Nicole Kidman Speaks Out On Taking Risks, Roles And Taking … 
SUMMER SLUMP? Will Smith’s ‘MIB3′ Slows … 
Oscilloscope Takes U.S. Rights To ‘Reality’ 
‘Mud’: Did Cannes Save One Of The Best For … 
Cannes Podcast: Pete Hammond On ‘Lawless’, … 
Over-Achievers Of This Year’s Upfront 
Aussie Pay-TV Shakeup Impacts Hollywood 
USA: ‘Rebounding’ & ‘Modern … 
Interview: Philip Kaufman At Cannes With ‘Hemingway … 
R.I.P. Television Mogul Lee Rich 
Cannes Biz Shines Despite Wind & Rain 
Full 2011-2012 TV Season Series Rankings 
2011-12 Season Network Rankings: Fox Still On Top But Down, … 
HLN Set To Air Daytime Emmy Awards 
Grant Bowler Cast As Richard Burton Opposite Lindsay Lohan … 
UPDATE: Dish Network And Broadcasters Ask Courts To Decide … 
Cannes Surprise Screening: Change Of Plans On Juan Antonio … 
Kevin Hart In Talks To Join Kevin James In ‘Valet … 
Anthony Hopkins Up For ‘Red 2′ Villain; Can … 
Cannes Conflicted Over ‘The Paperboy’ As … 
RATINGS RAT RACE: ‘American Idol’ Posts … 
Warner Bros has chosen Ben Affleck to adapt and direct The Stand, Stephen King’s apocalyptic mammoth book. Affleck has become a cornerstone director for the studio, but this would be his greatest challenge yet. Even King has been reticent about the idea of making a feature of his book, which previously was turned into a miniseries. With The Town and Gone Baby Gone, Affleck has shown the grit necessary to handle such an unforgettable tale. It’s early days, but the studio loves Affleck, who’s now directing Argo.
Loading ...
But this has been done! we know the entire story as does most of an audience. Who cares???
Been done? You mean that AWFUL miniseries from the 90′s? Have you read the book? That shit was NOT the book. This definitely deserves to be a movie. I dig Affleck and hope he pulls it off.
I dunno about that. It was certainly closer to the original story than The Running Man was. Of all the movies released based on his stories, I thought it was one of the closer adaptations. Now, that doesn’t say to much about the accuracy of those other movies, either.
I agree. The Stand is my favorite book and the only way they could fit so much in was to do a miniseries. I thought it held up well and I would watch it again Rob Lowe, Gary Sinise and so many others were absolutely brilliant. A feature film will cut much more out to save time. I have never thought they should make a feature film from that book. You doubters just wait. You talk about suck. That truly will, and I laugh at the idea if Ben Affleck doing it. Lord help us all……..I he could get a young Duvall or Deniro to play the Walking Man, I may watch it out of curiosity.
i agree vicki. no way this epic novel can be turned into a 2 to a 2 1/2 hour flick. i liked the mini series except i would have casted differently. rob zombie as flagg, whoopi or alfre woodard as mother. dwight yokum or tim mcgraw as larry, a young billy bob as harold heck an old billy bob could pull that off.
The Shawshank Redemption was definitely the most faithful King adaptation.
Green Mile was great
The Shining
I totally agree!! If you have read the book you would know that there was so much more that could have been done with this. The miniseries followed the book to a certain extent but there was so much more to be emphasized that didn’t get it’s due. I am curious to see how Affleck views this particular novel of the greatest story teller ever to live!!
I read The Stand before I ever saw the movie. My favorite of Stephen King books. His writings have a way of getting in your head and your imagination to believe and see things. The movies are good but not even close to his personal writings.
That’s the first thing I thought of, that terrible mini-series. Maybe this time they will do it RIGHT. If you read the book, it’s one thing. If you see that mini-series, it’s a totally different thing…
I liked the miniseris. Its a 1000 page book. The mini-series was dead on. I hate to think what wold happen if you condense that to 2 hours. What they need to do is “Under the Dome” THAT, needs the movie treatment.
get peter jackson to do it just lke lord of the rings
Totally agree, Under the Dome would be AMAZING!
You can not possibly make an epic tale like this into a two hour movie. Hell, they couldn’t even tell the whole story in the mini series…
This book should never be turned into a film. There is no way that anyone least of all Affleck could recreate this story on the big screen. The characters that I and all fans of this book have had in our minds for the last 30 odd years can not be recreated on film. I for one would not watch it Stu, Franny, Nick, Harold and the others will forever be in my mind the way I imagined them and I don’t want Affleck spoiling that.
