Actor Ewan McGregor will star as Danny Torrance in an adaptation of the Stephen King novel Doctor Sleep, the sequel to horror classic The Shining. According to sources, King has given his blessings to McGregor's casting, reports variety.com. Mike Flanagan, who helmed Netflix's adaptation of the King novella "Gerald's Game", is directing it. Flanagan's producing partner, Trevor Macy, will produce it along with Vertigo Entertainment's Jon Berg.

Warner Bros had been developing this film, as well as "The Shining" prequel "Overlook Hotel" for years, but the studio struggled to secure a budget for either film. Following the success of "It", every studio with any sort of King IP under its roof has fast-tracked each property into pre-production. "Doctor Sleep" begins as Torrance carries the trauma of the Overlook Hotel into adulthood. He has become a reflection of his murderous father, with lingering rage and a drinking problem that dulls his pain as well as his "shining" powers.