The Shining Remake- Should It Happen?

[Aesop Rocks]

No, this isn't a news thread (unless it turns out there is one then we can turn it into a news thread), this is simply just a "what if?" thread. Being a fan of the original movie and the ABC Mini-series, I also know that there is a rift in the fanbase, between the book, movie, and, mini-series. People saying that the movie was a terrible adaptation to the movie, that the leading lady was probably the wost person for the job - things like that. I really wouldn't know, I can't find the book any where to read but, I guess the wife was supposed to a completely different character than we saw in the film, better portrayed in the mini-series among various other complaints.

Well, this is sadly the season of the remake and alll of our beloved 70's and 80's movies are being remade and ruined (for the most part) by people that want to do their take on a franchise (Jason, Freddy, Texas Chain Saw) or a single iconic horror film (Last House, Alien, Thing...) and it was only a matter of time before someone decided to jump into one of the scariest movies ever made, "The Shining". This is a thread for what we would like to see changed, who we would like to see portray the characters, who we would like to write the script and how faithful and what they should change, take out, add or re-adjust from the first film and, who we would like to sew direct it.

For me, I'm going to start with the cast:

Jack Torrance:
Sam Rockwell

For me, Sam Rockwell would be an amazing Jack and what proved it was his amazing sinister role in The Green Mile and his caring, protective humble role as Charley Ford in The Assassination of Jesse James.
I think Rockwell has the perfect Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde aspect to in him, which would be perfect for a role like this, especially with that happens too Jack throughout the movie.

Wendy Torrance:
Evangeline Lilly

Now, I'm not too keen on the characteristic of Wendy Torrance but, from what I read, the original movie completely screwed her up. Looks and overall portrayal. I guess Wendy is supposed to gorgeous and well, Shelly Devall....lol. I like Evangeline Lilly for A LOT of things, same for Sam Rockwell. But, I also have good reason, they're both great actors. Evangeline Lilly is best known for "Kate" the fugitive eye candy on ABC's LOST but she's also one of the better actors on that cast. I could just see the infamous "Here's Johnny!" scene being amazing and completely believable and terrifying with her and Rockwell.

This is where I go ultra fanboy and might get everyone even more pissed off at me. Oh well, this is dream casting.

Danny Torrance:

TBA.

 

[Solidus]

Ehhh doing Danny is older to me completely just throws out what The Shining was about, maybe for "future Danny/Tony" yes. But Danny is a young boy, changing that would not be good IMO.

What I would rather see more so, is an HBO miniseries of The Stand, that is what this thread should be about too

But I just think Anton is wonderful, but just because an actor is liked does not mean you have to change the whole story just to fit him in. I mean the kid from "The Road" was amazing as hell.

EDIT: One more thing. I love the book, and I love Kubrick's version. In reality they are two very different things, and Kubrick was not going for more so of an adaptation but more so an alteration on a different theme. I love Kubrick, and who he picked for Wendy but in his view. I too would like to see a movie done, based off of the book, more so as well. But I'll always love Kubrick's version as well.

 

[Dark Victory]

The idea of an older Danny is an incredibly bad idea, one that doesn't honor the book or Kubrick's adaption at all. Not to mention a good amount of changes would have to be made, which would probably bring the quality of the script down since the book and film's execution of Danny and his role in the family is so ****ing brilliant. To sum it up, we don't need another adaption. The film obviously isn't as faithful to the book as some huge fans would like, but it's one of the few adaptions that I prefer over the source material. We really don't need another one, espeically after the tv miniseries.

 

[Aesop Rocks]

I like his version a lot too. And I just chose Yelchin because I can't really think of any child actors. Because I hate them all.

 

[Solidus]

I like his version a lot too. And I just chose Yelchin because I can't really think of any child actors. Because I hate them all.

I see nothing wrong with another adaptation. The miniseries I thought of The Shining was bad, made for TV makes things just not as scary as they should/could be.

But I don't hate all child actors, yea there are a lot of bad ones, but like I said again, the kid from "The Road" was amazing, and you can find good child actors its just very hard to do.

 

[Dark Victory]

I see nothing wrong with another adaptation. The miniseries I thought of The Shining was bad, made for TV makes things just not as scary as they should/could be.

But I don't hate all child actors, yea there are a lot of bad ones, but like I said again, the kid from "The Road" was amazing, and you can find good child actors its just very hard to do.

He definitely left an impression on me, too. It's sad that kids like Zack and Cody get more fame than others.

 

[Solidus]

He definitely left an impression on me, too. It's sad that kids like Zack and Cody get more fame than others.

Agreed.

And like I said before I'd rather have "The Stand" (my fav from King) made into an HBO miniseries. 10 parts, an hour long each. Have Frank Darabont produce or have something to do with it, since his King adapations have been 3/3 for me of a job well done.

I know he's doing The Long Walk soon, which sounds great. I am an "prior to 96 King fan" I love a lot of his work. But "The Stand" to me would be just awesome to do. I tire of these things being done on cable, let HBO do them cuz we all know King's stuff is pretty much all R material.

 

[Aesop Rocks]

But I don't hate all child actors, yea there are a lot of bad ones, but like I said again, the kid from "The Road" was amazing, and you can find good child actors its just very hard to do.

I have yet to see "The Road" and I feel like crap not being able too. It sucks I actually forgotten that kid, from the trailer he looked pretty good and I've heard that he was good in the film. I'd much rather have him over Yelchin, now that I think of it, to be honest.

 

[Solidus]

I have yet to see "The Road" and I feel like crap not being able too. It sucks I actually forgotten that kid, from the trailer he looked pretty good and I've heard that he was good in the film. I'd much rather have him over Yelchin, now that I think of it, to be honest.