CAN’T WAIT COMPLETELY ENJOY EVERY BOOK AND WOULD LOVE TO SEE IT DONE OVER AND OVER AGAIN!!!!!!!!!
That doesn’t mean that it won’t be entertaining if done well
How can a book that large be done well in a single movie? waaaaaay to big! It will be Dune all over again.
Most of an audience knowing the story didn’t stop a LORD OF THE RINGS adaptation or, I don’t know, every other book-to-film adaptation ever.
That’s a dumb reason for not making a movie.
Ummm … the Lord of the Rings adaptation was not ONE single movie, the proposal here is one movie to tackle that great big book, so … yes, I think there is cause for concern, Affleck is a brilliant writer in his own right( Good Will Hunting doubters … I present The Town) maybe it will morph into a two or three movie adaptation, I will adopt a “wait and see” attitude, this is one of my favourite King books, I will admit I loved the Shawshank Redemption, Stand By Me and the Green Mile (although Shawshank and Stand By Me were smaller stories that got enlarged and I’m not sure about a big story being condensed) anyway, I wish Affleck good luck, I hope he does it justice, but I can see why people are concerned.
If the idea that people already know the story was a reason not to make a movie, there’d be no reason to adapt it in the first place — the book sold real, real well.
On the other hand, TITANIC did pretty well, too, despite the vast majority of the audience knowing how it ends. And some stories get remade over and over and over again.
Me, I’ve read the book numerous times, and saw the TV mini, and I’d still like to see a good film version, with a big budget and good craftsmen making it.
I just hope they split it up into two or three movies — it’s way too big to fit into two hours.
Same Here, I Don’t Mind It Getting Remade Again As Long As They Make It Better Not Worse, I’ve Read The Book Over And Over Again, They Can Leave Out The Part Where Trash Can Man Gets Raped By A Gun Barrel Though.
I agree, should be done like “Lord of the Rings” was done. And I hope they pick better people to portray the characters! I was quite unhappy with the choices for Franny and Stu. (Loved Nick and Tom, tho) I look forward to a fresh version, with hopes it’s better than the remake of “The Shining”
I completely agree with Dawn.
I completely agree about Frannie (Molly Ringwald played her MUCH to whiny), but I loved Gary Sinise as Stu. I hope they also make better choices for Flagg and Harold. In the end, though, I don’t know how anyone could ever top Ruby Dee as Mother Abigail – she was perfect.
I completely agree with Dawn too. I hated Molly Ringwald as Frannie and, although I like Gary Sinise, I didn’t feel he was right for the part of Stu at all. I pictured Stu a big, tall, Texan cowboy. Rob Lowe was ok for Nick but not great. Bill Fagerbakke and Ruby Dee were dead on great for Mother Abigail and Tom Cullen (M-O-O-N). They need a much better, taller, thinner, more menacing Flagg as well (and no mullet for god’s sake). I would like to see it redone and redone well. Hope Affleck is up to the task….I’d hate to be disappointed on another screen adaptation of my all-time favorite book.
BTW…I though Dolores Claiborne and Misery were very good adaptations as well….but I’m totally freaked out about Javier Bardem playing Roland Deschain…wtf??
I thought they had dropped the idea of the Dark Tower linked movies and TV series. I was extremely disappointed although I couldn’t see Bardem as Roland Deschain, either. I do think they should leave “The Stand” alone but if they are going to do it Bardem should be Flagg. When I first read the book the face I saw was Richard Gere, but he (like me, lol!) is knocking on a bit now.
Wait. Don’t tell me what happens at the end of Titanic. I haven’t seen it yet and have no idea how it ends…./snark
Because Stephen King had to alter and seriously tone down the story’s content for ABC, so it wasn’t a true adaptation.This new feature film version gives them the opportunity to make a better one.
You may not care, but a lot of other people do.
I just read the book for the third time and while I read it I could picture the characters because the miniseries gave them life. It wouldn’t be easy but I would love to see it.
I care if they make a remake. The first one was made for television.Ben Afleck is a very good director and would do an excellant job. I would love to see this on the big screen. My favorite book , I have read it many times,. I would like to see how he pictures the characters, None of the people in the first movie matched my imagination at all.
