HBO India recently revealed that Stephen King's "Doctor Sleep" is all set to premiere on October 31 at 9PM as a Halloween treat for movie buffs.
"Doctor Sleep" is based on Stephen King's 2013 novel of the same name, which is a sequel to King's 1977 novel "The Shining". "Doctor Sleep", set several decades after the events of "The Shining", combines elements of the 1977 novel and its 1980 film adaptation of the same name, directed by Stanley Kubrick.
"Doctor Sleep" begins as Danny Torrance (Ewan McGregor) carries the trauma of the Overlook Hotel into adulthood. He meets Abra (Kyliegh Curran), a teenager with her own powerful extrasensory gift, known as the "shine", and narrates his attempt to protect her from cult leader 'Rose the Hat' (Rebecca Ferguson), who feeds off the shine of innocents in her quest for immortality.
Sharing the poster HBO India posed a question on Twitter which read, “From Aghori Babas to Brahma Kumaris, which Indian cult sends a chill down your spine?”
Following this, desi Twitter was up in arms against the channel for its “Hinduphobic” take.
One user wrote, "there is ONLY one ‘cult’ that sends a chill down everyone’s spine, but YOU don’t have the b*lls to talk about it, because you don’t want to end up like Samuel Paty!"
"These channels have literally gone mad with #Hinduphobia. Imagine asking—Shias or Sunnis, which Islamic cult sends a chill down your spine? Or Catholic Church or Baptists, which is the #HomeofHorrors? How can this insane level of religious prejudice be normalized?" added another.
Here are some more reactions.
Following the flak, HBO India deleted the post on Twitter.
Directed by Mike Flanagan, "Doctor Sleep" also features Carl Lumbly, Zahn McClarnon, Emily Alyn Lind, Bruce Greenwood, Jocelin Donahue, Alex Essoe and Cliff Curtis. The music score is composed by The Newton Brothers.
Flanagan, who has also helmed "The Haunting of Hill House" told IANS, "I loved the story of Dan Torrance. I loved that 'The Shining', in my eyes, was a story of addiction and what it can do to a family. But 'Doctor Sleep' was the story of recovery, reflection and time, looking back at the damage and trauma of addiction decades later, especially through the lens of a child of an addict. Dan has to deal with the same demons that his father did, but he's dealing with them completely differently. Plus, you're looking at it through the eyes of a writer who has also evolved so much through sobriety…I was fascinated by that, primarily."
Warner Bros. released the film in India on November 8, 2019.
