Ben Stiller To Star In ‘The Shining’ Stage Adaptation

Ben Stiller is in talks to play Jack Torrance in Ivo van Hove’s stage adaptation of Stephen King’s The Shining. According to Deadline, the deal is still under wraps, as the play isn’t scheduled to open on the West End until next year. Rehearsals are set to begin in the fall, with London performances scheduled for January 2023. Eventually, this version of The Shining is expected to move to Broadway.

This wouldn’t be Stiller’s first-time Broadway appearance — the actor starred in a 2011 revival of John Guare’s House of Blue Leaves opposite Edie Falco and Jennifer Jason Leigh. Previously, he played a supporting role in the same play when it first arrived on Broadway in 1986. In The Shining, Stiller would portray the deranged father of the Torrance family, who slowly descends into madness while trapped for the winter at the isolated Overlook Hotel.

“We can confirm that we are in negotiations with Ben Stiller about his starring in Ivo van Hove’s theatre production of Stephen King’s The Shining, adapted by Simon Stephens, for the West End with dates tbc,” said a spokesperson for Sonia Friedman Productions (via Variety). “Conversations are at an early stage, and as such we cannot confirm any further details at this time.”

While Jack Nicholson’s chilling performance in Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 movie is perhaps the most memorable portrayal of the role, a few other actors have been brave enough to take on the character. Steven Webber played Jack Torrance in the 1997 Shining miniseries, while Henry Thomas acted as Jack in flashback sequences during the 2019 sequel Doctor Sleep. Now, it’s looking likely that Stiller will be next in line.