Hollywood has been dying to adapt Stephen King’s seminal, post-apocalyptic horror epic The Stand since the book hit shelves in 1978. And though 1994 saw the release of an ABC miniseries adaptation, no feature-length film adaptation has ever come to fruition – despite the efforts of such talented individuals as David Yates, Ben Affleck and Scott Cooper. Now, however, The Stand has taken a few steps forward, with news that The Fault in Our Stars helmer Josh Boone has become attached as director and scribe, and has already snagged his first cast member.
Boone will reteam with teen actor Nat Wolff, whom he previously worked with on The Fault in Our Stars and last year’s Stuck in Love. Apparently, the director is writing a part specifically for Wolff but as of yet, we are unsure of who he will be playing.
Though some may frown at Boone’s involvement in The Stand, a far cry from the romantic dramas he’s launched his career with, the director already had a strong relationship with Stephen King. The author received a heartfelt letter from Boone when he was just 12-years-old, and the pair struck up a friendship while Boone was working on Stuck in Love (a film about a family of writers who absolutely adore King). In addition to handing him The Stand, King also gave Boone permission to adapt Lisey’s Story.
No word yet on when Warner Bros. and CBS Films are aiming to release The Stand, but King’s blessing has evidently convinced the studios to give Boone a large amount of control over the story. The director is planning to bring The Stand to the big screen as a stand-alone, R-rated film.
Check out the synopsis for The Stand below, and let us know, do you think Boone and Wolff will do right by King’s beloved book? Sound off in the comments.
When a man escapes from a biological testing facility, he sets in motion a deadly domino effect, spreading a mutated strain of the flu that will wipe out 99 percent of humanity within a few weeks. The survivors who remain are scared, bewildered, and in need of a leader. Two emerge–Mother Abagail, the benevolent 108-year-old woman who urges them to build a community in Boulder, Colorado; and Randall Flagg, the nefarious “Dark Man,” who delights in chaos and violence.