We’re in for a bloody, disturbing ride later this year asDoctor Sleepis officially going to be R-rated. This serves as a sequel toThe Shining. Both Stephen King’s novel and Stanley Kubrick’s movie (which King is notably not a big fan of) are very highly regarded, so doing a sequel this many years later is a risky endeavor. At the very least, as confirmed by director Mike Flanagan, the movie won’t be pulling any punches.
Mike Flanagan, who previously adapted Stephen King’sGerald’s Gamefor Netflix, took to Twitter to reveal that the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) has handed out an R-rating toDoctor Sleep. This was also confirmed by the MPAA’s official website. Per Flanagan’s tweet, it earned its rating for all the right reasons. Here’s what Flanagan had to say about it.
“Doctor Sleep has officially been rated R by the MPAA for ‘disturbing and violent content, some bloody images, language, nudity, and drug use.’ Sounds about right…”
Risky as the prospect of a sequel toThe Shiningmay sound, it’s hard to imagine anyone in the modern horror landscape more qualified for the job. Aside fromGerald’s Game, Mike Flanagan also is behindThe Haunting of Hill House, which proved to be a real gift to genre fans last year. A trailer forDoctor Sleepwas released back in June and, based on that first glance, it appears as though Flanagan has crafted something very compelling, assuming the full movie can live up to that brief footage.
The cast is truly stacked for the sequel. The cast includes Ewan McGregor (Trainspotting) as Dan Torrance, Rebecca Ferguson (The Greatest Showman) as Rose the Hat and Kyliegh Curran as Abra in her feature debut. Carl Lumbly, Zahn McClarnon, Emily Alyn Lind, Bruce Greenwood, Jocelin Donahue, Alex Essoe and Cliff Curtis round out the main ensemble.
Doctor Sleepcenters on an adultDanny Torrancewho has fought to find some semblance of peace following the events of theOverlook Hotel. But that peace is shattered when he encounters Abra, a teenager with her own ability to “shine.” Recognizing that Dan shares her power, Abra seeks him out, desperate for his help against the evil Rose the Hat and her followers, The True Knot, who feed off the shine of innocents, seeking immortality. Dan and Abra form an unlikely alliance and engage in a brutal life-or-death battle with Rose and her followers.
The novel was initiallypublished in 2013 by Stephen Kingand was met with something of a mixed response. Warner Bros. is additionally set to release another high-profile King sequel next month in the form of the much-anticipatedIT Chapter Two, making it a pretty big year for fans of the author’s work.Doctor Sleepis set to arrive in theaters on November 8. Be sure to check out the post fromMike Flanagan’s Twitteraccount below.
