Not long after news of Stephen King’s Dark Tower series moving forward with an on-screen adaptation, news of another King favorite surfaces. In an exclusive report, The Wrap says that Warner Bros. Pictures and CBS Films have announced they are planning to expand their adaptation of King’s apocalyptic epic The Stand. What was originally supposed to be a four-film adaptation of the near-1500-page novel is now being announced as an 8-part miniseries that will lead up to a feature-length film for its finale. It seems Hollywood is starting to fear they can not capture the magnitude of King’s bigger works in just a single outing. I’m sure this is part of the problem the adaptation of IT has been having.
The Stand tells the story of a massive extinction event in the US that leaves only a small portion of the population alive, and leads to a final battle of good and evil as a small band of survivors must face off against another group led by an Antichrist figure known as Randall Flagg.
It would be assumed that the series would be airing on HBO, thanks to their connection to Warner, but it seems Warner Bros. is more connected to the feature-film distribution for the property, the actual rights being held by CBS, and therefore is expected to be heading to Showtime. With the success of A-list-led series on TV, such as True Detective, CBS and Warner are hoping to be able to attract a cast of big names to the project. One question that has not been answered is whether this will change the deal reached back at the end of last year to have Matthew McConaughey portray the story’s main antagonist, Randall Flagg. No other casting has been announced, but filming is expected to start early next year.
Would you be interested in seeing The Stand done this way, or should they have stuck with the multiple film idea? Let us know in the comments below.
–
Feature Image: Marvel Comics
