The Stand (1994 miniseries) type TV Show network ABC It’s finally official: Stephen King’s apocalyptic novel The Stand is becoming a new limited series. The 1978 fan favorite has been greenlit as a 10-episode event series for the streaming service CBS All Access. “I’m excited and so very pleased that The Stand is going to have a new life on this exciting new platform,” King said in a statement. “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 is arguably the godfather of the modern post-apocalyptic drama — before there was The Walking Dead or The Road or Mad Max, there was The Stand. The story follows a group of survivors after a plague kills off most of the world’s population. A synopsis accompanying the release explains: “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.” stephenking_thestand Credit: Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images; Doubleday This new adaptation has been in development for years by writers Josh Boone and Ben Cavell. Boone will also direct the project. “I read The Stand under my bed when I was 12, and my Baptist parents burned it in our fireplace upon discovery,” Boone said. “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.” The Stand was previously adapted into a generally well-received 1994 ABC four-episode miniseries, with a cast that included Gary Sinise, Molly Ringwald, Rob Lowe, and Laura San Giacomo. “With over 400 million books sold around the world, Stephen King is one of our greatest living authors and The Stand is widely considered the crown jewel of his work,” said Julie McNamara, executive vice president of original content at CBS All Access. “Millions of fans have been waiting for a modern interpretation that delivers on its depth, scope and ambition. We are thrilled to be working with Stephen, Josh, Ben and a dedicated team working passionately to bring this brilliant material to life.” There’s no casting on the new project as of yet. What’s particularly smart and restrained in this era of networks trying to maximize popular brands is that the project will be a limited series — it’s easy to imagine outlets wanting to turn The Stand into something that would run for years, like how CBS tried to stretch out King’s Under the Dome. There’s no premiere date yet, but given the announcement timing and the fact that the scripts are done, a 2020 date would seem likely. The news comes as King’s classics are enjoying a cinematic resurgence, with a new big-screen version of Pet Sematary coming April 5 and a sequel to 2017’s blockbuster IT coming Sept. 6. Related content:<doc-sep>Famed author Stephen King's post-apocalyptic horror/fantasy novel, The Stand, returns to CBS All Access as a limited TV series. The streaming service allows online viewers to watch live, current and old CBS programs. The network has yet to announce a start date for The Stand. Confirming the project at Winter Television Critics Association presentation in Pasadena, California, the network previewed The Stand as part of its upcoming 2019 show offerings, reported the Los Angeles Times on Wednesday. "I'm excited and so very pleased that 'The Stand' is going to have a new life on this exciting new platform," said King in a statement. "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." The Stand is a post-apocalyptic story about a battle between good and evil. King previously adapted his 1978 novel as a four-part miniseries that aired in 1994 on ABC, reported the Times. Josh Boone, known for directing the well-received The Fault in Our Stars (2014) feature film starring Shailene Woodley and The New Mutants (2019), will write and executive produce the TV series. Ben Cavell of CBS' SEAL Team will co-direct current incarnation of The Stand with Boone. Boone described his attraction to King's 1978 horror/fantasy novel, which King and his publishing company re-released in 1990 with some restored text, revisions and updated pop culture references, according to Biblio.com. Perhaps Boone's homage to King best describes why he became a horror film maker. "I read 'The Stand' under my bed when I was 12, and my Baptist parents burned it in our fireplace upon discovery," Boone in the CBS All Access statement. "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." Previously, CBS produced other King story adaptations, including Under the Dome, which ran for three seasons. Among the other CBS All Access shows lined up for the upcoming season are The Good Fight starring Christine Baranski; Star Trek: Discovery starring Sonequa Martin-Green and a highly anticipated reboot of The Twilight Zone. Jordan Peele, originally known for his comedic skits and productions as Key and Peele with Keegan-Michael Key, and a 2017 Academy Award winner for Get Out, will produce The Twilight Zone, which debuts on CBS All Access on April 1. He won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay—the first African-American to do so.<doc-sep>
Set in a world decimated by plague, “The Stand” follows 108-year-old spiritual leader Mother Abigail and a band of survivors as they struggle to rebuild a democracy. Randall Flagg, a supernatural being turned tyrant, threatens their peace with militarized forces. “I’m excited and so very pleased that ‘The Stand’ is going to have a new life on this exciting new platform,” King said in a statement. “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.” CBS announced Wednesday that it will adapt Stephen King’s 1978 novel “The Stand” into a 10-episode series for CBS All Access, directed by Josh Boone. For Boone, who directed the 2014 film “The Fault in Our Stars,” the book is more than a chilling tale of societal collapse. It’s a story that sparked rebellion and lifelong admiration for King’s work. “I read ‘The Stand’ under my bed when I was 12, and my Baptist parents burned it in our fireplace upon discovery,” Boone said in a release. “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,” Boone continued. “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.” In a Twitter post about the series, King called out Boone by name. CBS All Access is going to do a new miniseries--and a new vision--of THE STAND. I'm really happy that Josh Boone (The Fault in Our Stars) is involved, along with a boatload of other talented people. — Stephen King (@StephenKing) January 31, 2019 The network has yet to announce a release date or casting. The novel was previously adapted in 1994, when ABC produced a four-episode miniseries with performances from Gary Sinise, Molly Ringwald, Jamey Sheridan, Laura San Giacomo and Rob Lowe. Jenni Todd can be reached at jenni.todd@globe.com