Jocelin Donahue, known for her role in Doctor Sleep, unveiled the abandoned narrative plans for the sequel to the Stephen King adaptation. Donahue, who portrayed Lucy Stone in the film, shed light on the discussions surrounding the sequel's storyline, hinting at a departure from the original movie's narrative choices.

The canceled sequel aimed to delve into the contentious plotline from Stephen King's 2013 novel of the same name, a departure from the approach taken in the initial film adaptation. Released in 2019, Doctor Sleep garnered critical acclaim for exploring Danny Torrance's tumultuous journey, portrayed by Ewan McGregor, but fell short of expectations at the box office. Donahue's insights into the sequel's development hinted at a significant focus on the character of Abra, portrayed by Kyleigh Curran, who possesses extraordinary psychic abilities. The actress expressed admiration for Curran's performance and opened up about the potential to explore her character's untold family history, which remained largely unexplored in the original movie.

Quoting Donahue's remarks from the interview with Screen Rant, she stated, "We definitely talked about the book a lot, and of course, with my character, there's a lot more family history that wasn't explored yet. So, if it ever does come about, I think it would be a super interesting story to tell, for sure."

"There's a lot more family history that wasn't explored yet."

She added, “And I think Abra's character just, Kyleigh did such a great job with that role, and I'd love to see her continue that story, as well. You can't control the timing of everything when something comes out. But what feels good is when something sticks around, and has legs, and people come back to it, or people hear about it, it's still out there for people to discover. And you never know, maybe it will turn into more future projects.”

Director Mike Flanagan's adaptation of Doctor Sleep uniquely bridged King's novel and Stanley Kubrick's iconic film, The Shining resulting in alterations to the source material. Notably, the sequel would have further expanded on the Torrance family's lineage, establishing a deeper connection between Danny and Abra. The changes sparked debate among critics, with some purists lamenting deviations from King's original narrative, while others applauded the changes for enriching character dynamics and thematic depth. The sequel's cancellation leaves lingering questions about the untapped potential of King's universe on the big screen.

In Doctor Sleep, McGregor portrays Dan Torrance, a man grappling with psychic abilities and battling alcoholism, haunted by the traumatic events of his childhood at the infamous Overlook Hotel. Joining McGregor are Rebecca Ferguson, Kyliegh Curran, and Cliff Curtis, each playing pivotal roles as new characters in the story. Abra Stone and Billy Freeman, portrayed by Curran and Curtis respectively, unite with Dan in a mission to confront Rose the Hat and her sinister followers.

Doctor Sleep Didn't Meet Box Office Expectations

Despite high anticipation, Doctor Sleep fell short of box office expectations, grossing $72.3 million worldwide against a budget estimated at $45–55 million. This performance was notably below the success of other Stephen King adaptations released in 2019, such as Pet Sematary. The film's financial outcome sparked discussions about its reception among audiences compared to its literary and cinematic counterparts.

Source: Screen Rant