Stephen King's 'The Stand' TV Remake gets December release date
When the COVID-19 outbreak started spreading earlier this year, many readers around the world felt like they had stepped into a Stephen King horror novel. In his 1978 book The Stand, King wrote about a viral pandemic that decimated the world's population.
It looks like fans will get to relive all the drama and horror this holiday season, with the limited series adaptation of Stephen King’s The Stand premiering December 17 exclusively on streaming service CBS All Access.
King’s epic apocalyptic novel culminating in the literal battle of good versus evil was absolutely horrifying to read as a teenager. Seeing the pages unfold in the 1994 four-part miniseries (starring Gary Sinise, Jamey Sheridan, Rob Lowe, Molly Ringwald) made quite an impression on me that every time I hear Crowded House’s Don’t Dream it’s Over song, I can’t help but think of the touching scene with Frannie Goldsmith (Ringwald) and Harold Lauder (Corin Nemec).
This new nine-episode series promises a star-studded cast on two sides, led by Mother Abagail (played here by Whoopi Goldberg) and Randall Flagg aka the Dark Man (Alexander Skarsgård).
The ensemble cast also includes James Marsden as Stu Redman, Odessa Young as Frannie Goldsmith, Jovan Adepo as Larry Underwood, Amber Heard as Nadine Cross, Owen Teague as Harold Lauder, Henry Zaga as Nick Andros, Brad William Henke as Tom Cullen, Irene Bedard as Ray Bretner, Nat Wolff as Lloyd Henreid, Eion Bailey as Weizak, Heather Graham as Rita Blakemoor, Katherine McNamara as Julie Lawry, Fiona Dourif as Ratwoman, Natalie Martinez as Dayna Jurgens, Hamish Linklater as Dr. Jim Ellis, Daniel Sunjata as Cobb, and Greg Kinnear as Glen Bateman.
The release of the series, which wrapped up filming in early March 2020, is made more relevant than ever with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
“During the two years we spent making The Stand, we all felt the responsibility of adapting what may be the most beloved work of one of the world’s most beloved storytellers, but none of us could have imagined that Stephen King’s 40-year-old masterpiece about a global pandemic would come to be so eerily relevant,” said showrunner Benjamin Cavell. “We’re honored to tell this sprawling, epic story, including a new coda that Stephen King has wanted to add for decades. We’re so proud of this show and its attempt to find meaning and hope in the most uncertain of times. We can’t wait to share it with the world.”
The miniseries is set to premiere on December 17, 2020 with a new episode releasing weekly.
(Images via CBS)