Stanley Kubrick's The Shining will return to theaters in 4K for two nights very soon, and will include a sneak peek of its upcoming sequel, Doctor Sleep. Released in 1980, Kubrick's big screen adaptation of Stephen King's novel is generally considered one of the all-time best (and certainly most influential) horror films nowadays. King, however, has always been pretty openly critical of the movie, arguing that it strips his original book of its humanism in favor of a bleaker and more nihilistic approach.
In spite of King's attempts to rectify this by writing The Shining TV miniseries adaptation in the late 1990s, Kubrick's film remains, for many, the definitive screen rendition of the story. Mike Flanagan's upcoming movie adaptation of King's The Shining sequel novel, Doctor Sleep, even takes place in the same universe as Kubrick's film, despite its differences from the original book. The marketing for Doctor Sleep has been keen to emphasize this so far, and it will continue to do so with a newly unveiled special event.
Fandango has announced that The Shining will screen in 4K in select theaters tomorrow night, September 26, followed by encore screenings on Tuesday night, October 1. These showings will also include a special preview of Doctor Sleep, ahead of its own release in November. You can buy tickets for the event HERE, and check out the related poster below.
Written and directed by Flanagan, Doctor Sleep stars Ewan McGregor as a forty-something Danny Torrance, who's now a recovering alcoholic - like his father Jack - and taken a job at a nursing home (where he uses his shining powers to comfort dying residents) in a small Massachusetts town. Just like the book, the film will follow Danny as he tries to help a young girl who has powerful shining abilities that make her a target for a semi-immortal cult that survives by killing kids who "shine" and feeding on a mysterious "steam" that their dying bodies let off. Eventually, as seen in the full-length Doctor Sleep trailer, Danny and the girl return to the Overlook Hotel, in an attempt to fight back. There, he's forced to finally confront the (very literal) ghosts of his past, including the specter of his father Jack - the character made iconic by Jack Nicholson in Kubrick's movie.
Given how many people have never gotten to see Kubrick's The Shining in a theater (much less, 4K), this event sounds like a fun opportunity to finally do just that. The fact that it will include a special preview of Doctor Sleep is just the icing for the cake, all things considered. Those who can't make either of the screenings need not worry, though, as The Shining 4K restoration (which was done using a 4K scan of the film's 35 mm camera negative) will become available on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and Digital starting October 1. Still, if you've ever wanted to experience Nicholson yelling "Here's Johnny!" up on the big screen, this is your chance.
Source: Fandango
