Considered to be King's magnum opus, 'The Stand' will arrive on CBS All Access in the US.
Seeing as how every other horror movie these days seems to be an adaptation of Stephen King's work, it makes sense that prestige television is getting in on the act.
'The Stand' is often discussed as Stephen King's densest work, and the one that's probably the most difficult to adapt. Set during the outbreak of an apocalyptic plague that wipes out the majority of the human race, the novel was originally released in 1978 and was then republished in 1985 and again in 1990 as a complete, unabridged edition.
'The Stand' was previously adapted into a TV miniseries in the '90s, with Gary Sinise, Molly Ringwald and Rob Lowe in the major roles, with Stephen King even turning up for a cameo along with Kathy Bates and Ed Harris. Previously, a movie adaptation was attempted, but the size of the novel meant that it was too much for one single movie. Instead, the screenwriters Josh Boone and Ben Cavell opted for a television miniseries, which Boone will direct.
Announced at the TCA panel yesterday, the cast for 'The Stand' was confirmed as James Marsden playing Stu Redman, Amber Heard as Nadine Cross, Odessa Young as Frannie Goldsmith and '13 Reasons Why' alum Henry Zaga as Nick Andros. Other characters, such as Randall Flagg and Mother Abigail, have not yet been announced.
As well as this, Stephen King confirmed that he's set to write a new ending for 'The Stand' that will take place after the events of the book and reveal what happened to the survivors and where society itself eventually ended up. While the complete edition of 'The Stand' did feature an epilogue, it's understood that King's new ending will either be different from this or will take the story beyond it.
No release date has been set as of yet for 'The Stand', but it is known that the series will first be available on CBS All Access before it's seeded out to other streaming platforms or television channels on this side of the Atlantic.