Stephen King's The Stand

the_monkey

McConaghey could be a great Randall Flagg - but 4 movies ??

Id rather one ten part TV series on HBO or Showtime...

Outkast_IRE

How do people think 3 or 4 movies will need padding ?

From reading the book, its pretty epic in scale and storytelling, there is plenty of meat there to get 3 movies at minimum.

Sad Professor

It should be one 3-hour movie. The original (best) edition of the novel isn’t that long and there’s plenty that could be cut. The Stand simply doesn’t have the narrative structure for 3+ films without substantial changes/additions. If they insist on going “epic” (i.e. long), then it should be a mini-series.

I’d prefer a movie, but there’s no way that’s going to happen without a hack director, a PG-13 rating and excessive CGI, so I’ve come around to thinking that television is the only place The Stand will be done right.

Bacchus

Outkast_IRE wrote: »

How do people think 3 or 4 movies will need padding ?

From reading the book, its pretty epic in scale and storytelling, there is plenty of meat there to get 3 movies at minimum.

Because (as great a book as it is) it's full of very small-time stories & interactions as part of an epic "battle". The book itself could easily be spread across 3 or 4 movies but would it be any good?

I've posted in this thread already on my imagined formats for the movies but, briefly, the first movie would be great with the initial outbreak. However, after that, there's a whole lot of trekking across America, a few creepy moments, a few minor conflicts, a lot of rebuilding society, more trekking, etc. It would be ripe for some great performances and character pieces but selling this as an epic trilogy to audiences will be a tricky one. There are no great battles nor great action sequence. What there is is a lot of walking, talking, an ominous, looming presence and a deus ex machina ending. Is that enough to carry an epic trilogy? Condensing it to 2 movies would improve the pace IMO but really, a quality script writer could do a fine job making it a 3-parter too and I'd be happy to watch it.

the_monkey

Sad Professor wrote: »

It should be one 3-hour movie. The original (best) edition of the novel isn’t that long and there’s plenty that could be cut. The Stand simply doesn’t have the narrative structure for 3+ films without substantial changes/additions. If they insist on going “epic” (i.e. long), then it should be a mini-series.

I’d prefer a movie, but there’s no way that’s going to happen without a hack director, a PG-13 rating and excessive CGI, so I’ve come around to thinking that television is the only place The Stand will be done right.

Spot on, also with one mini series (think we could get 10 episodes) we'd have the whole thing 6 months from the first ep, 4 movies would be too long too wait between 1st and last .


That might work with LOTR or the Hobbit pop stuff, but not The Stand ..

Outkast_IRE

I have only read the complete and uncut edition which stands at over 1100 pages of small font text. Its a significantly long book to get a few films out of it without padding it.

4 does sound a bit excessive, i think 3 could wrap it up nicely but i guess it depends on what way they are dealing with the story. Like most things Stephen King, im sure he still has significant side stories etc than didnt make it to the final cut.

will56

Outkast_IRE wrote: »

I have only read the complete and uncut edition which stands at over 1100 pages of small font text. Its a significantly long book to get a few films out of it without padding it.

4 does sound a bit excessive, i think 3 could wrap it up nicely but i guess it depends on what way they are dealing with the story. Like most things Stephen King, im sure he still has significant side stories etc than didnt make it to the final cut.

If that is the case then it further strengthens the argument for a 10/12 episode series.
I can't see the pacing of the books transferring well enough to hold peoples interest through a trilogy of movies.

Thargor

Havent seen it mentioned yet, do people know theres a very cheesy but fairly watchable 4 part film series already?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Stand_%28miniseries%29

Made for tv quality but entertaining...

bucketybuck

Thargor wrote: »

Havent seen it mentioned yet, do people know theres a very cheesy but fairly watchable 4 part film series already?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Stand_%28miniseries%29

Made for tv quality but entertaining...

Hated that mini-series, not least because of the gurning head of Sinise and the atrocious acting from Ringwald. They really failed to bring the characters from my imagination to the screen.

Flagg was good though, that guy got it.

the_monkey

bucketybuck wrote: »

Hated that mini-series, not least because of the gurning head of Sinise and the atrocious acting from Ringwald. They really failed to bring the characters from my imagination to the screen.

Flagg was good though, that guy got it.

I'm actually watching it at the moment, it's on youtube - its good , but yeah Ringwald is god awfull ... which is a real shame since she's playing a lead.

Agent Coulson

Stephen King’s ‘The Stand’ Poised to Add TV Miniseries at Showtime

In addition to movie, Warner Bros., CBS Films and writer-director Josh Boone are in talks to mount an 8-part TV series
Before it hits a movie theater near you, Stephen King‘s epic post-apocalyptic novel “The Stand” will take a revolutionary detour to the small screen, as Warner Bros. and CBS Films are in talks with Showtime to mount an eight-part miniseries that will culminate in a big-budget feature film, multiple individuals familiar with the ambitious project have told TheWrap.
Josh Boone, the “Fault In Our Stars” director who boarded “The Stand” in February 2014, will write and direct the star-studded miniseries, which is expected to start shooting early next year as one cohesive production, according to insiders.
“The Stand” chronicles an epic battle between good and evil after the American population is all but wiped out by a deadly virus. Story follows a group of survivors who fight against an Antichrist-like figure named Randall Flagg.

http://www.thewrap.com/stephen-kings-the-stand-poised-to-add-tv-miniseries-at-showtime-exclusive/

Thargor

That sounds messy.

