Doctor Sleep dream cast.

Doctor Sleep dream cast.

“Life was a wheel, its only job was to turn, and it always came back to where it started.” 

If someone was to ask me what are my top five all time favorite novels by Stephen King, hands down without even thinking twice I would list Doctor Sleep to be placed within the top three. One of his more recent works, I first read Doctor Sleep when a co-worker and friend brought me a hardcover version of this when they got my name as secret Santa. I remember being fascinated by the beautiful cover, and how the moment I opened it up less than a month later to pass the time durning my lunch break one afternoon, I was hooked. It had been years a King novel had done that to me. Honestly not since Needful Things was I unable to put a book of his down. I finished the novel in less than a month, and instantly let my sister borrow my copy who equally loved it. Stephen King was a huge part of our lives due to the fact our late mother was a massive fan so we were constantly hearing about his latest works, reading his books, and watching his mini-series and films. What's odd about this is the fact I read The Shinning twice, and just couldn't seem to really get into it. I know it's strange to enjoy the sequel more than the original, but I did. I like both the movie and mini-series, but just couldn't get into the book. I knew it was only a matter of time before they tried to tackle a film version of this. Of course this would be tricky since Stanley Kubrick's film was vastly different than the novel, and often overshadows anything that's compared or connected to it. Doctor Sleep is a sequel to The Shinning, but I don't think we should underestimate our audiences. This is honestly a heartbreaking, beautiful tale of a man who's haunted by not just spirits, but his struggle and guilt with addiction. It's really a tale of survival, and how everything truly comes full circle to a person who has nothing to lose. With the success of IT, it seems as though this would be the perfect time to prove just again that King is truly the master of horror.

This fall, as much as I did enjoy this re-telling of IT, it was a Netflix original movie...another adaption of King's that finally found the perfect director to tell what people claimed would be impossible to ever be made.

This is Mike Flanagan's Gerard's Game.

Mike Falanagan was making quite the name for himself by such films as Oculus, Hush, and Ouija Origin Of Evil. Here he was able to tell a haunting story of a woman's fight for survival in more ways than one. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time, and was left speechless by the beauty of this tale. When they said he was now attached to making Doctor Sleep, I let out a sigh of relief. This truly would be the only director I feel that could do this story to justice. So here comes to fun part, starting to guess who will star in it. I'm sure we're a good year or so off from production even starting (Pet Sematary is starting filming later this spring) In the past I've talked about a dream cast as well as things that I would want to see when it gets made...today are my updated thoughts on who I believe should star in Falanagan's new film.

Rose The Hat - Kate Siegel

- Not only is she Mike Falanagan's wife, but she's also a pretty awesome actress. Always having roles or cameos in his films, what really makes me see her now playing the main villain is her powerhouse performance in the movie Hush. Kate plays a deaf writer who fights for survival as a psychopath taunts her from outside her isolated cabin. Not only does she have the dark hair, but she's beautiful, and can play crazy very well. You really have to read the novel to understand about The True Knot. A group of people who travel via RVs as a large group, going from place to place. They have special powerful, and don't age or die...as long as they breath in "steam" which is released when they butcher young children who told "the shinning" or special psychic gifts and talents. They travel across America finding death, and tragedy to prey, and gather steam to stay immortal. It isn't until a deadly illness begins to spread through the group, speeding up their sickness, and killing them off. Seeing her family die, she knows they need to find a child who's very powerful to restore their health and stop this plague right in it's tracks. That's where she sets her sights on a young girl by the name of Abra. I really, really, really hope Kate gets this role. Sure I could see other women in this part, but I think Siegel would nail it 100%

