Stephen King's The Stand

FlashD

Both those endings sound better than the movie ending.

Yeah, I totally agree with you jill-Valentine about the rushed nature and all the rest, that's why I thought it was totally out of character for the hero who was very level headed throughout the whole story. Very disappointing!

JP Liz V1

Ben Affleck's replacement Scott Cooper has now exited too

will56

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

Looks like it could be going ahead as a 4 movie series with Matthew McConaughy now rumoured to play Flagg.

I can actually picture McConaughy as Flagg, but I'm not so sure on people haiving enough interest in 4 feature length movies.

I would have thought The Stand is best suited to a one/two series HBO show with a decent budget.

humanji

Yeah, a 4 movie series is a hell of a gamble for something that isn't a tween novel or established universe. A good series would be perfect. Best part of that link is the comment about Morgan Freeman in drag as Mother Abagail.

will56

Hmm who could be a good Mother Abigail ?



A good series focusing on characted like the book did would be how I'd picture it working.

Bacchus

Getting MCC on board would give it a real shot in the arm. 4 movies is a weird number. A trilogy would be nice... three 150-ish minute long movies should be able to cover it (with 3 hours extended editions for the hardcore fans perhaps).

The ending I think would need to be changed to make it a more epic conclusion to a trilogy. Other than that though there are natural break points for a trilogy...

1 : Outbreak -> Arriving in Boulder & Las Vegas
2 : Boulder & Las Vegas stuff, the spies, Harold (and that girl) as main antagonists. Ends with the bomb and the group of 4 heading west.
3 : The journey to Las Vegas, looming war and final confrontation (would need to divert from the book I think)

Like the book, the final movie of a trilogy will need work as it won't live up to the previous 2 movies in its current form. The potential is there though for 3 very different movies forming a trilogy.

Thargor

Love the book, love Kings other stuff but the reviews will have to be spectacular to get me to the cinema 4 different times to see The Stand again, brave decision.

Sad Professor

I’m so sick and tired of trilogies. It should be a single 3-hour film. The original (and far superior) abridged version of the book isn’t that long and there’s still plenty of fat that could be cut.

Bacchus

Sad Professor wrote: »

I’m so sick and tired of trilogies. It should be a single 3-hour film. The original (and far superior) abridged version of the book isn’t that long and there’s still plenty of fat that could be cut.

I've only ever read the uncut version but the I don't see how the entire story can be cut down to a single 3 hour movie. Everything would have to be exaggerated (particularly with Flagg) to convey the scale of the situation in such a short space. So much would be skimmed past that develops the characters that it would be an incoherent mess. A big part of it too is the timeline, it takes place over a 4/5 month period. I think it would be hard to encompass that time in a single movie.

I could see a two parter perhaps doing the job but it would take a very skilled scriptwriter & director to get right. At 3 movies, it could start to feel a little padded out, mostly because the ending doesn't pack the same punch that the rest of the book does, so a 3rd movie would be a bit anti-climatic.

One way maybe to do it in a single movie would be to just follow Stu and Flagg's perspectives and ignore everyone else's story.... but then that too requires a change to the ending.

Adamantium

I like the fact that it will be 4 films planned from the start aka LOTR, I'm always weary and cynical when studios decide to 3rd installements into 2 parts at the 11th hour, after suddenly realising they have a goldmine to milk on their hands and don't want the good days to end.

4 films is a really striking number too. We could do with an epic that is relatively grown up too, it's been a while

Bacchus

Adamantium wrote: »

I like the fact that it will be 4 films planned from the start aka LOTR, I'm always weary and cynical when studios decide to 3rd installements into 2 parts at the 11th hour, after suddenly realising they have a goldmine to milk on their hands and don't want the good days to end.

4 films is a really striking number too. We could do with an epic that is relatively grown up too, it's been a while

I think the material would be too thin on the ground for 4 films. Oddly though the material could fill a TV series but that's because you can have much more filler in a TV show and explore all the characters in greater detail.

If you consider that the first movie would largely deal with the outbreak and the two groups forming and lets assume some grander finale for the 4th movie... what does 2 & 3 do? Two movies in a row dealing with Boulder and Harold's scheming would be a bit much. Even the spying stuff would get boring the 2nd time round, and I imagine the spy side of things will still be going into the final film.

You're right though, it'd be great to see a real "grown up" epic that isn't full of CGI and action sequences.

PirateShampoo

Screw The Stand, give us The Dark Tower already... Daniel Craig for Roland.

Bacchus

PirateShampoo wrote: »

Screw The Stand, give us The Dark Tower already... Daniel Craig for Roland.

Once I finish Misery, that series is next on my list. Is it long :pac:

PirateShampoo

Bacchus wrote: »

Once I finish Misery, that series is next on my list. Is it long :pac:

7.5 books, i finished them in a month and half. Ive 1 or 2 issues with the later books but i loved the series overall. The first book is just the right size to get you hooked, the part was ideal for a young Clint Eastwood.

humanji

Bacchus wrote: »

If you consider that the first movie would largely deal with the outbreak and the two groups forming and lets assume some grander finale for the 4th movie... what does 2 & 3 do? Two movies in a row dealing with Boulder and Harold's scheming would be a bit much. Even the spying stuff would get boring the 2nd time round, and I imagine the spy side of things will still be going into the final film.

I'd assume:

1st Film -

The outbreak and introduction to the main characters and what they lose, and hints and snippets of Flagg to build up the tension of the looming evil.

2nd Film -

The end of the outbreak and the struggle to survive. Characters drawn to either Boulder or Vegas, while showing more of Flagg's ability to manipulate people.

