From a Screen Rant article about a prequel to The Shining: “Speaking with Bloody Disgusting, Glen Mazzara, the screenwriter for The Overlook Hotel, reveals The Shining prequel was never made because of Doctor Sleep. The Overlook Hotel was to be based on King’s original prologue Before The Play, which was eliminated from his 1977 novel. Taking place at the beginning of the 20th century, the prequel would center on Bob T. Watson, a robber who traverses through the mountainside to build the titular Overlook Hotel. Revealing Brad Pitt was in consideration for the lead role and Mark Romanek (One Hour Photo) was attached to direct, Mazzara notes the film would be expensive to make. Mazzara states why The Overlook Hotel never happened:

Eventually, what happened from my understanding, was that you had a Shining prequel with The Overlook Hotel, and you had a Shining sequel with Doctor Sleep. Warner Bros wasn’t going to commit to making both, so they ended up going with Doctor Sleep. So that’s how Doctor Sleep won that race.