Overlook (The Shining prequel TV show developed by J.J. Abrams)

[Edmilson 7,473]

Any The Shining (book and/or movie) fans here? A prequel TV show is on its way to HBO Max.

 

Quote

The Shining TV Series From JJ Abrams In Development for HBO Max

JJ Abrams is developing a TV series spin-off of Stephen King's The Shining for HBO Max, reportedly alongside Castle Rock co-creator Dustin Thomason.

HBO Max greenlights Overlook, a spin-off of Stephen King's The Shining, from JJ Abrams' Bad Robot Productions. Abrams and Bad Robot are no strangers to the macabre universe of Stephen King; they previously collaborated with Warner Bros. Television on Castle Rock for Hulu. Castle Rock, which ran for two seasons, was an anthology show set in King's fictional Maine town of the same name.

The Shining is one of King's most popular titles, having already been adapted into a feature film, TV mini-series, and getting a sequel novel, Dr. Sleep (which was also adapted into a feature film). The most famous adaptation of King's novel came from Stanley Kubrick in 1980 and starred Jack Nicholson as Jack Torrence. Like the book, the film follows Torrence and his family (wife, Wendy, and son, Danny) during their time as the off-season caretakers of the Overlook Hotel in Colorado. The Overlook ends up being haunted by a multitude of ghosts, including the previous caretaker who killed himself and his family. Jack is slowly driven insane, eventually trying to murder Wendy and Danny. They escape, but Jack dies. Years later, King released Dr. Sleep, which followed a grown-up Danny Torrence struggling with addiction issues and PTSD leftover from his time at the Overlook.

Deadline reports HBO Max will team up with Abrams and Bad Robot to bring Overlook to the brand new streaming service. Reportedly, the series will take an approach similar to A&E's Bates Motel, which served as a prequel to the horror film Psycho. Deadline further reports that Castle Rock co-creator/executive producer Dustin Thomason and co-executive producer Scott Brown are "in negotiations" to write the new series.

 

https://screenrant.com/shining-tv-series-overlook-jj-abrams-hbo-max/

[Smeltington 1,441]

Kill it with fire!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Love the Kubrick film, of course.

[crumbs 14,319]

Uh, does someone wanna tap this guy on the shoulder and remind him it's okay to develop original properties rather than piggyback off the success of other filmmakers all the time?

[Oomoog the Ecstatic 314]

With the coronavirus going around it's not okay to tap him.

 

I'm very excited for this personally. The Shining is probably in my Top 10.

[Edmilson 7,473]

36 minutes ago, crumbs said:

Uh, does someone wanna tap this guy on the shoulder and remind him it's okay to develop original properties rather than piggyback off the success of other filmmakers all the time?

 

On the beginning of his career he actually cared about developing original properties, such as Alias, Lost. But since his new attempts at franchises didn't attract that same level of success, he decided it was just more lucrative to focus on big, known properties.

 

Just take a look at his IMDB page and you'll find lots of failed TV shows that didn't pass the first season. 

[Disco Stu 15,495]

JJ is cancer

[Thor 7,520]

Big fan of novel and original film, less enthused by other things I've seen since then, like the miniseries or the new DOCTOR SLEEP. So consider me skeptical, but open to this.

[Jurassic Shark 12,091]

6 hours ago, Edmilson said:

But since his new attempts at franchises didn't attract that same level of success, he decided it was just more lucrative to focus on big, known properties.

 

How much money does he really need? I'm sure he's set for life after the SW prequels.

 

6 hours ago, Edmilson said:

Just take a look at his IMDB page and you'll find lots of failed TV shows that didn't pass the first season. 

 

Lost should have been one of them.

[Oomoog the Ecstatic 314]

14 minutes ago, Jurassic Shark said:

 

How much money does he really need? I'm sure he's set for life after the SW prequels.

 

If they require someone else to do it, they'll be risking artistic freedom.

[Smeltington 1,441]

What would be a good use of JJ Abrams? He's clearly very talented in some ways. But lacking in others. Trying to think what kind of project I would want to see him do. Maybe he just needs to direct someone else's script, one with more meat on the bone?

[A24 4,346]

1 hour ago, Smeltington said:

 He's clearly very talented in some ways.

 

What makes you say that? His movies or his success?

[Jurassic Shark 12,091]

He's very good at downplaying his role in Lost.

[Smeltington 1,441]

I'd say he's good at working with actors, for one thing. And his movies are usually fun while you're watching. It's just frustrating that they don't amount to anything more than that.

 

A show about the Overlook hotel would be unfortunately a perfect opportunity for "mystery box" JJ to spread his wings. Come to think of it, as much as I love the Kubrick film, it does have a slight whiff of that already. I don't feel the climax of the film quite delivers on the sense of anticipation that the rest of the film creates.

[Jurassic Shark 12,091]

Cue "escapism" debate.

Paging @Thor!

[A24 4,346]

 

1 minute ago, Smeltington said:

 And his movies are usually fun while you're watching. It's just frustrating that they don't amount to anything more than that.

 

My feelings exactly when I watched his Star Trek movies. Entertaining while you're watching but ultimately his movies are like a flash in the pan.

 

I could not watch more than 10 minutes of the latest Star Wars though ...

[Thor 7,520]

Abrams is hit and miss, but he most definitely has a visual style (even beyond lens flares), and that's my main attraction to directors. That being said, I don't want him anywhere NEAR a SHINING/King adaptation. Needs someone more raw. Flannagan was an ideal choice in that respect (for DOCTOR SLEEP), but maybe the big studio budget and 'suits' bogged him down, I don't know. It was far removed from his previous, great work in film and TV. Maybe someone like Ari Aster? I'm not as big a fan as everyone else, but he would definitely make an interesting choice for this.

[Smeltington 1,441]

I'd watch it for sure if Aster did it. He would bring some more weight to the proceedings. But I'd just as soon have him do something original. Might as well throw away JJ on a throwaway show like this one.

[A24 4,346]

Or Jordan Peele ...

 

[Edmilson 7,473]

Aster would be an interesting choice indeed.

 

On Abrams' hands, it'll be another "mystery box" show, with lots of enigmas that won't get solved because the show will be canceled before that.

 

Or does anyone remember this amazing piece of television?

 

 

[Thor 7,520]

If we're doing lists on who we'd like to see tackle SHINING and/or King, I have some names. Flanagan was one of them, but he's now done it. Others (beyond Aster) would be Neil Marshall, Leigh Whannell, Alex Garland (probably not sci fi enough for him, though), Trey Edward Shults, Jonathan Glazer, Gareth Edwards, David Robert Mitchell, Andy Muschietti, Bong Jong-ho, Ana Lily Amirpour etc. etc. And those are just some new genre 'hot shots'. The mind boggles at what a Denis Villeneuve could do in this kind of crossover territory, for example. The list goes on.

[Smeltington 1,441]

1 hour ago, Edmilson said:

with lots of enigmas that won't get solved because the show will be canceled before that.

 

JJ probably prays for these shows to get canceled, lol. Because the answer to all the questions is that there is no answer.

[Jurassic Shark 12,091]

Just now, Smeltington said:

 

JJ probably prays for these shows to get canceled, lol. Because the answer to all the questions is that there is no answer.

 

It was all a dream.

[Smeltington 1,441]

The Hurley bird did it!

[Koray Savas 2,251]

Hey they answered that!

[Jurassic Shark 12,091]

Animal testing?