The prequel to the hugely successful horror masterpiece, The Shining, seems to be moving forward. In a recent interview with Collider, James Vanderbilt discussed his vision as producer and why he has Mark Romanek directing the film.
Like Kubrick, Romanek is a director with what some would call a very strong vision, which has led him to part ways with certain projects in the past. Romanek however seems to take this as a positive as he talked excitedly about the upcoming film.
You want a real filmmaker like Mark doing it—... Honestly I think people will really be excited about it, because it's not like '20 Years Before The Shining!'. I don't want to give too much away about the story but the way [screenwriter] Glen [Mazzara] cracked it and the way Mark has sort of cracked it, it's completely it's own film, which I think is super smart. It's not like, —When Scatman Crothers was young, he—...' it's not that.
He continues,
One of the things that's amazing about [Mark] is that he's a strong filmmaker with his own convictions, and Mark is gonna make the movie Mark is gonna make—... I think there's something wonderful about a director who says, —No, this is the film.' Fincher was the same way. It's like, —This is the movie I wanna make. If you don't wanna make that movie, that's totally cool, then we won't make the movie.' And now as someone who's directed a film, that's kinda what you want. You want the captain of the ship to be like, —I know what the film is, I know how to make it, let's go do it.'
Romanek has not directed a film since 2010’s Never Let Me Go after leaving the set of Cinderella due to “creative differences.”
Watch the interview with Collider here:
Now most of us know that King was not a big fan of Kubrick’s adaptation, although the film itself was a huge success. This is primarily due to the fact that Kubrick changed too much of the story for King’s liking. Don’t believe me? Watch this little clip and see for your self.
Now I can see you thinking to yourself: “But where are they getting the story for the prequel?” If you weren’t thinking that then you should have been and I did you a favour by bringing it up. Shame on you. Apparently the story for the new movie will be taken from the unpublished prologue from the original 1977 novel.
—...the film will tell the origin story of the Overlook Hotel through the eyes of its first owner, Bob T. Watson. A robber baron at the turn of the 20th century, Watson scaled the remote peaks of the Colorado Rockies to build the grandest resort in America, and a place he and his family would also call home.
What do you think? Do you think a prequel is necessary? Is this a genuine attempt at another great horror masterpiece? Or is this just a chance to make some easy money off the popularity of one of the all time classics? I personally tend to side with those that think the latter, but as always I will try to reserve judgement until after I have seen the movie. Now and again movies do pleasantly surprise. Let us hope that this will be one of those occasions.
