Summary
Director Mike Flanagan reacts to one of Stephen King’s predictions aboutDoctor Sleepcoming true.Doctor Sleepis a 2019 sequel to the classic Stanley Kubrick filmThe Shining, starring a leading cast including Ewan McGregor, Rebecca Ferguson, Kyliegh Curran, Cliff Curtis, Zahn McCarlnon, and Emily Alyn Lind. It is directed and written bygenre auteur Flanagan, who has been considered a master of horror for several years.
Taking toTwitter, Flanagan reacts to one of King’s predictions aboutDoctor Sleepcoming true. According to theDoctor Sleepdirector,King had said that “time would be kind to Doctor Sleep” after its lackluster opening weekend box office.
Proving this message to be true, Flanagan posted a link to aHollywood Reporterarticle naming the 15 best movie sequels of the last 20 years, a list on whichDoctor Sleepappeared. Flanagan wrote that he “love[s] that it continues to find and build its audience half a decade later.” He went on to say that the film is “close to [his] heart.”
Doctor Sleep’s Initial Response Explained
Doctor Sleep Struggled At The Box Office
Doctor Sleepholds a prestigious spot on theHollywood Reporterlist. Also included in the rankings are stellar visual feats such asAvatar: The Way of Water,Dawn of the Planet of the Apes,Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, andMission: Impossible - Fallout. Not only didDoctor Sleepmanage to make it on the list in the first place, but it did so in high prestige asit is no. 5 on the list overall.The only films ranked above it wereAcross the Spider-Verse,Creed,The Dark KnightandMad Max: Fury Road.
In Flanagan’s post, he mentionsDoctor Sleep’s “disappointing opening weekend at the box office.” The sequel did suffer at the box office during its opening, making only $14.1 million during its first weekend. As a $45 million budget project and a sequel to such an iconic horror film, this initial sum was considered to be fairly low. Overall,Doctor Sleepmade just $72.3 million at the worldwide box office, meaning it may not have made a profit while in theaters.
Every Stephen King Movie Franchise, Ranked Worst To Best
Stephen King movie franchises are surprisingly rare, though many of them show why the author personally dislikes sequels based on his work.
That said,Doctor Sleephas a dedicated following. This includes King himself, who has been vocal about the vision behind Flanagan’s adaptation and vouched for the longevity ofDoctor Sleep’s recognition. Despite its box office,Doctor Sleep’s reviewswere fairly positive, receiving a 78% approval among critics and an 89% among audiences. As the most recent best sequel list indicates, the love forDoctor Sleephas indeed grown over time, fulfilling King’s prophecy and making Flanagan’s wishes come true.
Doctor Sleep
Cast
Doctor Sleep, set decades after The Shining, follows Dan Torrance as he confronts his traumatic past at the Overlook Hotel. He encounters Abra, a teenage girl with powerful extrasensory abilities called the “shine,” who enlists his help in battling sinister forces.
