Stephen King's The Stand

[Brian in Mesa]

Stephen King's The Stand Will Be Four Separate Movies

http://comicbook.com/2014/11/21/stephen-kings-the-stand-will-be-four-seperate-movies/

Stephen King's "The Stand" will be spread out across four separate feature films, director and writer Josh Boone confirmed this week, ending months of speculation on how King’s sprawling saga would translate to the big screen.

Boone spilled the beans while chatting on Kevin Smith’s “Hollywood Babble-On” Podcast, SlashFilm reported.

 

[Brian in Mesa]

Matthew McConaughey to take The Stand for Stephen King adaptation

http://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/nov/24/matthew-mcconaughey-the-stand-stephen-king-adaptation

Matthew McConaughey is tipped to take the role of villainous Randall Flagg in The Stand, a Hollywood franchise based on the 1978 Stephen King novel. Backed by Warner Bros, The Stand will be released as four standalone pictures directed by Josh Boone. Discussing the project on Kevin Smith’s podcast, Boone described The Stand as “the Godfather of post-apocalyptic thrillers.”

Conceived as an American version of The Lord of the Rings, King’s 1200-page epic spotlights the battle between good and evil after a deadly virus has wiped out the bulk of the world’s population. McConaughey looks set to play the story’s chief antagonist, a grinning cowboy with supernatural powers who establishes a power base in the ruins of Las Vegas.

 

[Dback Jon]

Why?

 

[NJCardFan]

This is my favorite King book and I enjoyed the TV mini-series but have high hopes for a movie version. It's going to be tough to replace the actors who portrayed the characters so perfectly from the mini-series. The only characterization I didn't care for was the guy who played Harold but other than that, the rest were great. Having seen McConaughey as a villain in the Texas Chainsaw movie, I believe he can pull off Flagg.

 

[Cheesebeef]

This is my favorite King book and I enjoyed the TV mini-series but have high hopes for a movie version. It's going to be tough to replace the actors who portrayed the characters so perfectly from the mini-series. The only characterization I didn't care for was the guy who played Harold but other than that, the rest were great. Having seen McConaughey as a villain in the Texas Chainsaw movie, I believe he can pull off Flagg.

Mac as Randall Flagg is dynamite casting... but stretching this to 4 movies seems like a completely insane cash grab. The mini-series was only 4 episodes long, and while I LOVED it, I really don't think there's enough super interesting stuff in this book to drag this out for 10 hours or so.

and that's coming from someone who LOVES the book. I read the extended version over five days back in high school. that's how in awe of it I was. but 4 movies? that's ridiculous. the overwhelming movie going public doesn't worship these books the way they did LOTR. Just my opinion.

 

[UncleChris]

Mac as Randall Flagg is dynamite casting... but stretching this to 4 movies seems like a completely insane cash grab. The mini-series was only 4 episodes long, and while I LOVED it, I really don't think there's enough super interesting stuff in this book to drag this out for 10 hours or so.

and that's coming from someone who LOVES the book. I read the extended version over five days back in high school. that's how in awe of it I was. but 4 movies? that's ridiculous. the overwhelming movie going public doesn't worship these books the way they did LOTR. Just my opinion.

I guess they figured that if they could make 3 movies out of a medium sized book like the Hobbitt, why not 4 movies from a boat anchor weight book like The Stand?

 

[Cheesebeef]

I guess they figured that if they could make 3 movies out of a medium sized book like the Hobbitt, why not 4 movies from a boat anchor weight book like The Stand?

this is true, but we're seeing that these extended versions of these movies have diminishing returns. The first Hobbit made over 300 million. The 2nd made 255. I'm guessing the third makes even a little less.

 

[UncleChris]

this is true, but we're seeing that these extended versions of these movies have diminishing returns. The first Hobbit made over 300 million. The 2nd made 255. I'm guessing the third makes even a little less.

No argument from me.

 

[Cheesebeef]

No argument from me.

I just hate what they're doing now with these movies. The Hobbit movies have bored me to death. the bloat inside of them is pretty awful. But money makes hollywood go round, so this will continue for a long time.

 

[mojorizen7]

Really liked the book for the most part. I thought the mini-series started off promising but got weaker. Gary Sinise was perfect casting, but i thought most of the other choices were awful. The screenplay was very cheesy throughout(sorry S.King). Then again i hate television.

I always thought it would be cool to get this remade, except much darker than the tv series. Then the Walking Dead thing got rolling and i forgot about The Stand

This is interesting to me, but the casting will be very important, as well as the tone. Even the book had a crappy ending IMO so i actually wouldn't mind a screenplay written with a little creative license in that sense.

