Stephen King's 'The Stand' may become a movie
Warner Brothers and CBS Films are developing the project
A cover image from Marvel's comic adaptation of 'The Stand'
Credit: Marvel
Who's up for the challenge of bringing a 1000+ page novel with a devoted following to the big screen as a two-ish hour movie?
CBS Films and Warner Brothers are looking for writers and directors up to exactly that challenge to transform Stephen King's "The Stand" into a feature film.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, CBS Films has held the rights to "The Stand" for years, but opened bidding to get a partner for the ambitious project. Warner Brothers beat out Fox and Sony for the chance to develop the adaptation, which is now out to writers and directors to pitch in upcoming weeks.
"The Stand" was first released in 1978, but contemporary audiences are likely familiar with 1990's "The Stand: The Complete & Uncut Edition," which added more than 300 pages to King's already weighty tome, which tackles nothing less than primal issues of Good vs. Evil in a post-apocalyptic world.
In this case, the apocalypse is a virulent flu strain known as Captain Trips, which wipes out more than 99 percent of the world's population. In the aftermath, groups of survivors band together, first in the direction of the mysterious Mother Abigail and then to Colorado to rebuild society.
With dozens of characters and a rather epic sweep, "The Stand" would seem to be a challenging feature project, though George Romero spent a good chunk of the '80s attempting to do just that. Instead, ABC adapted "The Stand" as a 1994 miniseries written by King and directed by Mick Garris, featuring Rob Lowe, Ed Harris, Molly Ringwald and Gary Sinise in its cast. The book has most recently been adapted as a comic series by Marvel.
Coincidentally, "The Stand" has intersections with King's equally difficult-to-adapt "Dark Tower" series, which is finally being mounted as a multi-part film-TV-film production courtesy of Universal Pictures and director Ron Howard.
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February 1, 2011 at 7:44AM EST Reply to CommentThat mini-series was one of the most wretched things I've ever seen in my life. Book was good, hopefully a feature will do it justice.
Otto Man
February 1, 2011 at 9:05AM EST Reply to CommentEd Harris was in the miniseries? Really? I think you're confusing him with Miguel Ferrer.
And yes, that miniseries was bad. The kid from Parker Lewis played the nerd, and he was horrible. And Rob Lowe was at a low point then, too.
sepinwall Harris was in the miniseries. He played General Starkey. Smaller role, sort of stunt-casted, but he's in there.
February 1, 2011 at 9:48AM ESTOtto Man Huh. He's not listed in the credits on IMDB, but I'll yield to you on this one.
February 1, 2011 at 6:04PM ESTMatt C.
February 1, 2011 at 10:23AM EST Reply to CommentWow, y'all trashing the mini-series have it all wrong.
Out of all of the Stephen King mini-series made in the 80's and 90's, The Stand is easily the best. All the rest of them were crap of the highest order (well, except It, which was also pretty decent).
Yes, it was made on a shoe-string budget, but for what it was, it was well-acted, especially by Gary Sinise in his break-out role, Ruby Dee, Ray Walston, Bill Fagerbake, and Jamie Sheridan as Flagg.
And Rob Lowe was very good, very understated as Nick Andros.
Was it perfect? Of course not. But it is far from "wretched" people.
The only way this film could work is a five hour two-parter. Warners got it right with Deathly Hallows. They better get it right in regards to splitting it in two with The Stand.
And as for casting, I don't know about y'all, but the one guy who would just kill as the charmingly evil Flagg would be George Clooney.
But he doesn't play bad guys.
February 1, 2011 at 11:39AM EST
February 1, 2011 at 11:40AM EST Reply to CommentWrite a comment...
johann
February 1, 2011 at 12:15PM EST Reply to CommentDammit another movie of his shitty novels don't u guys learn anything no wonder hollywood is going to shit
February 1, 2011 at 6:37PM EST
February 1, 2011 at 6:39PM EST