Interviews
‘Doctor Sleep’ Director Mike Flanagan Talks Acknowledging Kubrick’s ‘The Shining’ and Contacting Original Danny [Exclusive]
Mike Flanagan took time off from filming the Stephen King adaptation Doctor Sleep to talk to Bloody Disgusting about his Netflix series “The Haunting of Hill House”. Naturally, we had to poke him for insights into Doctor Sleep as well.
The book is King’s follow-up to his seminal novel “The Shining”, with a grown-up Danny Torrance (Ewan McGregor) as the lead. Danny Lloyd, who played Danny as a child in Stanley Kubrick’s movie The Shining, only acted once more in a TV movie. Flanagan says the production of Doctor Sleep did get in touch with Lloyd, but that’s all he’d reveal to us…
“It’s interesting, he’s a teacher, lives in the midwest,” Flanagan told us in a phone interview. “We definitely spoke to him. I don’t want to spoil anything but yeah, we absolutely got in touch.”
Flanagan also confirmed to us that his film will acknowledge Kubrick’s The Shining in some way, even if it’s an adaptation of King’s sequel rather than a sequel to Kubrick’s movie.
“Yeah, I think you do,” Flanagan said. “I think you do have to acknowledge that. There is no version of the world where I am trying not to acknowledge one of the greatest films ever made. There’s no upside in shying away from that reality.”
“At the same time, this is not The Shining,” Flanagan added.
“It’s its own story and in a very specific way. If you’ve read the book, you know exactly why it’s so different but it’s quite a tightrope that we’re walking I think. I’m having a great time doing it. I’m just going to get the movie out and then turn off the internet for two weeks and see how it all goes.”
We’ll bring you more with Mike Flanagan on “The Haunting of Hill House,” which premieres on Netflix on October 12.
As the inaugural season of Apple TV+’s stellar new series “Widow’s Bay” barrels toward its finale in two weeks, the latest episode gives Kate O’Flynn the spotlight as her character revisits her trauma with the Boogeyman.
“Your Baggage“, directed by Andrew DeYoung (Friendship), sees O’Flynn’s scene-stealing Patricia once again renew her fight with the Michael Myers-like stalker that slaughtered her peers during her adolescence. Thrillingly, it makes for one extended chase sequence that sees Patricia trying to warn others, while evading the undead killer.
In short, this episode’s incredible riff on Halloween and the slasher subgenre transformed Patricia into a fierce Final Girl.
“Well, that felt like a bucket list that I didn’t know was on my bucket list until I did it, but when I did it, I just lapped up every minute,” O’Flynn tells Bloody Disgusting of her triumphant turn this episode. “It felt fantastic for her to get that moment where she is becoming a badass. That was amazing.”
The actress turned to a few notable references for her performance. “Horror-wise, I go back to my youth, which was referenced in some of the episodes: Wicker Man, Carrie, and Rosemary’s Baby, that sort of thing is my kind of vibe.”
O’Flynn also notes how the series’ unique tone allows for so much creative freedom to make bold swings. “There’s something very freeing about it. Every moment is up for grabs, so it’s like we don’t have to totally land in one direction or another. It keeps it alive.“
Patricia is the eccentric assistant to Matthew Rhys‘ Mayor Tom Loftis, who’s at the forefront of trying to solve the island’s pesky curse predicament. Rhys felt the same about “Widow’s Bay” and its rare ability to make you laugh and scream in equal measure, stemming from series creator Katie Dippold.
“The mandate was, ‘It’s a real world with real people. You play for real.’ There’s no playing for comedy or horror,” Rhys echoes O’Flynn’s sentiments on how freeing the series’ tone has been.
New episodes will release every Wednesday through June 17 only on Apple TV+.
Kate O’Flynn in “Widow’s Bay,” now streaming on Apple TV.
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