*CBS All Access has announced the premiere date of its highly anticipated limited series “The Stand” starring Whoopi Goldberg and based on Stephen King’s acclaimed plague novel.
The story is about a group of survivors of a superflu, who are led by the 108-year-old Mother Abigail (Goldberg), who is receiving visions from God. Whoopi joins a cast that includes Jovan Adepo as Larry Underwood, Owen Teague as Harold Lauder, Brad William Henke as Tom Cullen, and Daniel Sunjata as the soldier Cobb. Alexander Skarsgard will play Randall Flagg, the leader of the evil survivors.
Here’s a full breakdown of the plot via THR:
The Stand is set in a world decimated by plague and locked in an elemental struggle between good and evil. The fate of mankind rests on the frail shoulders of 108-year-old Mother Abagail and a handful of survivors whose worst nightmares are embodied in a man with a lethal smile and unspeakable powers: Randall Flagg, the Dark Man.
King’s also rewriting the ending. According to CBS All Access, the beloved author “will write the last chapter of the series, providing a new coda that won’t be found in the book.”
The script for that final episode is written. I was glad Josh Boone gave me the chance, because that final story has been in my mind for 30 years.
— Stephen King (@StephenKing) August 2, 2019
“During the two years we spent making The Stand, we all felt the responsibility of adapting what may be the most beloved work of one of the world’s most beloved storytellers, but none of us could have imagined that Stephen King’s 40-year-old masterpiece about a global pandemic would come to be so eerily relevant,” said Benjamin Cavell, showrunner and executive producer, in a statement. “We’re honored to tell this sprawling, epic story, including a new coda that Stephen King has wanted to add for decades. We’re so proud of this show and its attempt to find meaning and hope in the most uncertain of times. We can’t wait to share it with the world.”
“I’m excited and so very pleased that The Stand is going to have a new life on this exciting new platform,” King said in a statement. “The people involved are men and women who know exactly what they’re doing; the scripts are dynamite. The result bids to be something memorable and thrilling. I believe it will take viewers away to a world they hope will never happen.”
Singer Marilyn Manson revealed to Revolver that he will be acting in the series, in addition to contributing music with a cover of The Doors’ classic track “The End,” per TV Guide.
Here’s King speaking with Goldberg on “The View” when she announced her role on “The Stand” — watch below.
The nine-episode series will debut on Dec. 17, with new episodes dropping weekly on Thursdays, for CBS All Access subscribers.
.@WhoopiGoldberg announces her role in @StephenKing‘s limited event series ‘The Stand’! https://t.co/f8u2wc159S pic.twitter.com/Sooltz7ULf
— The View (@TheView) September 11, 2019
