Stephen King’s The Stand Adds Greg Kinnear

As another day goes by, another name is added to the impressive roster of talent starring in Stephen King‘s The Stand, with Greg Kinnear being the latest talented performer added to the ensemble cast. The CBS All Access series is taking a page from the previous adaptation’s playbook by enlisting a number of compelling actors, which helps sell the sprawling nature of the epic adventure that blends elements of horror, fantasy, and drama. One way in which this new adaptation will likely surpass the previous adaptation is in its production value, as streaming platforms have taken the look and feel of TV series to new levels.

Per press release, Kinnear is slated to be playing Glenn Bateman, who is described as “a widowed professor when the superflu hits, Glen Bateman was accustomed to a solitary life. When he encounters other survivors, his curiosity is piqued by Mother Abagail’s visions.” Kinnear joins the previously-announced James Marsden, Amber Heard, Heather Graham, Odessa Young, Jovan Adepo, Owen Teague, Henry Zaga, Brad William Henke, Eion Bailey, Katherine McNamara, Hamish Linklater, Alexander Skarsgård, and Whoopi Goldberg. Josh Boone serves as the showrunner of the series.

The Stand is Stephen King’s apocalyptic vision of a world decimated by plague and embroiled in an elemental struggle between good and evil. The fate of mankind rests on the frail shoulders of the 108-year-old Mother Abagail and a handful of survivors. Their worst nightmares are embodied in a man with a lethal smile and unspeakable powers: Randall Flagg, the Dark Man.

As if a new adaptation of the iconic novel isn’t thrilling enough, King himself has written an all-new epilogue for the story which fans have never seen.

“Had it for years,” King shared with The New York Times about the new ending. “I always wanted to find out what happened to Stu and Frannie when they went back.”

In the original novel, Stu and Frannie have a child together, with the community nervous about whether or not the child can survive the superflu and prove that there’s hope for humanity. Luckily, the child survives, yet Stu and Fran are left wondering if humanity can ultimately identify their failings and move forward as a species, concluding the journey on an ambiguous note.

An expanded version of the novel, billed as the “Complete and Uncut Edition,” includes more details about our heroes, with Stu and Frannie heading to a small town in Maine. This edition also includes the tease that Randall Flagg survived the effects of an atomic bomb, with a new civilization worshipping him as a deity. It’s unclear if the new adaptation will include that fate for Flagg.

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

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