It’s been a quiet decade or so for Stephen King adaptations on the big screen, but his work is back in a big way thanks to The Dark Tower. And now another of his famous titles is also getting a shot at the big screen, with Warner Bros. and CBS Films partnering up to take a crack at The Stand.
A post-apocalyptic tale of America ravaged by a virus that wipes out most of the population, it finds a rag-tag group of characters trying to survive in a harsh world and stop the machinations of Antichrist-like figure Randall Flagg.
Originally published in 1978, then re-released in 1990 with expanded and revised sections by the author, The Stand has been converted into various formats through the years, including, most famously, Mick Garris’ 1994 TV miniseries. More recently, it’s been the basis for a run of Marvel comics.
And it’s not the first time that someone has tried to get it on screen: both Warners and George Romero made efforts to see it filmed in the 1980s, to no avail.
According to the Heat Vision blog, CBS has had the rights for years, but hadn’t ever quite figured out how to tackle – or afford – the complicated and lengthy story. With Warners providing funding help and producing support, the task now is to find writers and directors who can offer up a fresh take on the tale. The big question will be whether it’ll be turned into one big film or a franchise series…