I wouldn't be surprised if it's something like Bates Motel where they do their own thing.
I wouldn't be surprised if it's something like Bates Motel where they do their own thing.
A hound will die for you, but never lie to you. And he'll look you straight in the face.
My Collection
My guess is that it won't be, sadly. This prequel is obviously happening only because Warner Bros. has the rights to do one, based on whatever the original deal for The Shining was. However, since "Before the Play" is not technically a part of The Shining, I seriously doubt that Warner Bros. has any rights to it whatsoever. That's just an educated guess, of course, but it seems logical to me.
Love this news!
From King's recent interview with EW:
There has recently been talk of a movie prequel to The Shining. It’s based on material cut from your novel, about the early history of the Overlook. Warner Bros, which made Kubrick’s film, has been exploring whether there’s another movie in it. How do you feel about that?
There’s a real question about whether or not they have the rights to ‘Before the Play,’ which was the prologue cut from the book — because the epilogue to the book was called ‘After the Play.’ So they were bookends, and there was really scary stuff in that prologue that wouldn’t make a bad movie. Am I eager to see that happen? No I am not. And there’s some real question about what rights Warner Bros. does still have. The Shining is such an old book now that the copyright comes back to me. Arguably, the film rights lapse — so we’ll see. We’re looking into that. I’m not saying I would put a stop to the project, because I’m sort of a nice guy. When I was a kid, my mother said, ‘Stephen if you were a girl, you’d always be pregnant.’ I have a tendency to let people develop things. I’m always curious to see what will happen. But you know what? I would be just as happy if it didn’t happen.
Author of The Road to the Dark Tower, Stephen King: A Complete Exploration of His Work, Life, and Influences and The Dark Tower Companion. Co-editor with Stephen King of the anthology Flight or Fright.
I'd be curious to know what sort of influence Kubrick's estate will try to exert over this project. I'm sure they won't just be sitting there with no interest.
It's probably a complicated situation. What was the nature of Kubrick's reversion that allowed King to do the TV miniseries? Since Before the Play was never part of The Shining, has King actually sold those rights? I'm glad I don't have to sort that all out.
Author of The Road to the Dark Tower, Stephen King: A Complete Exploration of His Work, Life, and Influences and The Dark Tower Companion. Co-editor with Stephen King of the anthology Flight or Fright.
Wow, he's kinda nonchalant about the whole thing, isn't he? lol
I think he said King couldn't release it on VHS in the US (which is why it was only available in the UK). Although I imagine DVDs weren't in the contract. Also it could only be shown once until a certain time which is why it took so long for it to be re-aired after the initial release. This is just me speaking from memory, though.
Also per Wikipedia (which cites a George Beahm book) "In order to receive Kubrick's approval to re-adapt The Shining into a program closer to the original story, King had to agree in writing to eschew his frequent public criticism of Kubrick's film, save for the sole commentary that he was disappointed with Jack Nicholson's portrayal of Jack Torrance as though he had been insane before his arrival at the Overlook Hotel."
A hound will die for you, but never lie to you. And he'll look you straight in the face.
My Collection
Please correct me if I am wrong (and I'm probably "off" at least a little anyway), but didn't the Kubrick rights have to expire in order for King to do the TV mini-series of "The Shining"? As I recall, he was never too happy with Kubrick's version despite it's success, which was a partial motivation for the TV version. Also, again as I recall, didn't King have a credit as a producer for that production?
If, the above is even partially correct, then the rights to anything "Shining-related" should currently reside with Mr. King I would think as referenced in the Q & A posted.
28 in 23 (?)!!!!
63 in '23!!!!!!!!!!
My Collection: https://www.thedarktower.org/palaver...ion-Merlin1958
The Houston Astros cheated Major League Baseball from 2017-18!!!! Is that how we teach our kids to play the game now?????
Well, Merlin, I can't say for sure. (Obviously.) But I suspect that Kubrick's estate retains whatever their share of the rights were originally. Kubrick didn't work for hire post-Spartacus, and the only way his estate would not retain control of some sort would be if he'd directed The Shining as a director-for-hire, which he definitely did not do.
I have a vague memory of reading an interview -- or, possibly, hearing someone on the miniseries' commentary track -- mention the specifics of how and why Kubrick gave King and Garris permission to make the miniseries. But since my memory is so vague that I can't immediately research it and verify whether this memory is true or not, I'm going to not say what my memory actually is. I'll do a little digging around and see if I can turn anything up.
