The Shining's Legacy: Dr. Sleep's Footage Source

Doctor Sleep is a 2019 American supernatural horror film written, directed, and edited by Mike Flanagan. It is a film adaptation of Stephen King's 2013 novel of the same name and serves as a sequel to The Shining (1980). The film stars Ewan McGregor as Dan Torrance, a man with psychic abilities and a drinking problem, who struggles with childhood trauma caused by the horrors at the Overlook Hotel. Flanagan's dedication to recreating the Overlook Hotel, combined with his use of Kubrick's version of The Shining as the foundation for Doctor Sleep, has led to speculation about whether the film uses any of Kubrick's footage.

Indeed, Flanagan confirmed that three shots in the film are Stanley Kubrick's footage: One is an island in a canyon, one does have a car driving up the canyon, and the other is also in the car driving up. The production crew of Doctor Sleep went to great lengths to rebuild Kubrick's iconic sets, and the Kubrick estate lent them the physical blueprints and design elements from the original film.

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Doctor Sleep's production crew rebuilt the Overlook Hotel

The Overlook Hotel is an iconic set in horror cinema, so when it came to creating a sequel to The Shining, director Mike Flanagan and his crew knew they had to get it right. The Overlook Hotel is a character in its own right, so it was important to rebuild it for Doctor Sleep.

The Kubrick estate had the physical blueprints and design elements from the original film, which they lent to the crew. Flanagan and his team also used three of Kubrick's shots from the original: the shot of the water and the island, and the two shots after it of the car going into the mountains. These shots were cleaned up, degrained, changed to nighttime, and had snow added.

The crew built most of the sets in Atlanta, using a mix of practical sets and digital set extensions. They even walked around with iPads to compare what they had built with The Shining. Flanagan knew that fans would scrutinize every detail, so he and his team went to ""forensic film school"" to recreate shots, angles, and other elements from the original film.

The set of the Overlook Hotel was impressive, with a sense of spirit and reverence that was felt by the cast and crew. Flanagan described the oppressive tension in Room 237, which exuded an eerie energy even when full of people. The Colorado Lounge was also impressive, with an overturned chair that was never put back in place.

The Doctor Sleep crew started building the interior of the Overlook in August 2018, and the set was taken down the following November to make way for the exterior of the hotel, which was constructed in another part of the soundstage. The crew struggled with some decisions, such as the colour of a typewriter, but ultimately made choices based on how they, as fans of the film, remembered it.

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The film uses some footage from The Shining

The 2019 film Doctor Sleep is a direct sequel to The Shining, based on Stephen King's 2013 novel of the same name. The film is written, directed, and edited by Mike Flanagan, and stars Ewan McGregor as Dan Torrance, a man with psychic abilities and a drinking problem, struggling with childhood trauma caused by the horrors at the Overlook Hotel.

Flanagan's film attempts to bridge the gap between Kubrick's and King's differing visions of the events at the Overlook Hotel. The director chose to use Kubrick's version of The Shining as the foundation for Doctor Sleep, and the production crew went to great lengths to rebuild the iconic Overlook Hotel set. They even obtained the physical blueprints and design elements from the Kubrick estate.

Despite his contempt for Kubrick's adaptation of his novel, King was receptive to the way Doctor Sleep blended his novel and Kubrick's film while staying true to the character of Dan. Flanagan also reused a small amount of footage from The Shining in his film. According to Flanagan, there are three shots in Doctor Sleep that are actually Stanley Kubrick's footage: one of an island in a canyon, and two of a car driving up the canyon.

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Doctor Sleep blends King's novel with Kubrick's film

The 2019 film Doctor Sleep is a challenging adaptation of Stephen King's 2013 novel of the same name. It is a sequel to King's 1977 novel The Shining, which was previously adapted into a 1980 film by Stanley Kubrick. The film is written, directed, and edited by Mike Flanagan, who also directed another adaptation of a King novel, Gerald's Game.

