Marilyn Manson Joins New Adaptation of Stephen King’s The Stand

Few figures in pop culture in the ’90s were as controversial as Marilyn Manson, not only with his music but with his entire public persona. The musician, whose name is a combination of Marilyn Monroe and Charles Manson, caused controversies for his dark music and use of disturbing imagery, with his breakthrough album, Antichrist Superstar, going platinum. The performer, whose real name is Brian Warner, has made various acting appearances, including roles in David Lynch’s Lost Highway and the TV series Sons of Anarchy and Salem. Manson recently confirmed that he has accepted a role in the upcoming adaptation of Stephen King‘s The Stand, though didn’t specify the role.

“Shooter [Jennings] and I also did a cover of ‘The End’ by the Doors, for a new miniseries of The Stand by Stephen King, which I’m also going to be acting in,” Manson shared with Revolver. “I think that sort of kick-started our process for the album, and started us exploring different things.

It is unclear what role he will play, as a number of the lead characters have been cast, but with Manson set to tour throughout the fall and the series heading into production, it would seem that a major role might be out of the question.

Confirmed cast members include James Marsden as Stu Redman, who is described as “a Texan who is the first man discovered to be immune to the Captain Trips virus that has ravaged the planet,” Amber Heard as Nadine Cross, “a private school teacher and virgin who believes she has a unique destiny to be by Randal Flagg’s side,” Odessa Young as Frannie Goldsmith, and Henry Zaga as Nick Andros. It is currently unknown who is up for the iconic role of Randal Flagg.

Earlier this year, King himself revealed what has him so excited for the new adaptation.

“I like [showrunner] Josh Boone’s work, I actually worked with him on his first feature,” King shared on the Post Mortem Podcast. “And then he did The Fault in Our Stars, which I thought showed his grasp of the medium. And I like him a lot. I like his reach… his ambition for [The Stand]. Really the thing I’m most excited about is, first of all, we’ve got two more hours to tell the story. And second, we’re free of all those things that held us back with [the original mini-series]. Not only is the budget bigger… we’re free… in terms of language, in terms of violence… in a way that we weren’t with the original.”

Stay tuned for details on the new adaptation of The Stand.

Does Manson’s involvement have you excited for the new series? Let us know in the comments below or hit up @TheWolfman on Twitter to talk all things horror and Star Wars!