Danny Torrance - Jensen Ackles 

- I know, I know. The handsome guy from Supernatural?! I see him as the guy who stole the show in the My Bloody Valentine remake. I think Jensen would not only be the perfect age, but truly be able to capture the loner man struggling with his haunted past as well as his fight against addiction. There are other men who could do this, but I think career wise, this would be a good move for Mr. Ackles. Supernatural can't be going on forever, and even if it does this would be a wise project to do in-between filming. This could show he isn't just a good looking guy, but a really decent actor who actually has emotional range. Danny Torrance is the adult version of the little boy who had the special gift of "The shinning" in the original film/novel. In Doctor Sleep we learn that him and his mother relocated to Florida after the hotel explosion, and that Dick (who survives in the book) teaches him how to deal with his gift of seeing the undead. To lock them in a metal box right in the back of his mind. Well many years pass. Wendy, his mother has died from cancer, and Danny has followed in his father's footsteps and struggles with being an alcoholic. One morning he officially hits rock bottom when he goes on a bender with a girl he met at a bar. He wakes up the next day completely trashed, and sees that the girl he partied with had a young baby who is trying to reach across the table at some spilled coke the two of them were doing the night before believing it was candy. This forever stuck in his mind, as we watch that his struggles with drinking have cost him everything, even resorting to being homeless. Finally he somewhat gets his act together when he moves to NH and finds a decent job at a hospice where he's an orderly who cares for the elderly and is nicknamed Doctor Sleep since when someone is close to dying, Danny helps them pass peacefully in their sleep using his special gifts. Danny is able to get sober by the help of his new friends, and slowly starts to get his act together when suddenly his past starts to haunt him. Children are disappearing, and Danny is asked to help. Without going into too many spoilers, this is truly Danny's story. We watch a man struggling with his demons, fighting not just The True Knot, but addiction as well. There's a very moving scene at the end of the book involving him re-telling the story of the baby reaching for the coke, where he feels he hit rock bottom. Danny in this book is a tragic, moving character, who I feel Ackles could tackle perfectly. 

Barry The Chink - Joseph Gordon Levitt. 

- Barry "The chink" is another member of The True Knot. The reason why he's called "The chink" is because despite the fact he's white, he has slanted eyes. So racist, but Barry is the main reason why the entire clan gets sick to begin with. Barry is a member of The True Knot, and I feel for Joseph Gordon Levitt, this is the surge in his otherwise pretty dry spell in his career needs. I know the man is having kids, and has sorta stepped away from acting, but I think we can all agree around Inception everyone loved him. I mean I remembered him back from his 3rd Rock From The Sun days, but when this guy was cranking out hit after hit (500 Days Of Summer, Dark Knight Rises, Looper, ect) he was a likable actor who showed lots of promise. I think a Stephen King role would be a perfect comeback for Levitt, playing one of the many villains from this film.

Crow Daddy - Kyle Maclachlan

- Oh Kyle...not only is he one of my all time favorite actors, he's just screaming to be featured in a Stephen King film. Crow Daddy is yet another member of The True Knot, and Rose The Hat's lover and long-term boyfriend. He's a tough mean bastard, and I think after we all witnessed Kyle as Mr. C in Twin Peaks The Return, we know for a fact he could pull this off perfectly. Also is it just me or does Kyle totally need to have that long hair again in this part? What? Just me? 

Snakebite Andi - Chloe Sevigny

- One of the newest members in The True Knot. Snakebite Andi holds special powers, and is shown in the novel as cycing which is the way The True Knot becomes immortal. I'm not sure if age will be a factor here, but I feel a strong actress like Chloe would rule. The more talented actors and actresses, the better! 

Abra - Chiara Aurelia 

- She was AMAZING in Gerald's Game, and even though she's a little older, I think she would really be a strong enough actress to play Abra. The young girl who's connected to Danny, and is the target to The True Knot. Since birth she's held special powers, and accidentally reveals her powers to Rose who sets after her to save her family. Abra is a spit-fire, but very very powerful, and helps Danny fight against them. Even if she is too old, I know a lot of this movie working will be getting the casting right for this role.

So what are your choices? Let me know!

Until then, let's keep our fingers crossed for Eamon Farren as Victor Passcow in the Pet Sematary remake!