Stephen King's magnum opus is getting a new adaptation for the apocalyptic times we live in.
Oddly enough, the latest adaptation of Stephen King's 'The Stand' completed production right as the pandemic took off in the US.
That fortuitous bit of timing aside, it's not exactly fair to compare 'The Stand' with the current situation. For one, the virus in question in 'The Stand' was far, far more deadly than our current scenario. Not only that, nobody's crucifying anyone in Las Vegas, you don't have bands of cannibals roaming the desert, there hasn't been any mass executions on TV, and things generally haven't descended to... well, Stephen King levels of weirdness.
Originally released in 1978, 'The Stand' is often considered by many King fans - and the author himself - to be his magnum opus. King's goal was to write an epic in the scale of 'Lord of the Rings', but set in then-contemporary America. Seeing as how detailed and long the book is, it shouldn't be a surprise that a movie adaptation has never been able to get off the ground.
In fact, up until this show, the only time it had ever hit the screen was a 1994 miniseries that starred Molly Ringwald and Gary Sinise. This time around, the cast includes the likes of Whoopi Goldberg, Stellan Skarsgard, Greg Kinnear, James Marsden, Amber Heard, and loads more besides.
What's also made this adaptation more interesting is that Stephen King is returning to write a brand-new ending for the series, a coda if you like, that will go on beyond the adaptation and the novel itself. The series kicks on CBS AllAccess on December 17th, with no air date or broadcaster / streaming service confirmed for this side of the Atlantic.
Here's the trailer.