Flanagan's adaptation of Doctor Sleep is a delicate blend of King's novel and Kubrick's film. The Shining has long been considered one of King's quintessential novels, and Kubrick's adaptation left a heavy stamp on the story, to the extent that many now associate the title with the filmmaker before the author. As such, Flanagan's film adaptation of Doctor Sleep had to contend with the cinematic shadow cast by Kubrick.

Flanagan and his team approached both King and the Kubrick estate for early discussions. They wanted to gain approval from both parties, knowing that King had been critical of Kubrick's adaptation of The Shining. In an early interview, Flanagan acknowledged the challenge of adapting King's novel while staying true to Kubrick's film: "It was painfully clear to me that I am not Stanley Kubrick and never will be... What if it had the DNA of its parents but still has to stand on its own two feet and find a way in the world? That made it kind of possible."

Flanagan's dedication to honouring both King and Kubrick is evident in the final film. The production crew went to great lengths to rebuild Kubrick's iconic Overlook Hotel sets, using blueprints and design elements provided by the Kubrick estate. Flanagan also incorporated specific shots from Kubrick's film, including footage of a car driving up a canyon. The film's narrative blends elements from both King's novel and Kubrick's film, such as the character of Dick Hallorann, who is alive in the novel but dead in Kubrick's version.

Despite the challenges, Flanagan's adaptation of Doctor Sleep earned King's endorsement. In an email to The Times, King praised Flanagan's work: "I loved the idea of Mike making the book into a film because he's a terrific storyteller... Mike serves both of us in a wonderful, inventive way."

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The film received Stephen King's endorsement

While Stephen King famously despised Stanley Kubrick's 1980 adaptation of "The Shining", the film adaptation of "Doctor Sleep", the sequel to "The Shining", received his endorsement.

Director Mike Flanagan, an admitted King superfan, had previously adapted another of King's stories, "Gerald's Game", with the writer's blessing. However, King was understandably wary about another filmmaker entering the "Shining" universe. Flanagan and his team approached both King and the Kubrick estate, which oversees all of the late filmmaker's interests, for early discussions. Flanagan wanted to obtain the "go-ahead" from King himself.

The filmmakers had to navigate a "custody battle" between King and Kubrick, as they had to reconcile King's novel, Kubrick's film, and the new film adaptation of "Doctor Sleep". They received some latitude from both King and the Kubrick estate, but they knew that any changes they made would be closely scrutinized by fans.

Flanagan recreated scenes from "The Shining" to use in flashbacks and built sets that replicated Kubrick's iconic Overlook Hotel. He also incorporated themes from King's novel, such as addiction and recovery, into the film.

Despite some adjustments to ensure continuity with Kubrick's film, Flanagan's "Doctor Sleep" ultimately received King's endorsement. The author praised the film for its characterisation, rich detail, and sincere treatment of alcoholism and trauma.

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Doctor Sleep is a sequel to The Shining

Doctor Sleep is a 2019 American supernatural horror film written, directed, and edited by Mike Flanagan. It is a film adaptation of Stephen King's 2013 novel of the same name and serves as a sequel to The Shining, both the 1980 novel and the 1980 film adaptation by Stanley Kubrick.

The film follows a grown-up Dan Torrance, played by Ewan McGregor, who has tried to bury his traumatic boyhood experience at the Overlook Hotel in a haze of alcohol and sex. Dan possesses psychic abilities and struggles with childhood trauma caused by the horrors at the Overlook Hotel. He connects with a young teenage girl and fellow "shiner", Abra Stone, and they must join forces to combat Rose the Hat and her followers, a group of quasi-vampires who feed off the "steam" produced by the pain of dying shiners.

The production crew of Doctor Sleep went to great lengths to recreate the iconic Overlook Hotel from Kubrick's film, using physical blueprints and design elements provided by the Kubrick estate. They also reused a small amount of footage from The Shining, including shots of a car driving up a canyon.

Despite King's well-documented contempt for Kubrick's adaptation of The Shining, he was receptive to the way Doctor Sleep blended his novel with Kubrick's film while staying true to the character of Dan Torrance. Flanagan himself recognised the challenge of adapting a sequel to a story with such a significant cinematic predecessor, but his thoughtful approach earned King's endorsement and honoured Kubrick's legacy.

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