Watch the trailer for the long-awaited sequel to The Shining: Doctor Sleep

It's been almost 40 years since the iconic horror movie The Shining was released, and now a sequel is on its way to give us the heebie-jeebies all over again.

Doctor Sleep is based on the book of the same name, which Steven King released back in 2013. The story picks up 4 decades after the events of little Danny Torrance's terrifying stay at the Overlook Hotel.  

The film was written and directed by Mike Flanagan, who also created and directed the critically acclaimed Netflix series The Haunting of Hill House, so it's pretty set to be a goodie.

Flanagan says the film is a continuation of King's books, rather than the Stanley Kubric-directed film, but it does pay homage to the 1980's cinema classic.

"Yeah, I think you do have to acknowledge [the original movie]. There is no version of the world where I am trying not to acknowledge one of the greatest films ever made.

"There's no upside in shying away from that reality," he said.

"At the same time, this is not The Shining. It's its own story and in a very specific way. If you've read the book, you know exactly why it's so different but it's quite a tightrope that we're walking, I think."

"I'm having a great time doing it. I'm just going to get the movie out and then turn off the internet for two weeks and see how it all goes."

The trailer for Doctor Sleep references some of the iconic scenes from the original movie, including the hotel lobby flooding with blood and Danny Torrance's spine-chilling "red rum" chant.

The final frame shows Ewan McGregor, who plays an adult Torrance, peering through a jagged hole in a door - mimicking the iconic image of Jack Nicholson's "here's Johnny" moment from the first film.

George FM/Newshub. 

Contact Newshub with your story tips:
news@newshub.co.nz