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Stanley Kubrick’sThe Shiningwill undoubtedly stand out as a cult classic horror flick through generations. Featuring a few of the most popular and unforgettably terrifying scenes and starring the ominous Grady twins, the movie is held in high regard, by even casual moviegoers. But surprisingly Stephen King wasn’t quite fond of Kubrick’s take on his novel.
Despite being adapted from Stephen King’s 1977 novel of the same name, the author wasn’t pleased with Stanley Kubrick’s movie. Mainly disappointed by the character depictions inThe Shining, King was eventually able to forgive Kubrick, after Mike Flanagan adapted the author’s 2013 novelDoctor Sleep. Watching Rebecca Ferguson’s underrated 2019 movie, King admitted how Kubrick’sThe Shiningwas redeemed byDoctor Sleep.
Stephen King Was Disappointed in Stanley Kubrick’sThe Shining
Adapted from Stephen King’s 1977 novel by the same name, Stanley Kubrick’sThe Shiningturned into a cult classic horror movie, following its release in 1980. Five years after Kubrick’s previous historical epicBarry Lyndon, the filmmaker came up with his iconic film that later turned into a Halloween staple.
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Showcasing unforgettably terrifying moments like the axe-wielding “Here’s Johnny!” scene and featuring the creepy Grady twins, Kubrick’sThe Shininggarnered immense praise and great reviews through generations. However, despite pleasing fans through the decades,Stanley Kubricksurprisingly failed to impress Stephen King with his movie.
According to an interview withThe Paris Review, Stephen King had opened up about his disappointment in Stanley Kubrick’s take on the story. While the film adapted from the novel was about a family threatened by supernatural spirits, King stated that Kubrick lacked the “sense of emotional investment in the family whatsoever”. Particularly insulted by the portrayal of Wendy, King even called her “one of the most misogynistic characters ever put on film” viaBBC.
“I used to call it a Cadillac with no engine in it. You can’t do anything with it except admire it as a sculpture. You’ve taken away its primary purpose, which is to tell a story. The basic difference that tells you all you need to know is the ending. Near the end of the novel, Jack Torrance tells his son that he loves him, and then he blows up with the hotel. It’s a very passionate climax. In Kubrick’s movie, he freezes to death.”
Declaring that he “hated” the result,Stephen Kingexplained how Kubrick had taken away the story’s “primary purpose”. Apparentlylet down by Stanley Kubrick’s take onThe Shining, King thereafter wroteDoctor Sleepin 2013, as a sequel to his 1977 novel. Deliberately setting it in a world where the Overlook Hotel was destroyed, the author wished to avoid further disappointments.
Rebecca Ferguson’s Movie RedeemedThe Shiningfor Stephen King
Keeping his guard up, Stephen King didn’t want any further mess-ups when it came toDoctor Sleep. But soon, after penning down his sequel novel in 2013, the author was approached by writer-director Mike Flanagan who wanted to adapt King’s story. Once cast down by Kubrick’s 1980 movie, the author was initially hesitant when it came toDoctor Sleep.
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Although convincing the writer that his adaptation of the novel should also be a sequel to Kubrick’s film was a bit difficult,Mike Flanagansuccessfully won over the author. Given Flanagan’s filmography and his screenplay for the movie, Stephen King was impressed by the filmmaker. Speaking withEW, the author thus noted how he read Flanagan’s script over and over again, quite carefully. Willing to do a good job with the sequel, King recalled being impressed by the director’s previous work and entrusting him with the project.
“I read the script to this one very, very carefully. Because obviously I wanted to do a good job with the sequel, because people knew the book The Shining, and I thought, I don’t want to screw this up. Mike Flanagan, I’ve enjoyed all his movies, and I’ve worked with him before on Gerald’s Game. So, I read the script very, very carefully and I said to myself, ‘Everything that I ever disliked about the Kubrick version of The Shining is redeemed for me here’”.
StarringRebecca Fergusonas Rose the Hat, in the 2019 movie, Mike Flanagan took on the task of delivering a phenomenal sequel to Stanley Kubrick’sThe Shining. AlthoughDoctor Sleepdidn’t end up being as successful asThe Shining, it certainly made Stephen King feel satisfied with the onscreen character depictions, which Kubrick’s movie apparently failed to do, as per the author.
The ShiningandDoctor Sleepare available on Max.
Krittika Mukherjee
Senior Writer
Articles Published :3219
Krittika Mukherjee is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on films, TV shows, and celebrity news with over 3,000 articles published. With an educational background in Journalism, and a keen interest in filmmaking, Krittika blends factual precision with creative flair, when crafting her editorials, or dissecting fan theories.Her coverage often includes news and analyses of critically acclaimed films, celebrity news, and franchises like the Wizarding World, LOTR, DC, and MCU—particularly Harry Potter, Fantastic Beasts, Superheroes, and fan theories. As a Wizarding World aficionado, Krittika has spent countless hours exploring hidden backstories, unadapted book moments, spells, and trivias surrounding J.K. Rowling’s lore.An imaginative writer with a way with words, Krittika has worked as an entertainment journalist for the past two years and a web content writer for a year. She brought her experience and expertise to FandomWire to pursue her desire for sipping coffee while dissecting films and tracking celebrity drama.
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Mike FlanaganRebecca FergusonStanley KubrickStephen King
