Ewan McGregor has been cast as the lead in Doctor Sleep, the upcoming sequel to Stephen King‘s The Shining.
Variety reports the Trainspotting star will play a grown-up version of Danny Torrance, the young son of the character played by Jack Nicholson in the 1980 film. Danny was originally played by Danny Lloyd, who was just seven years old at the time.
Author Stephen King was famously not happy with Stanley Kubrick‘s version of his original book, but has given the thumbs up to Ewan’s casting in this new movie adaptation of his 2013 sequel.
Doctor Sleep will be directed by Mike Flanagan, who adapted King’s Gerald’s Game for Netflix last year.
The sequel picks up decades after the events of The Shining, when a now middle-aged Danny Torrance, still traumatized by events at the Overlook Hotel, begins to show signs of psychic abilities once again. Having become an alcoholic to suppress the effects of the “shining,” Danny eventually uses his powers to establish a connection with a young girl with similar skills, only to find that a group of people are hunting them.
It’ll be the second time Ewan will play the adult version of a literary figure, after his lead role as Winnie the Pooh’s grown-up best friend in Christopher Robin later this year. The question is, will Danny still have that pudding-bowl haircut?
Doctor Sleep is currently scheduled to open in theaters on January 24, 2020.
Can you see Ewan McGregor as Danny Torrance?