Anyone who knows me well enough will tell you that i love Stephen King’s work with a passion.  He is my favourite author of all time, and there are only a couple of his works that I don’t own and even fewer that I haven’t read!

My favorite novel of all time (and I own many thousands of books) is without question the unabridged version of King’s opus The Stand, a whopping great book at well over a thousand pages, but one that I have read more or less every year for the past thirty years or so!

It is Kings work, especially on The Stand; which helped me learn how to develop characters for games and later on for fiction.

King’s works have been adapted for film and television of course, in fact, after Shakespeare, his work is perhaps the most adapted, with dozens of movies and television shows based on the master of horrors work and he is one of the most prolific writers in the history of the written word!

The Stand was adapted as a four part made for television mini series back in 1994, featuring an all star cast which included Gary Sinies, Molly Ringwald, Ruby Dee, Corin Nemic, Miguel Ferrer, Bill Fagerbakke, Jamie Sheridan, Laura San Giacomo, Rob Lowe, Matt Frewer, and dozens of other really talented actors.  To date, it is one of the best adaptations of a King novel, though many fans really did not like how it ended.

For years now there has been much talk of retelling the apocalyptic tale of The Stand, were good must struggle against evil in the ashes of a dead world.  Many big names have been linked with movie versions, but given the nature of the book and how long and complex it is, the best way forward would be once again on the small screen and now set for release in 2020 director Josh Boone (New Mutants) is set to helm a ten part series with a stellar cast lead by  James Marsden (X-Men), Amber Heard,  Alexander Skarsgård  and Whoppi Goldberg!

James Marsden … Stu Redman. a simple hard working man with good morales from East Texas.  Redman is the de facto leader of the survivors.

Odessa Young … Frannie Goldsmith, a beautiful young woman who is strong and intelligent, yet with a good heart

Alexander Skarsgård … Randall Flagg, The Walking Dude, The Dead Man, The Man in Black.  His vision is the stuff of nightmares

Whoopi Goldberg … Mother Abagail Freemantle, at 108 years old Abigail Freemantle still bakes her own bread and is the magnet that draws others to her beacon of hope

Amber Heard Amber Heard … Nadine Cross, a mysterious woman who is in touch with her dark side

Jovan Adepo  … Larry Underwood, a struggling musician who just hits the big time at the worst time possible!

Henry Zaga … Nick Andros, a deaf mute, with a pure heart and soul!

Brad William Henke … Tom Cullen, a towering giant of a man with the mind of a child.

Greg Kinnear … Glen Bateman, a former teacher who acts as the voice of reason for the survivors.

Owen Teague … Harold Lauder, a young and resourceful man, Harold is torn between the woman he loves and his destiny

The series will also feature Marilyn Manson in an as of yet undisclosed role, it was highly rumoured when he was cast that he would be playing the lead antagonist Randall Flagg, smart money is on Manson playing Donald Elbert better known as The Trashcanman, a tortured soul who sides with Flagg in his quest.  That said he is a good enough actor to pull of a major role in the show and could easily play Lloydd Henry the right hand man to Flagg!

Some major changes to the mini series ahead with the diversity casting of some of the characters in key roles which I am sure will be a breath of fresh air, and a truly stellar cast, The Stand will air in 2020 as a ten part series, though the run time is not yet known, the original series was in four part of two hours duration, it really is a deep book to get through.

More news as it comes in!