Stephen King's The Stand: Trailer, Plot, Release Date & News to Know About the CBS All Access Series
The long-awaited adaptation of Stephen King's critically acclaimed 1978 novel The Stand is set to debut on CBS All Access as a limited event 10-episode series. The project has been in development in one form or another for quite a few years, with initial plans for a movie franchise evolving into the streaming series.
Written, directed and produced by The New Mutants' Josh Boone, The Stand has assembled a star-studded cast to bring the novel to the small screen for the second time since it was first published, though this new series is giving the fan-favorite post-apocalyptic story a much-needed update that will come with more than a few surprises for fans of the novel, including additions to the story from Stephen King himself. So, with all that said, let's look at everything you need to know about CBS All Access' The Stand.
Click the button below to start this article in quick view. Start nowTHE STORY SO FAR
King's The Stand follows the fall of humanity due to a worldwide plague that leads to a final battle between the survivors and the forces of good and evil that rise to guide the future of mankind. King has added to the story a couple of times over the years resulting in new printings of the book with expanded materials, and its continued popularity led to a TV mini-series adaptation on NBC, though this adaptation suffered from the insufficient special effects technology, which ultimately resulted in a mostly faithful but somewhat underwhelming adaptation.
This version of the book will also follow King’s vision of a post-apocalyptic world caught in a conflict between good and evil. With all of this going on, the fate of humanity sits with Mother Abagail (Whoopi Goldberg) and the rest of the survivors. However, the group isn't going to get off easy as Randall Flagg (Alexander Skarsgård), aka the Dark Man, will do anything to stop them from succeeding.
RELEASE DATE
After initial reports revealed that CBS All Access was planning on releasing The Stand in the fall of 2020, it was confirmed by the streaming studio that the first episode of The Stand will be available to subscribers on December 17. While no plans have been announced for the series to air on broadcast TV, the recent news that the streaming service's Star Trek: Discovery will begin airing on CBS this fall could mean there's the possibility that The Stand will eventually follow suit.
TRAILER
In August, CBS All Access released a quick 30-second teaser that gave fans a brief look at some of the characters and key locations from The Stand without revealing much else about the story. While it was difficult to make out some of them, fans of the book will spot a few interesting and important moments that briefly appear in the teaser, including Hemingford Home, Nebraska and post-apocalyptic New York City.
CAST & CREW
Boone developed the series alongside executive producer and showrunner Benjamin Cavell. The show will feature a huge star-studded ensemble cast, including Whoopi Goldberg and Alexander Skarsgård as Mother Abigail and Randall Flagg, respectively. The survivors include James Marsden as Stu Redman, Odessa Young as Fran Goldsmith, Owen Teague as Harold Lader, Greg Kinnear as Glen Bateman, Henry Zaga as Nick Andros and Brad William Henke as Tom Cullen.
Irene Bedard will appear as a reimagined Ray Brentner, while Jovan Adepo takes on Larry Underwood, Heather Graham plays Rita Blakemoor, Amber Heard portrays Nadine Cross and Natalie Martinez tackles Dayna Jurgens. The Dark Man's motley group of survivors that settle in Las Vegas includes Nat Wolff as Lloyd Henreid, Eion Bailey as Teddy Weizak, Katherine McNamara as Julie Lawry and Fiona Dourif in the recast role of Rat Woman. Hamish Linklater and Daniel Sunjata round out the cast, with Marilyn Manson revealing he would also be appearing in the series.
NEWS
One of the biggest revelations about the new adaptation of The Stand was that it would feature a new ending written by King himself, which the author claimed he's wanted to add to the book for 30 years. While the new conclusion remains a mystery, it's hard to imagine that King would want to add something this important without having an incredible idea in mind.
This article will be updated as more information becomes available.
The Stand stars Alexander Skarsgård as Randall Flagg, Whoopi Goldberg as Mother Abigail, James Marsden as Stu Redman, Odessa Young as Frannie Goldsmith, Jovan Adepo as Larry Underwood, Amber Heard as Nadine Cross, Owen Teague as Harold Lauder, Henry Zaga as Nick Andros, Brad William Henke as Tom Cullen, Irene Bedard as Ray Brentner, Nat Wolff as Lloyd Henreid, Eion Bailey as Weizak, Heather Graham as Rita Blakemoor, Katherine McNamara as Julie Lawry, Fiona Dourif as Rat Woman, Natalie Martinez as Dayna Jurgens, Hamish Linklater as Dr. Jim Ellis, Daniel Sunjata as Cobb and Greg Kinnear as Glen Bateman. The series premieres Dec. 17 on CBS All Access.
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