Stephen King famously expressed disdain for Stanley Kubrick's 1977 adaptation of his novel, The Shining, citing fundamental disagreements over character portrayals and narrative direction. King particularly took issue with Jack Nicholson's casting as Jack Torrance, feeling his prior roles leaned too heavily into instability, and described Shelley Duvall's Wendy Torrance as "one of the most misogynistic characters ever put on film."
However, King's perspective on Kubrick's controversial film has evolved, largely due to Mike Flanagan's 2019 adaptation of Doctor Sleep, the sequel to The Shining. The film, now available on Paramount Plus, managed to reconcile King's original vision with Kubrick's distinct cinematic approach.
Bridging Two Worlds
Flanagan's Doctor Sleep, based on King's 2013 novel, follows an adult Danny Torrance still haunted by his experiences at the Overlook Hotel. The story introduces a psychic cult known as The True Knot, which hunts individuals with psychic abilities, known as the Shine. While Flanagan drew heavily from King's novel, he also informed King from the outset that he intended to incorporate visual elements from Kubrick's film.
King, who had previously called Kubrick's adaptation a "Cadillac with no engine," was initially hesitant. Flanagan pitched King on a pivotal scene featuring the Overlook Hotel, a significant departure from the novel where the hotel is depicted as ruined. This willingness to blend King's narrative with the iconic imagery of Kubrick's film ultimately gained King's approval.
Flanagan explained his approach to Entertainment Weekly, stating, "when I read Doctor Sleep, all the images in my head were Kubrick's images... There's no other language to tell that story in. If you say 'Overlook Hotel,' I see something. It lives right up in my brain because of Stanley Kubrick."
Despite the necessary adjustments to align with the visual language established by Kubrick, Flanagan aimed for faithfulness to both the novel and the original film. The result was a critically acclaimed sequel that, while not a box office success, achieved a significant victory in mending the fractured legacy of The Shining.
King ultimately praised Flanagan's work, telling Entertainment Weekly, "He managed to take my novel of Doctor Sleep, the sequel, and somehow weld it seamlessly to the Kubrick version of The Shining, the movie. So, yeah, I liked it a lot."
After 39 years of estrangement from Kubrick's adaptation, Doctor Sleep succeeded in bringing King's perception of The Shining full circle, finally allowing the author to appreciate the film that had long been a point of contention.
Doctor Sleep is available to stream on Paramount Plus.