3rd Film -

Life in Boulder and the fear of the coming confrontation.

4th Film -

Big finale.

So it could be easily split into 4. It's just that there's going to be a lot of padding and the pace could be destroyed. And I do agree that the end should be changed. That's the biggest problem with Stephen King books, they start out brilliant then often end terribly.

I wonder if the plan is to create a King cinematic universe, similar to the Marvel cinematic universe, as The Stand and The Dark Tower are in the works and both in tie together, as do most of his other works?

Bacchus

humanji wrote: »

I'd assume:

1st Film -

The outbreak and introduction to the main characters and what they lose, and hints and snippets of Flagg to build up the tension of the looming evil.

2nd Film -

The end of the outbreak and the struggle to survive. Characters drawn to either Boulder or Vegas, while showing more of Flagg's ability to manipulate people.

3rd Film -

Life in Boulder and the fear of the coming confrontation.

4th Film -

Big finale.

So it could be easily split into 4. It's just that there's going to be a lot of padding and the pace could be destroyed. And I do agree that the end should be changed. That's the biggest problem with Stephen King books, they start out brilliant then often end terribly.

That layout seems fine but as you say yourself, "there's going to be a lot of padding and the pace could be destroyed".

Necronomicon

For any fans of The Stand, it is worth listening to director Josh Boone being interviewed by Kevin Smith.

It is very long and a lot of it is about The Fault in Our Stars and Boone's background - there is some Stephen King conversation at the beginning, but the conversation really gets going at around 1:20 (one hour and twenty, that is!)

He has me completely sold on the back of that interview; the guy oozes passion about the source material. It was originally going to be a single 3-hour movie, he even had a script penned - but Warner Bros. were concerned about the lack of set pieces. Boone had to really sell his vision for a more character-driven story and not one full of fabricated scenes for the sake of trailer-fodder. They reached a compromise whereby Boone could tell his story if he would do it across multiple films - Warner must have been eager to find the next multi-film franchise.

He emphasises that he wants to stay true to the book; he uses World War Z as an example of what he doesn't want to do to the source material, which was music to my ears. I do think that four films is excessive, but I am on board with it for now anyway.

Agent Coulson

Matthew McConaughey In (Evil) Talks To Be The Stand's Randall Flagg.

McCounaughey's been rumored for the role for a while now, but The Guardian said the casting is official — which they've since backed down on, only saying the actor is "tipped" to play the role. Still, this is way too perfect not to happen, people. One of Flagg's many names is The Walkin' Dude, which describes the laconic McConaughey to a T (I mean, he's a dude who walks too!). Anyone who's seen True Detective knows that the actor can channel the darkness required of the servant of evil, as well as the charisma needed to help start one of the post-apocalypse's two civilizations.

http://io9.com/matthew-mcconaughey-in-evil-talks-to-be-the-stands-ran-1663131064

humanji

He'd be awful in the role, and I don't mean terrible. I mean terrifying, and could possibly replace Tim Curry's Pennywise the Clown in my nightmares.

Thargor

humanji wrote: »

He'd be awful in the role, and I don't mean terrible. I mean terrifying, and could possibly replace Tim Curry's Pennywise the Clown in my nightmares.

Funnily enough the director of True Detective just signed up to do a remake of IT:

http://www.vulture.com/2014/12/fukunaga-to-shoot-stephen-kings-it-next-summer.html?mid=twitter_vulture

humanji

Oh bugger.

Goldstein

4 movies seems an insane risk for the studio to take on for a novel that has neither:
a) the guaranteed backing of a worldwide teenage army regardless of what kind of films they make
b) capes

I didn't think Interstellar suited McConaughey particularly well but mindful of Killer Joe he could be perfect to take on the responsibility of bringing Flagg to life. Think about it - masses of charisma inspiring devotion, the projection of great power and will, the embodiment of distilled evil, a tangible field of malevolance surrounding him. He's made for it.

Some hurdles to negotiate to bring it in with the inevitable 12A rating whilst staying true to the events of the novel but good luck to them. I'll be going.

OldeCinemaSoz

Ronald Flagg. The wanderer. With the crows. Sitting ATOP.

The memories.

calex71

The man in black , or Walter is how I know RF best, McConaughey could be good even great in the role.... just imagined him older than McConaughey though.

RF i always imagined to be just like the preacher in poltergeist !!!!

Necronomicon

McConaughey would be absolutely perfect for Flagg. He would nail that creepy/arrogant malevolence. Really hope it happens.

thebullkf

I always imagined Gabriel Byrne or a younger Jack Nicholson as Flagg, the brooding emptiness and maniacal danger.


Like mcConnaghy - but who for Roland ? besides a wet dream of Daniel Day Lewis of course

spacecoyote

thebullkf wrote: »

I always imagined Gabriel Byrne or a younger Jack Nicholson as Flagg, the brooding emptiness and maniacal danger.


Like mcConnaghy - but who for Roland ? besides a wet dream of Daniel Day Lewis of course

Are you thinking of the wrong series. I know they tie in but Roland ain't in the stand if my memory serves me correct

thebullkf

spacecoyote wrote: »

Are you thinking of the wrong series. I know they tie in but Roland ain't in the stand if my memory serves me correct

Ha! you are indeed correct ! my aplogies - twas late

I was confused with Dark tower, what with IT and a possible remake of Pet Semetary on the cards i was on overload

OldeCinemaSoz

Randolf Flagg. He WALKED THE WALK.

davidrowe

Really looking fwd to this! I think McConaughey will be great in it!