Variety is reporting that Mark Romanek has signed on to direct a prequel to ‘The Shining’ titled ‘Overlook Hotel’.

The script is written by former Walking Dead showrunner Glen Mazzara (Also responsible for some great work on FX’s ‘The Shield’)

It’s said to be “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. 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.”

‘Overlook Hotel’ had been offered to Guillermo del Toro previously. I really like Mark Romanek as a director. It always feels like he’s one film away from really breaking through. I didn’t love ‘Never Let Me Go’ but I like that he seems to follow his own muse.

Hopefully he can really make something of this so it can rise above a simple cash grab off of a successful property.