Three years ago, CBS All Access announced that they were adapting Stephen Kingâs The Stand as a big budget miniseries. The author is on a long hot streak at the moment and doing justice to what’s often considered his magnum opus sounds like a smart move. Then came 2020 and suddenly a story about a highly infectious killer flu ravaging the world and changing civilization beyond recognition takes on a very different tone.
You have to imagine that CBS is worried that viewers may be a bit tired of hearing about a deadly virus by now, but whether those fears are justified or not, The Stand is certain to be the show that everyone’s talking about when it airs in mid-December. And courtesy of a new promo, we have a better look at it today.
The footage above underlines that King’s story isn’t just about the disintegration of society when 99.9% of people die, it’s about the immune survivors who are left to pick up the pieces. The series is also not shying away from the supernatural aspects, with opposing figures Mother Abagail and Randall Flagg set to do battle for the souls of those remaining in the United States.
I don’t want to spoil the book, but certain shots in this promo tease that they’re going all of the way with the plot, too. That doesn’t mean there won’t be some other surprises along the way, though, as King’s writing a new ending for the show. Earlier this year, he hinted that this may be informed by the COVID-19 pandemic, saying:
âWhen you hear reports that 100,000 or 240,000 people are going to die, youâve got to take notice, and it is going to be bad. Itâs bad right now. Itâs brought the economy to a complete stop. In a lot of ways, I mean, you see the pictures of Times Square or London, and you say, âIt really is like The Stand.ââ
The Stand will premiere on December 17th, and so far, it looks like the network is onto a winner with what they’ve cooked up for us.