He brought tears to my eyes, I thought he brought "the boy" to life from the book. He was really good.

 

[Aesop Rocks]

RT (as much as I don't like the site) said he and Viggo were the best parts about the movie.

 

[danoyse]

An adult Danny would make no sense whatsoever. The only reason they were still together was because they had a child - even though Jack knew Wendy never forgave him for breaking his arm and for basically ruining their lives with his other drunken missteps. It's what the spirits in the hotel drove into him so he would go over the edge and after them in the end.

The book was as much about alcoholism as it was about a haunted hotel. The fact that they had a 5-year-old in the middle of it was important to the story.

The hotel never wanted Jack, it wanted Danny for his power, so it used Jack to get to him. In the book it was Danny that faced off Jack at the end - he was described at just being "barely 2 years out of diapers" but he stared down Jack as he came at him with the roque mallet about to kill him saying "You're not my daddy." It was a great scene in the book.

I'm torn about a remake. I think it's freakishly good horror movie, but it's a terrible adapation of one of Stephen King's best books. Seriously, it's the only book I've ever read that made me jump.

I would love to see another take on it that's closer to the book - at least one that gets the hedge animals right. They weren't even that good in the TV movie.

 

[Aesop Rocks]

Yeah, I realized that too late about Danny, lol.

Would the kid from The Road be a good fit?

 

[danoyse]

Yeah, I realized that too late about Danny, lol.

Would the kid from The Road be a good fit?

No, he's too old now. Danny was 5. Obviously finding a 5-year-old to play the role would be difficult, but it would at least have to be a kid under 10 to make it believable.

I thought Danny Lloyd did a great job in the original film, and I think he was 6/7 at the time - apparently he was not told that it was a horror film at any point during the shooting.

 

[Solidus]

No, he's too old now. Danny was 5. Obviously finding a 5-year-old to play the role would be difficult, but it would at least have to be a kid under 10 to make it believable.

I thought Danny Lloyd did a great job in the original film, and I think he was 6/7 at the time - apparently he was not told that it was a horror film at any point during the shooting.

Yea they would need some one younger. But it can work, I think its not always the child themselves, its sometimes I think directors don't know how to work with them. Kubrick sure did a good job with Danny Lloyd, he was great in the original.

And to add to what you said earlier, I always saw Kubrick's The Shining as an alteration, not so much of an adaptation. The book was more about alcoholism, while Kubrick went more along the themes of insanity, and the abyss with in.

I would not mind seeing a remake of The Stand and The Shining, and actually quite a few King books, because very few of them IMO were adapted the best. Some were, like Carrie, The Dead Zone, The Mist, The Green Mile, The Shawshank Redemption, Stand by Me, Misery. But a lot of the others I felt could have used much better adaptations. Christine could have been much better as well.

 

[Laderlappen]

No there shouldnt be a remake!!!!!!!!! The original is as perfect as it could be.

And there is nothing wrong with Shelley Duvall's performance. It was a nothing character but Duvall did alot with it and turned in a great performance. But I know its a love/hate performance. Partly because people dont like her looks.

 

[Solidus]

No there shouldnt be a remake!!!!!!!!! The original is as perfect as it could be.

And there is nothing wrong with Shelley Duvall's performance. It was a nothing character but Duvall did alot with it and turned in a great performance. But I know its a love/hate performance. Partly because people dont like her looks.

Though the original is wonderful I do agree with this. It was not a faithful adaptation. And King was always pissed about it. Even though Kubrick was wonderful and made a masterpiece. I would like to see King's book faithfully adapted as well, because it too is a masterpiece. Not as good as The Stand but it was a wonderful book. The themes of Kubrick and King were completely different, and the focus was way different, so I would like to see a faithful adaptation because the book is wonderful too.

 

[-Arya-]

Short answer: No

 

[Kurosawa]

Absolutely not. The movie is way better than the book, imo, and any attempt at a faithful adaptation will pale next to it.

 

[Majik1387]

It's already happened. With the guy from Wings and Rebecca De Mornay

 

[Solidus]

It's already happened. With the guy from Wings and Rebecca De Mornay

Yea he mentioned that, and that is why he's saying a "good" remake, because that one was terrible.

The thing is, yes Kubrick's is great. But since I read the book first, the book was just as incredible, and completely different then Kubricks. So yea I think the should make a faithful adaptation to the book, but do it well. Kubrick's is a masterpiece, but it truly is not a full adaptation, just a slight one with more of Kubrick's ideas for themes. But of course I'm repeating myself here.

And the made for TV one's just I dunno when you try to make a King book into a PG movie it loses a lot. I think HBO should do some of King's work, so there would be no restrictions. Especially for "The Stand". But that's me.

 

[Sawyer]

I'll pass, thank you. It wasnt awfully true to the book, but it made a damn good movie. If there's any Stephen King book that I absolutely yearn to see on the big screen, it's The Stand. A two-movie event should do it. I'd love to see Salem's Lot on the big screen as well. Give the world some good vampires, since Twilight has essentially dragged their good name through the mud.

 

[Aesop Rocks]

Wasn't Salem's Lot already turned into a film?

 

[Sawyer]

Wasn't Salem's Lot already turned into a film?

A TV movie in the 70s, a few years after the book.

There was also one a few years ago, made for TV. Not very good, frankly. Though, the casting of Rutger Hauer and James Cromwell was great.

 

[danoyse]

Wasn't Salem's Lot already turned into a film?

Twice, and they got it wrong both times. That's a movie that needs a good remake, and with the whole vampire craze I'm surprised there's no remake in the works. My favorite Stephen King book.

 

[Sawyer]

I'd say though, I love the casting of Cromwell for Father Callahan so much, I might be okay with them casting him in the role again, if someone good ever gives Salems Lot another go.