That's what made him let us do this whole thing, was that moment.” “That was the pitch to Stephen King that won him over -Dan and Jack sit over a glass of whiskey and chat. It was actually critical to getting the approval of the book’s author, even though this scene wasn’t in his novel, who disliked Kubrick’s film and wasn’t sure he wanted the movie to replicate any of it.

But I thought the scene was too important.” “There was trepidation about including that scene in the finished film all the way up to it, we locked the cut. I think people are going to have really strong opinions,” Flanagan said. “I think it's the most controversial scene in the movie. Meanwhile, his father is trying to lure him into the hotel’s grasp. The tension of Dan’s encounter with his father’s spirit is in the younger man trying to conjure some humanity out him, to break through the facade and awaken or recover some of his old identity. If he had anything bad to say about it, I never heard it.” But he offered his support and wished us the best and was aware of everything we were doing. I think he's serious about his retirement. There were initial things where I had been curious about whether or not he wanted any participation in the film whatsoever, in a cameo, any capacity, but he declined. Kubrick’s estate signed off on Doctor Sleep, but did Nicholson provide his blessing? “He was aware we were doing it,” Flanagan said. But for me it was like, no, I really think it's got to be Henry, and we'll do what we can with his look to help point us toward Jack.” At one point it was like, ‘What if you find a Nicholson impersonator?’ What if Christian Slater does it? People always compare the two of them anyway. “There were ideas to try to really stunt cast it with big names who reminded people of Nicholson or were associated with Nicholson.

“There's no other actor I would have trusted with it,” the director added. “He said, ‘Look, you're leading with your chin here to get hit for stepping into Kubrick's shadow.’ He's like, ‘Let me go with you and I'll slip into Jack's and we'll go down together.’” “I let him think about it, and Henry went off and thought about it overnight, and called me back the next day,” Flanagan recalled.

That part was Jack Torrance or whatever remains of him in the Overlook Hotel. The other - it's only one day but holy shit, man, you're going to be under enormous scrutiny.” “One is Billy, the best friend, and you've played that part before. “Talking to Henry about it I was like, look, there are really two places that I could see you really working,” Flanagan said. At first, he considered casting Thomas as Billy Freeman, Dan Torrance’s sober buddy, which Cliff Curtis ended up playing.

Thomas has become a staple of Flanagan’s films and TV projects, often playing unsettling fathers, from Hill House to Gerald’s Game. Yes - that Henry Thomas, the little boy from E.T.

The shining and doctor sleep