Ewan McGregor Set To Star In Stephen King’s Doctor Sleep

Variety reports that Ewan McGregor is set to play an adult Danny Torrance in the adaptation of Stephen King’s novel Doctor Sleep, a sequel to The Shining. King himself gave his blessing to the casting choice. Mike Flanagan (Gerald’s Game) will direct for Warner Bros. Trevor Macy and Vertigo Entertainment’s Jon Berg will produce.

Doctor Sleep is one of multiple Shining-related projects Warner Bros. is developing. They are also working on a prequel to the novel called Overlook Hotel.

Here’s a synopsis: “Doctor Sleep” begins as Torrance 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.