Even though it was more than half a decade ago, there are many that still wonder about filmmaker Mark Romanek’s proposed prequel to “The Shining,” titled “The Overlook Hotel.” With Stephen King properties being a hot commodity over the last few years, and “Doctor Sleep” being released in 2019, now seems like the perfect time to work on the film, right? Well, according to a new interview with the filmmaker, “The Overlook Hotel” might have been a great film, but it isn’t likely to ever get made.
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When asked by Collider if the proposed prequel to “The Shining” is likely going to remain on the shelf, Romanek replied, “It seems so. I mean, it’s a great script I think, it was based on a prologue to the novel that Stephen King wrote and then that prologue was cut for length. And so it’s based on Stephen King. It’s not just something somebody made up, and it’s more of an origin story on the, almost like a Western or a wilderness story, going back to the construction and the desecration of the Indian burial grounds, and the construction of the Overlook Hotel and to its meaning to its opening night.”
As for how far along development went on “The Overlook Hotel,” it appears that a script was completely finished and ready to go. However, due to the box office reception of another recent ‘Shining’ franchise film, Romanek’s potential film isn’t currently being worked on any longer.
“Actually we wrote the script, it’s a really great script,” he explained. “The problem is it’s really expensive, it kind of reads like ‘The Revenant’ or ‘Heaven’s Gate’ or something and I think they wanted to try ‘Doctor Sleep’ to see if—my impression is they wanted to see if there was this sort of ‘Shining’ universe that would have financial life through them or artistic life with the audience. And I think ‘Doctor Sleep’ did just sort of okay, and given that our script is so costly, it’s a little dead in the water right now. But you never know, it’s a weird business. It’s a very good script. I’m proud of the script.”
Of course, since it’s release, particularly on Blu-ray, “Doctor Sleep” has found an audience that thinks it’s one of the best films of 2019. However, many of those people skipped the film when it was in theaters. And sadly, with how Hollywood studios work in 2020, if box office receipts don’t indicate popularity, it’s unlikely that sequels/prequels/spin-offs are in the cards.
For that reason, “The Overlook Hotel” seems destined to remain on ice.