Either way, it seems likely that unless Kubrick's estate sold some rights off after his passing, they must still have some sort of a say in all of this.
Alright, I found something: the April 26, 1997 issue of TV Guide included an article about the making of the miniseries, and here's a quote from it:
"King declines to discuss this. [This is a reference to what King wanted to do differently compared to the Kubrick film] In order to get the rights to the remake, he had to sign an agreement with Kubrick promising that he would keep his mouth shut. 'If I say anything about it, I'm in trouble,' King says."
The way that reads to me is that Kubrick agreed to give King the rights to write and film a television remake, provided that King would stop bad-mouthing the movie. Kubrick certainly didn't sell him the rights to the film outright; instead, he seems to have leased them...and seemingly in exchange for a mere promise! That's just my interpretation of what is said here, but it's an interpretation that would fit the personalities of the men involved.
Now, how any of that impacts a potential prequel, and how Warner Bros. fits into the scheme of things ... ya got me.
http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=14515
Mark Romanek will direct a prequel to Stanley Kubrick's classic horror film The Shining. The upcoming film, which is currently titled Overlook Hotel, will be distributed by Warner Brothers.
Glen Mazzara (The Walking) has already submitted a script for the prequel. Brad Fischer, James Vanderbilt and Laeta Kalogridis will produce it.
According to Variety, which broke the news today, the prequel 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."
More importantly...
Based on Stephen King’s original prologue to “The Shining,” which was cut from the book prior to publication in 1977, the film will tell the origin story of the Overlook Hotel through the eyes of its first owner, Bob T. Watson.
So, we will be getting the full version of, Grady' story and maybe a few murders. Cool
28 in 23 (?)!!!!
63 in '23!!!!!!!!!!
My Collection: https://www.thedarktower.org/palaver...ion-Merlin1958
The Houston Astros cheated Major League Baseball from 2017-18!!!! Is that how we teach our kids to play the game now?????
I just hope they have more respect for King's material than Kubrick's changes in case they want to tie this prequel into the current timeline. No maze. Topiary hedge animals, etc...If the film shows the construction of the hotel and we see the maze there I'll be very disappointed.
Since it's described as "a prequel to Stanley Kubrick's classic horror film," I think you should expect a maze.
Author of The Road to the Dark Tower, Stephen King: A Complete Exploration of His Work, Life, and Influences and The Dark Tower Companion. Co-editor with Stephen King of the anthology Flight or Fright.
The recent Carrie was described as a re-imagining of the DePalma classic. Clearly it wasn't. The same screenwriter adapted the book again.
They will use any tactic to grab people. Besides, how else could you describe a film prequel for The Shining? The book was adapted twice and now a prequel is being made. You'd almost have to mention the Kubrick film or it would seem odd.
If the filmmakers are fans of the film then I can see them inter-weaving the two, otherwise, I'm guessing it'll be 'Before The Play' leading into Grady with the girls.
I really liked the topiary animals in the mini-series except for the overhead CGI shot. I'd like to see someone else's interpretation of the topiary. Not a lame maze.
I almost always have been disappointed in movies based on King's works. I don't have much trust in this one.
John
Here is an interesting reading about the CARRIE movie that was supposed to be different from just the remake we got
>>> http://talkstephenking.blogspot.fr/2...to-carrie.html
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CLUB STEPHEN KING (french website about STEPHEN KING, since 1992) : on : Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
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I'm imagining something similar to The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer mixed with good looking teenagers and as much sex as WB can air.
"That which you think, becomes your world" Matheson
This is a feature, not television.
Author of The Road to the Dark Tower, Stephen King: A Complete Exploration of His Work, Life, and Influences and The Dark Tower Companion. Co-editor with Stephen King of the anthology Flight or Fright.
That certainly changes things
Not sure how I missed that point earlier.
"That which you think, becomes your world" Matheson
Anyone hearing any news on this?
"That which you think, becomes your world" Matheson
Screenwriter James Vanderbilt discussed the status of the Shining prequel (which he’s producing), titled Overlook Hotel, explaining how it’s not the kind of movie people might be expecting:
“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.”
>>> Source
Author of The Road to the Dark Tower, Stephen King: A Complete Exploration of His Work, Life, and Influences and The Dark Tower Companion. Co-editor with Stephen King of the anthology Flight or Fright.