The Stand is set to return again to our TV screens. The classic Stephen King novel was adapted into a mini-series in 1994 but is now being re-adapted by The New Mutants director Josh Boone for CBS All Access. Originally set to be a film, the first teaser for the new limited series landed and it’s looking… like a Stephen King TV adaptation.
The Stand takes place in a world that has been pretty much destroyed by a plague, making it terribly relevant to the events of the day, but it also includes a prolific battle between good and evil and plenty of horror elements. Abigail Freemantle (Whoopi Goldberg) leads humanity’s survivors in this world while they battle against Randall Flagg (Alexander Skarsgard), the Dark One. Like most King books, there’s a lot going on in it, but hopefully the 10-episode run can cram it all in. Of particular interest will be a coda that King wrote specifically for this adaptation that wasn’t in the book or the 1994 TV show.
There’s not that much to go off of here aside from a few shots that fans of the book The Stand will recognize. This is just a teaser, but it doesn’t look like they’re taking full advantage of being on a streaming platform and the content that lets you show versus broadcast television. King infamously had to tailor back the 1994 adaptation for the small screen, and hopefully the full series will really let loose with the horror of the book.
The Stand also stars James Marsden, Odessa Young, Jovan Adepo, Amber Heard, Owen Teague, Henry Zaga, Brad William Henke, Greg Kinnear, Irene Bedard, and Nat Wolff. It will premiere on CBS All Access on Dec. 17.
