It’s a sad era when the screenwriter responsible for Batman and Robin, Lost in Space, and the two Dan Brown adaptations is considered by some Hollywood circles as the “go-to” for Stephen King adaptations. Alas, that’s what fate has dealt us with Akiva Goldsman, and one of the likely reasons why we’ve seen so few of King’s novels actually make it to the silver screen.
Well, now that his polarizing screenplay for The Dark Tower is making its way into production, he’s turned the page and set his sights on Doctor Sleep, the sequel to The Shining that King published back in 2013. As The Tracking Board reports, the Jonah Hex producer has signed on to pen the screenplay for Warner Bros. for an adaptation that will likely confuse everyone.
(Read: Behold, The Stephen King Cinematic Universe!)
Here’s why: Most moviegoers know the story to The Shining not from King’s book or his not-so-good, Al mini-series for ABC, but Stanley Kubrick’s iconic 1980 reworking starring Jack Nicholson and BJ the Bear. So, if they’re making Doctor Sleep, it will be very interesting to see how they connect the dots, considering the book doesn’t follow Kubrick’s vision at all.
The good news is that Warner Bros. also distributed Kubrick’s film, which means they have the property to lean against should they feel inclined to use it. (Though, one can only imagine the back-and-forth that might incur behind the scenes with King.) Still, the premise — which follows an older Danny Torrance battling an RV of soul-sucking vamps — is a head-scratcher.
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Here’s hoping Goldsman brings us an adaptation akin to The Client and not, you know, Winter’s Tale. Whatever happens, you can add this to the never-ending pile of potential King productions that have yet to see the light of day, all of which include The Stand, Revival, Pet Sematary, It, Cell, Children of the Corn, Lisey’s Story, and a half a dozen others.
Hulu has been the one exception; otherwise, fans know the drill: wait and see, wait and see, wait and see…
