Ewan McGregor is set to star in ‘Doctor Sleep’.
The 47-year-old actor is being lined up to take on the role of Danny Torrance in the Warner Bros. movie, an adaptation of Stephen King’s book of the same name, which is a follow up film to 1980 horror movie ‘The Shining’.
Sources have told Variety that King gave his blessing to cast McGregor in the lead role as Danny.
The young character – the son of Jack Nicholson’s alter-ego Jack Torrance – was played by Danny Lloyd in ‘The Shining’, which was based on the author’s 1977 book, but in ‘Doctor Sleep’ he is an adult going by the name of Dan who, along with his mum Wendy, is still psychologically traumatised by the events at the Overlook Hotel.
Dan has been attempting to dull his "shining" powers – psychic abilities which allowed him to see the hotel’s terrifying past in the first film – with copious amounts of alcohol, but they will return in ‘Doctor Sleep’, and he finds out a young girl also has similar abilities.
As well as this, Dan has to deal with alcoholism and rage he inherited from his father.
Mike Flanagan will direct the forthcoming film, with Trevor Macy and Jon Berg set to produce.
‘The Shining’ – which was directed by Stanley Kubrick and starred Shelley Duvall as Wendy – has become a horror classic, despite initially appearing to disappoint at the box office, earning $44 million.
McGregor’s portrayal of Dan will be no doubt be quite a change from his next role as Christopher Robin, the youngster from the ‘Winnie the Pooh’ books who is all grown up in upcoming movie ‘Christopher Robin’.
Ewan McGregor set for Doctor Sleep
