Stephen King’s Best Movie Gets an IMAX Release Date
Stanley Kubrick’s classic horror film The Shining is finally coming to IMAX theaters this December.
According to IMAX, this will be the first time the 1980 Stephen King adaptation will be shown in the format, which offers a larger screen ratio of 1.43:1 or 1.90:1 depending on the theater.
Fans of the movie had hoped for a Halloween release, but the film will hit IMAX screens on December 12. While it’s not spooky season, the snowy setting of the Overlook Hotel makes a winter release feel appropriate.
Tickets are not yet on sale, but interested viewers can sign up for updates on the official landing page. IMAX has not confirmed if the film will include any new remastering, but since Kubrick passed away over 25 years ago, it’s expected to be the classic film presented in its best current theatrical format.
The laugh that will send chills down your spine… Experience The Shining in IMAX for the first time December 12. pic.twitter.com/VuHV08Isww
— IMAX (@IMAX) October 28, 2025
The Shining tells the story of Jack Torrance, played by Jack Nicholson, a recovering alcoholic and aspiring writer who takes a job as winter caretaker for a remote mountain hotel. His wife Wendy, played by Shelley Duvall, and their clairvoyant son Danny, played by Danny Lloyd, accompany him.
The story explores Jack’s slow descent into madness. Scatman Crothers also stars in the film. Production took place almost entirely in England at EMI Elstree Studios, with sets based on real locations. Kubrick was known for doing many takes with a small crew, pushing both actors and staff to their limits. The film also used the then-new Steadicam technology for several iconic scenes, giving it a groundbreaking look and feel.
The Shining was first released in the United States on May 23, 1980, by Warner Bros., and later in the United Kingdom on October 2 through Columbia-EMI-Warner Distributors. Theatrical cuts reduced the original film by about 27 minutes.
At the time, critics gave mixed reviews, and Stephen King himself criticized Kubrick’s adaptation for straying from the novel. The movie even received two Golden Raspberry nominations in 1981 for Worst Director and Worst Actress, though the latter was later rescinded in 2022.
Over the years, however, the film has been re-evaluated and is now considered one of the greatest horror movies and among the best films ever made.
In 2018, it was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” The story later inspired a sequel, Doctor Sleep, adapted from King’s 2013 novel and released in 2019.
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