Mackman

Trying to have their cake and eat it too. Tell the whole story and get the takings from the box office. Terrible idea. Just do a mini series FFS.

Thargor

Also what are the chances that half the film will be spent recapping for people who haven't seen the tv series?

Agent Coulson

‘The Stand’ is Apparently Now a 10-Hour CBS All Access Series

A new adaptation of Stephen King‘s massive post-apocalyptic novel The Stand has been brewing for years. The Fault in our Stars and The New Mutants director Josh Boone has been attached to direct the adaptation since 2014, but the project has been delayed. Now, an update has arrived: The Stand might end up as a 10-hour CBS All Access series. More on The Stand series below.


Just what in the name of Captain Trips is going on with the new adaptation of Stephen King’s The Stand? New Mutants director Josh Boone has been attached to helm a new take on King’s tome of terror for years, but the project hit a roadblock and ended up in limbo sometime around 2016. Now, we finally have an update. The Tracking Board reports that Boone is still attached, and that the adaptation “is coming together as a ten-hour limited series at CBS All Access.” CBS All Access is CBS’s subscription streaming service, home to Star Trek: Discovery and The Good Fight.

King’s lengthy novel concerns the breakdown of society following a mutated flu outbreak that kills 99% of humanity in the span of a few weeks. The book focuses on two specific sets of survivors – a group lead by a benevolent 108-year-old woman named Mother Abagail, and a group lead by Randal Flagg, a demonic, supernatural figure who wants to spread chaos. The book was previously adapted into a 1994 miniseries. The news that The Stand might become a new series is just the latest entry in an ever-mutating history surrounding possible adaptations of King’s book.

http://www.slashfilm.com/the-stand-series/

To do this proper justice, I think you'd need 3 seasons of 8/9 episodes each.

The plot of The Stand is great, but the characters are more than half of the enjoyment for me. You really care for quite a few of them as they mingle through that plot and it contributes greatly to the enjoyment of the story.

Since there are so many 'main' characters in the book, I reckon you'd be dealing with an ensemble for a TV show. There are the good and bad characters, and the time and detail King took in the book (long version) was overall a worth-while read. I think any TV adaptation needs to take the time to put into the characters and get them right.

I'd hate to see a rush-job on this. That mini-series from the early 90s is one thing and strictly of its time, but Television has come a journey of light years since then. Also, considering the tragic job which was done on the Dark Tower with last year's movie, I'm definitely not in the 'Any adaptation is good news' camp.

CatFromHue

I wonder if

they'll change the ending to be one that's not ridiculously **** like in the book

Thargor

Remember how hyped we were for Under the Dome? That was a funny thread, every week increasing levels of disbelief at how stupid and lazy the writers were.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

CatFromHue wrote: »

I wonder if

they'll change the ending to be one that's not ridiculously **** like in the book

While not in any way endorsing said ending, I think that was the whole point of the novel.

quickbeam

CatFromHue wrote: »

I wonder if

they'll change the ending to be one that's not ridiculously **** like in the book

As a matter of interest, say you've been commissioned to adapt the novel for the TV series. How would you end it?

quickbeam

Thargor wrote: »

Remember how hyped we were for Under the Dome? That was a funny thread, every week increasing levels of disbelief at how stupid and lazy the writers were.

Under the Dome is one of the books I've not got around to yet, so can't compare the TV series to it. The TV series, as a stand alone though, urrrrghh!!! Shudder

Thargor

Yeah the book was grand, one of the last "modern" King books I read and enjoyed, all the stuff since then, Mr Mercedes/Duma Key etc has been dire, I just dont get it, stuff from The Stand/Shining era are still my all time favs to this day, burned into my brain like no other author.

CatFromHue

Princess Consuela Bananahammock wrote: »

While not in any way endorsing said ending, I think that was the whole point of the novel.

That God directly involves him/herself to help the good guys? That came out of the blue and seemed so strange compared to everything that had happened leading up to it.

quickbeam wrote: »

As a matter of interest, say you've been commissioned to adapt the novel for the TV series. How would you end it?

Honestly I don't know but

the nuke blowing up by the actions of one of the good guys, while killing themselves in doing so, makes a bit more sense.

CatFromHue

Thargor wrote: »

Yeah the book was grand, one of the last "modern" King books I read and enjoyed, all the stuff since then, Mr Mercedes/Duma Key etc has been dire, I just dont get it, stuff from The Stand/Shining era are still my all time favs to this day, burned into my brain like no other author.

i found Joyland surprisingly gripping.

11/22/63 I thought was good, great in parts, too.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

CatFromHue wrote: »

That God directly involves him/herself to help the good guys? That came out of the blue and seemed so strange compared to everything that had happened leading up to it.

That the good guys went and confrotned Flagg nad made their stand, enabling pretty much everything that remained of evil to perish. I'm not saying it's any good (believe me, I'm not!) but that's what I got from it. Why else call it The Stand?