Affleck for Stephen King’s THE STAND?
Warner Bros is looking at Ben Affleck for the big screen adaptation of Stephen King’s The Stand. It’s no small challenge, as the actor-turned-director would be helming a project that will inevitably draw comparisons with both the book and the TV miniseries that already covered the same ground.
While there’s been no official word from either Warner Bros or Affleck, Deadline has revealed the studio is “keen” on having Affleck direct the feature film version of King’s post-apocalyptic vision of a world that has the survivors of a super-flu square off against each other in the ultimate battle between Good and Evil.
Stephen King seems to once again be the darling of Hollywood as various studios work on a reboot of Carrie, a film adaptation of 11/22/63, and King’s Dark Tower series, but I really didn’t expect anyone to mess with The Stand again. The 1994 mini-series was a great adaptation, especially for the small screen, and a theatrical version would have a lot to live up to. Personally speaking, Gary Sinise will always be Stu Redman to me, regardless of how long CSI: New York stays on the air.
In addition to having baby #3 on the way with wife Jennifer Garner, Affleck also has Harlan Coben’s Tell No One, Line of Sight and Argo lined up as future projects, so there’s no way to tell if Warner Bros will get their wish or not.
What do you think? Is Affleck the right man for the job? Should the studio even be messing with The Stand?
About Marty Shaw: Marty is a freelance writer who enjoys all things related to sci-fi, fantasy, and horror... with a strong interest in super heroes, too (just so they don't feel left out).