Three more names have been added to Mike Flanagan’s film of Stephen King’s Shining sequel Doctor Sleep, which stars Ewan McGregor and Rebecca Ferguson.
First up, Variety reports that everyone’s favourite Westworld Season 2 star Zahn McClarnon is in talks to play “Crow Daddy, the right-hand man of Ferguson’s character.” Ferguson, of course, is playing the supremely villainous Rose The Hat, whose gang hunts children who shine to steal their “steam.” In addition to his brilliant work on Westworld as Akecheta, McClarnon was also fantastic in the second season of Fargo as the enigmatic and deadly Hanzee Dent.
Next up, Deadline says that genre veteran Carl Lumbly (Marcus Dixon on Alias and John Parker in Buckaroo Banzai) has been cast as Dick Hallorann, the part played by Scatman Crothers in The Shining.
Finally, Alex Essoe, who gave a stunning breakout performance in Starry Eyes, has been cast as Danny Torrance’s mother Wendy, who plays a key role early in the story as the two attempt to find a life for themselves after the events at the Overlook.
Doctor Sleep “begins as Torrance (McGregor) 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 is being targeted by a scary 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.”
Flanagan, who’s one of the best horror directors working, writes and directs. He’s had a busy few years and an impressive run of form with Oculus, Hush, Before I Wake, Ouija: Origin Of Evil and Gerald’s Game, and his Netflix series based on The Haunting Of Hill House is coming soon.
Doctor Sleep is released on 24 January 2020. Keep up with the latest genre news with the new issue of SciFiNow.