“The Stand” was adapted in 1994 into a miniseries and a new adaptation has been a desired and has taken a long time in the making. The book is one of Stephen King’s best-loved novels and is set in a post-apocalyptic world where most people have died of a flu which gets the moniker “Captain Trips.” The laboratory-created flu accidentally escapes from that laboratory as a worker rushes home to save his wife and family, ending up with them all dying from the fatal bug.
The story continues and tells of a small group of survivors who try to establish their own new society, led by Mother Abigail, a 108-year-old lady who embodies the powers of good.
However, they have to face off with an evil, rival group, led by a malevolent leader, Randall Flagg who is the true embodiment of evil and crops up in a number of King stories. A number of the good group stray and end up in Flagg’s clutches.
CBS All Access to stream ‘The Stand’
CBS has reported the new adaptation of Stephen King's work will be heading to their CBS All Access streaming platform and will run in ten episodes. It is currently unknown where the series will air in the UK, but it is hoped it will find a home, as many other series from the US have.
Stephen King's 'The Stand' Ordered to Series at CBS All Access https://t.co/7SqeSvtQpq pic.twitter.com/dNWSbbOYpQ
— Hollywood Reporter (@THR) January 30, 2019
A previous adaptation in 2014 by Warner Bros., directed by Josh Boone (“Fault in Our Stars”), never quite took off, but now Boone will be teaming up with Ben Cavell to write the new adaptation.
Deadline reports that Boone will also direct the series. So far there is no news as to a release date or who will star in the new version of “The Stand.”
AV Club reports that in the previous attempt, Matthew McConaughey was tapped to play Randall Flagg, with the idea of him then becoming the Man in Black in "The Dark Tower," which did happen.
Stephen King adaptations by the score
There have been a number of adaptations of King’s work in the last couple of years, including a new Film adaptation of the clown horror, “It,” with a sequel coming later this year, “It: Chapter 2,” where the children involved in the first film return home as adults to face Pennywise the Clown again.
Last year “The Dark Tower” fizzled at the cinema, but is said to be making a return as a TV series. “1992” was made into a gripping film on Netflix while a new adaptation of “Pet Sematary” is well on the way and looks to be truly scary.
An adaptation of Stephen King's The Stand is coming to CBS All Access, for real this time https://t.co/FiLGnJOWpY pic.twitter.com/cvJ2pn9vNT
— The A.V. Club (@TheAVClub) January 30, 2019
There have also been adaptations of “Under the Dome,” which was great at first, but then they dragged out the storyline, making it not so great. “Mr. Mercedes” has had two seasons and is a great adaptation of King’s work, with retired Detective Hodges facing off against the evil Brady Hartsfield.
In the past, King’s “11.22.63” ended up being a series on Hulu, the story of a man who time travels in the hope of saving President J.F. Kennedy from being shot. A more recent show, “Castle Rock,” is not a true adaptation of any King novel, but is a story set firmly in the King multiverse and has been critically acclaimed.