A series based on Stephen King‘s acclaimed novel The Stand has found a home at CBS All Access. This confirms rumors about a possible CBS All Access adaptation, which started almost a year ago.
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The confirmation came from CBS, which revealed that the series has a 10-episode order, with Josh Boone (Fault In Our Stars) and Ben Cavell (SEAL Team) indeed overseeing the series. The pair co-wrote this long-form adaptation of the novel, and Boone will direct.
Here’s what Josh Boone had to say about tackling this challenging work, which has been seeking a new adaptation for some time:
“I read The Stand under my bed when I was 12, and my Baptist parents burned it in our fireplace upon discovery, said Boone. “Incensed, I stole my Dad’s FedEx account number and mailed King a letter professing my love for his work. Several weeks later, I came home to find a box had arrived from Maine, and inside were several books, each inscribed with a beautiful note from god himself, who encouraged me in my writing and thanked me for being a fan. My parents, genuinely moved by King’s kindness and generosity, lifted the ban on his books that very day. I wrote King a cameo as himself in my first film and have been working to bring The Stand to the screen for five years. I’ve found incredible partners in CBS All Access and Ben Cavell. Together with Stephen King, Owen King, my longtime producing partners Knate Lee and Jill Killington, we plan to bring you the ultimate version of King’s masterwork.”
It’s hard to argue against that kind of passion on the part of a director, which should help assuage King fans who are equally passionate (and therefore skittish) about The Stand. Of course, the main person to convince is Stephen King himself – but based on the author’s initial statement, that goal has already been met:
“I’m excited and so very pleased that The Stand is going to have a new life on this exciting new platform,” said King. “The people involved are men and women who know exactly what they’re doing; the scripts are dynamite. The result bids to be something memorable and thrilling. I believe it will take viewers away to a world they hope will never happen.”
The Stand chronicles an apocalyptic future in which the remaining factions of humanity are being corralled into camps of good and evil. In that conflict, the righteous survivors have to stand against an evil supernatural figure named Randall Flagg, aka the Dark Man. The book became a popular 1994 TV miniseries, which was written by King himself.
Boone has been courting interest with horror fans, due to his work on Fox’s teen superhero/horror movie hybrid, The New Mutants. Unfortunately, the director hasn’t been able to showcase his horror talents (or lack thereof) yet, as The New Mutants has been held up and delayed for years now.
We’ll keep you updated on the status of The Stand TV series.
