nearly all th
Los Angeles Times4 min readAmerican Government
Doyle McManus: A Lesson From Presidents Biden And Trump — The New Normal Is Nonstop Crises
A poll published by the Economist this month included a finding that was striking yet unsurprising: Almost 7 in 10 Americans believe things in the country have spun out of control. That's a problem for President Joe Biden, who campaigned in 2020 offe
Los Angeles Times4 min read
Commentary: Has American Support For Palestinians Reached A Turning Point?
In psychology, there is a phenomenon we refer to as “psychic numbing.” It occurs during times of staggering catastrophe, when it seems however we try, we cannot prevent a tragedy. Indifference and defeat set in. Systems of oppression rely enormously

Related Books & Audiobooks