PS: I've never been more creeped out reading a book than when i first read The Stand and the Lincoln tunnel chapter. It was terribly done in the mini-series. Someone should ask me to direct that sequence.

 

[mojorizen7]

I'd rather see four films of The Dark Tower to be honest.

 

[Cardinals.Ken]

Why?

Because someone with the funds to produce it has the rights to it, and it's a relatively well known work.

$$$$$ CHA-CHING! $$$$$

 

[NJCardFan]

Really liked the book for the most part. I thought the mini-series started off promising but got weaker. Gary Sinise was perfect casting, but i thought most of the other choices were awful. The screenplay was very cheesy throughout(sorry S.King). Then again i hate television.

I always thought it would be cool to get this remade, except much darker than the tv series. Then the Walking Dead thing got rolling and i forgot about The Stand

This is interesting to me, but the casting will be very important, as well as the tone. Even the book had a crappy ending IMO so i actually wouldn't mind a screenplay written with a little creative license in that sense.

PS: I've never been more creeped out reading a book than when i first read The Stand and the Lincoln tunnel chapter. It was terribly done in the mini-series. Someone should ask me to direct that sequence.

Actually, the only 2 roles I thought were miscast were Frannie and Harold. The rest were great choices. I really liked Bill Fagerbakke as Tom and Matt Frewer as Trashcan Man. Both were spot on choices especially given the fact that Fagerbakke played a similarly dim witted role on Coach and Frewer is simply a perfect psycho. Miguel Ferrer was perfectly cast as well. That series was probably the best cast of all the King mini-series'.

 

[UncleChris]

I thought Jamey Sheridan was absolutely perfect as the very creepy Randall Flagg.

 

[Covert Rain]

Wow...now debating if I should watch The Stand min-series. This is the ONLY one I have never seen. Now I am debating if I should just stay spoiler free and wait for the movies. I have no clue why I never watched or read this one but just didn't.

 

[UncleChris]

Wow...now debating if I should watch The Stand min-series. This is the ONLY one I have never seen. Now I am debating if I should just stay spoiler free and wait for the movies. I have no clue why I never watched or read this one but just didn't.

It's a bit dated, but I would highly recommend it to you.

 

[Brian in Mesa]

Wow...now debating if I should watch The Stand min-series. This is the ONLY one I have never seen. Now I am debating if I should just stay spoiler free and wait for the movies. I have no clue why I never watched or read this one but just didn't.

Read the book first, IMHO.

 

[UncleChris]

Read the book first, IMHO.

Agreed.

 

[Covert Rain]

Read the book first, IMHO.

I traditionally read the books AFTER the movie. That way I am not disappointed in the movie and the books feel like they have bonus content. I know it's a different way of looking at it but whenever I do it the other way around...it often makes even a good movie seem disappointing at some level.

 

[Cheesebeef]

I traditionally read the books AFTER the movie. That way I am not disappointed in the movie and the books feel like they have bonus content. I know it's a different way of looking at it but whenever I do it the other way around...it often makes even a good movie seem disappointing at some level.

if you haven't read the book, I'd suggest skipping the mini-series.

 

[UncleChris]

I traditionally read the books AFTER the movie. That way I am not disappointed in the movie and the books feel like they have bonus content. I know it's a different way of looking at it but whenever I do it the other way around...it often makes even a good movie seem disappointing at some level.

I like to read the book first, cuz sometimes I need that background to figure out just what the hell they are doing in the movie. LOTR is a perfect example....

 

[cardfaninfl]

Very much looking forward to the movies, all of them. Reading the book, as a teenager, the character I most identified with was Larry Underwood. The mini-series seemed to ignore his internal battles with responsibilities and attempts to become a good man.

Spoiler

The mini-series also deleted Larry's hero-worship of Harold (who he never met) and his disappointment when his imagination finally met reality. It was one the most clever literary parables, about growing-up, that I have ever read.

 

[mojorizen7]

I thought Jamey Sheridan was absolutely perfect as the very creepy Randall Flagg.

Nah, he looked like an evil Paul Westphal. Didn't work for me at all.

 

[UncleChris]

Nah, he looked like an evil Paul Westphal. Didn't work for me at all.

Agree to disagree...

 

[Bada0Bing]

So I believe this ended up being a tv series rather than movies. It says it will be on CBS All Access. Does that mean it will only be available on a paid streaming service and not regular tv? That would be a bummer. I'm not paying for a another streaming service when I already pay for cbs via youtubetv.