I agree, there are PLENTY of Steven king’s Books that desrve to be made into movies, but afflec? geeze where’s Clint Eastwood when you need him? Just PLEASE do NOT let this bozo near the Dark Tower series if the dream ever comes true..!!!!
A Christmas Carol has been redone numerous times over the last eighty years and most know at least the premise if not the whole story in detail. Some were dogs, and some have become favorites. I think a great story with strong characters can be redone.
I’m uber excited! I’ve waited years for this to happen. That piece of crap mini-series didn’t do the story justice at all. I hope they do it franchise style, meaning several movies, so they can tell the story right …. ala Harry Potter, Indiana Jones and Lord of the Rings. Please, please don’t condense these deep, rich characters and storyline into a 2 hour movie. Can’t wait. Can’t wait. Can’t wait!
It was done, but that done was terrible! I bet Ben Affleck does the book justice!!
if they bring back gary sinise and leave molly ringwald behind, i’ll be a happy man.
read the book and compare it to the movie/mini series. justice was not done.
Really??? Any book thats made into a movie is the same. Everyone who’s read it knows the story. So what’s your point. If it is done well, it will be awesome to see on the big screen!!
So is he no longer directing Line Of Sight? WB is gonna give Affleck ADD
BAHAHAHAHAHA. Right now, somewhere in Maine, Stephen King is cursing and kicking a cat.
Affleck? Really? *writer shakes head in disbelief*
LMFAOOOOOOOO This is EXACTLY what I thought when I saw Affleck was doing this. . .
This is a great idea! Affleck is a great choice and I am excited to see it come together! Can’t wait to watch.
what happened to HarryPotter’s David Yates directing and Steve Kloves writing the screenplay?
So, is every King movie adaptation going to be made again?
Carrie
The Shining
Salem’s Lot
and now this?
And in those three cases, the updated versions were pretty poor.
Fee like Affleck could make a better choice as a next film – he has a future in directing. But I guess when someone asks you if you want to direct something, you (or at least I) would probably say yes.
King didn’t like any of the movies that were done in the past especially “The Shining” and “The Stand”. He has a deal to do or redo most all of his movies again with ABC, which of course is another subsidiary of Disney. He of course makes guest appearences in the newer adaptions. He doesn’t like that he had NO say in the making or direction on his older movies.
It’s a well-known fact that King didn’t like the Kubrick version of The Shining, which is why he and Mick Garris remade it into a miniseries. I’d like to see a citation for him not liking The Stand (also a Garris miniseries). Given the level of involvement he had in the production (including his cameo) and his continued partnerships with Garris, I find it unlikely that he’s ever said anything of the kind.
Kubrick’s The Shining – while not really like the book – is still an outstanding horror film.
The Shining series was laughably bad. Which was sad because I like Steven Weber and Rebecca DeMornay, but it was cheap looking. Rose Red – King’s own ripoff of The Shining – was better.
I agree, it was kind of cheap-looking. I thought Steven Weber did a really solid job, though. That mouth-breathing kid with the crummy haircut, on the other hand…
A huge mistake. Unless Mr. Affleck plans on cutting out the goofy Satan biker and the overly sentimental Grandma Abigail I’m not sure how he will make this an effectively scary movie.
Yes, Affleck has chops and he’s gritty – but at least give him a fighting chance to make a decent movie here. If he’s looking for treasure troves in the Stephen King archive, just do a remake of THE DEAD ZONE. At least then he has a shot at making something worth the money. Just heed Christopher Walken’s warning before it’s too late: “THE ICE IS GONNA BREAK!!!”
You can’t surpass one of David Cronenberg’s best films and one of Walken’s most iconic roles. That would flop as hard as remaking John Carpenter’s The Thing. If I was too suggest a King film that deserves a second shot, I would say IT. The tv IT had laughably bad effects, but the really creepy parts of it involving the clown could be very scary if redone in a better overall film.
Yes, I’ve been thinking that they need to remake IT since I read the book a few years back. The movie certainly didn’t do the book justice. I think they could make Pennywise (and the story as a whole) a hell of a lot more scary with a more modern movie with the plot done correctly.
How the hell could they leave out Mother Abigail? You dumbass, she and Flagg are the polar opposites of each other. The book was written so that even through her sentimentality, it was very scary. The part where the weasels tried to take the chicken and surrounded her. Flagg, you’re a moron. I would hope they would break the movie into pieces. Trying to fit it into even a 2.5 hour movie would ruin it for die hard fans. To split it into two or three would be better, by far. King really doesn’t have a good track record for his remakes.
Intriguing. What happened to David Yates and Steve Kloves?
I wonder how many movies this will be? Perhaps a trilogy?
Such a huge fan of the Marvel Comics adaptation by Aguirre-Sacasa and Perkins. That one was six arcs.
Interesting….
I’m hoping for a trilogy! Do like LOTR – film them all at once then release them over several years. It works for Harry Potter and Twilight, it would def work for King.
I wonder how many movies this will be? Perhaps a trilogy?
Such a huge fan of the Marvel Comics adaptation by Aguirre-Sacasa and Perkins. That one was six arcs.
Interesting….
A huge mistake. Unless Mr. Affleck plans on cutting out the goofy Satan biker and the overly sentimental Grandma Abigail I’m not sure how he will make this an effective and scary movie. Despite it being a great novel for its time, the post apocalyptic movie genre is old hat by now (and unfortunately this feels like Warner Bros trying to recreate another CONTAGION cash-cow).
Yes, Affleck has chops and he’s gritty – but at least give him a fighting chance to make a decent movie here. If he’s looking for treasure troves in the Stephen King archive, just do a remake of THE DEAD ZONE.
Scary isn’t the point of this movie. If you’ve read the book you would know that it is the battle between good and evil. Without the the two extremes ( leaders of the two factions ) you cut up the story completely. For me the book really came alive during each of the main characters trials surviving in the post apocolyptic setting and their faith in heading to Colorado. The 90′s tv series really lacked the character development required to achieve what King’s masterpiece has. Although I cant wait to see more from Stephen and his collaborators in bringing to life the world through the mind of my favorite author.
Badass!
This has been done, and as a 5 pt mini series. How do you take a 1000 page book and turn it into a squinty 2 hour movie?? Then some money grubbing executive is going to get the ‘brilliant’ idea to do in 3D.
NO this movie is slated to be almost 4 hours in two parts….but they will be filmed at the same time and released on back to back weeks.
Totally agree! I can’t see how 1 movie can cover so much!
Sometimes good things come to good people. Congrats Ben.
This is not a story begging to be remade. The mini-series had its flaws but for the most part was a very good adaptation of a difficult-to-film novel.
If this does go forward they have to consider breaking it into two films. Cramming this story into a 2-hour film would destroy it.
what happened to yates and kloves??
This is terrific news. I thoroughly enjoyed both of Ben Affleck’s films, “Gone Baby Gone” and “The Town.” The guy is incredibly talented in the role of director. Stephen King’s “The Stand” is arguably the author’s greatest novel. The tele-film was pretty good but I would love to see an epic adaptation for the big screen.
Affleck couldnt direct traffic. Gotta feel sorry for stephen king.
I like Ben Affleck. Good luck working with Silvermann.
Ben is the man…cant wait for Argo
I’m rooting for Ben that mini-series ending was stupid and shitty hopefully he can do better even if this idea isn’t very original but then again Hollyweird is VERY short on originality these days.
The ending was what the ending of the book was.
Please God no…Bad, bad idea…
Please explain what your reasoning is on it being a bad idea
The mini series was great. A family favorite for years in this household. Gary Sinese was awesome. A movie won’t add anything to what has already been done.
It’s not that it’s a bad idea, it’s a great story of good vs evil. It’s universal. The problem is whether they can modernize the story and spin it in a new way so it’s not just a remake. It could be done and done well. I could see it set in a post apocalyptic world ravaged by pesticlence and war. A global struggle that culminates in a final epic battle… it’s the same struggle you saw in Matrix, 300, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Transformers, ID4, Battle: Los Angeles. At it’s core it’s a story about a small band of rebels that attempt to take down an enemy that is far more powerful… at it’s core it is David and Goliath.
I don’t think you need to spin it in new ways it’s great as it is. The storyline is great, the characters brilliant, I would say leave it alone and stay as true as possible to the book. I would happily watch a 3 hour movie adaptation if I thought it was great and true to the book. I thin Misery worked as did Green Mile for me. Tom Hanks was perfect casting for that. If Ben Affleck has the balls he should spend longest on casting and get it right even if it means using non-Hollywood names.
It was reported here recently that he was to direct TELL NO ONE, i wonder is that gone ?