WARNER BROS MAKING ANOTHER STAND. THE STAND

First half of the miniseries was and is great. The Don't Fear the Reaper opening is perfect. Sinise is wonderful. Rob Lowe is wonderful. The Snuffy Walden score is aces. But everything starts to fall apart the further the story moves west. The TV-sized budget begins to hurt. Molly Ringwald finds herself more and more out of her league. King's somewhat bizarre ending is made fully ridiculous on screen. By the final hour, you're wondering what the hell happened.

I'm all for another go, but I don't know if this story can be told in three hours.

Eh, I'd say the first third of the miniseries was pretty good. I rewatched it about a year and a half ago, and was kind of shocked at how bad the bad stuff is. I'm afraid there isn't any way to make that ending work though...

Yeah I too watched the Mini not long ago and was shocked how terrible it was. Never read the book but i'm sure anyone can beat Mick Garris's tv miniseries.

The miniseries...man.

On one hand, Bill Fagerbakke and Gary Sinise.


On the other hand, everything else.


I will have to be convinced that a 150 minute film can hold The Stand. It calls out for a Walking Dead-style prestige series. But, you know, well-written. It's not that either version of the Stand doesn't have some fat to trim, or that I'm opposed to some changes to the source material, but even after you fix the ending there's still an absolute minimum of five characters to flesh out. That's even if you cut Glen and Ralph, as one of the former prospective scripts did. (I figure Stu, Nick, Larry, Frannie, and Harold are probably pretty un-cuttable, unless you start combining characters or changing the basic sequence of events)

I'm personally sort of glad that there's no possibility for a crossover with the Dark Tower films. I've always felt that Flagg works better (in the Stand) as the personification of evil/technology than as a crossover character.

I still like the miniseries quite a bit, but after reading portions of my Mother's copy of The Stand, and getting the comic adaptation of it that's almost finished, I really want to see a theatrical version.

Legend has it that George Romero and King worked the book into a solid, single movie script back in the late '70s, or '80s. Clearly Romero doesn't have what it takes these days to manage something so large, but maybe someone can find that script and work from it?

Hey, Gabe: here's the Romero/Pallenberg draft.

http://www.subcin.com/stand.html

Christof Waltz as Randell Flagg

Peter Jackson seems like the obvious choice to direct. I read somewhere that King felt The Stand was his Lord of the Rings.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim Barg 

Hey, Gabe: here's the Romero/Pallenberg draft.

 

http://www.subcin.com/stand.html

Awesome, thanks.

King will obviously have a lot of say in this. I wouldn't doubt it if he goes so far as to yank out that old script, or start a new one from scratch, then hand it over to someone else.

Unless this is split into two 2.5 hour films, a la Deathly Hallows, they shouldn't even bother.  The miniseries was incredibly uneven (to put it kindly), but the last thing I want is a 140-minute fast-forward version of The Stand just for the sake of showing some R-rated gore.    Go big, or don't go at all. 

And I once again must wail to the heavens that it's fucking clown shoes in the extreme that no one seems to want to do a Talisman movie. 

The mini series bored to me to fucking tears. And that was during the period I worshiped the ground King trod on. Unless they use the events from The Stand as simply a starting point, I don't see how they can make it into a single movie though. But I have been proved wrong many times before, so who knows?

The TV version can't be blamed for how shit its ending is.  In falling apart as the story moves west, the miniseries stays pretty faithful to the book.  The Stand has always struck me as an overrated novel, interesting as a snapshot of where King stood as an author at the time, showing his willingness to keep writing after he had had run out of ideas.

Someone in the talkbacks suggested Walton Goggins as either Lloyd(Yes!) or the Trashcan Man(not feeling that one so much).

This is all I want out of all of this. Just that.

I read that Pallenberg script a few years back. Yikes. Let's hope they don't follow in its footsteps.

I can't explain how excited and nervous I am about this project. That's the life of a King fan I suppose. 

I have to think, regardless of what came first, that the spectre of LOST is looming behind any adaptation of THE STAND. I mean, you think people were annoyed by the end of that show? Can you imagine if something as small-feeling as the mini-series ended a feature film adaptation of King's much-hyped masterpiece? It'd get panned and dismissed. All the character beats felt very cliche in that.

I just want that chapter from the book where it shows how the Superflu/Captain Trips spread all over. It's been years since I've read the book, but that might be my favorite chapter from any book, for some reason. 

I believe it's in the 1990 Complete and Uncut Edition, but the sequence where there were other survivors, but they died because they weren't adept at basic survival(pretty much Darwin Award winners) needs to be a deleted scene.

But it would be cool to see it as a seperate feature short on the DVD.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Walker 

Someone in the talkbacks suggested Walton Goggins as either Lloyd(Yes!) or the Trashcan Man(not feeling that one so much).

 

This is all I want out of all of this. Just that.

I vote for Miguel Ferrer to get another shot at it.

I wouldn't mind Miguel Ferrer playing Flagg.

The mini series is just terrible. With the exception of Fagerbakke, the casting is uniformly awful. Even Sinise is miscast; I found him entirely unconvincing as Stu. The less said about Ringwald the better; Lowe was badly miscast, too. The cinematography is shit; something this epic and sweeping deserves something far more intelligent and evocative.

Coincidentally, I've just begun my semi-regular re-read of the book (it's a favorite). I agree with above sentiments; this needs to be broken into two films to do any justice to it. Three might be pushing it (they could and should cut the really boring parts out - the government-making in Boulder, for instance) but in the right hands, it would work.

Casting is so key here, as is the writing. And I hope King stays the hell away from it. He gave the great foundation. Let someone who knows how to write well for the screen do the adaptation.

Ugh the miniseries.  A detailed blueprint of what not to do.  The opening is kind of neat, but a couple solid performances (Ferrer is actually pretty great) are lost in a sea of terrible ones (Molly Ringwald pretty much fucks the miniseries over singlehandedly) and Garris somehow turns some of Kings best material into an utter slog.  I'd love to see a big 4 hour theatrical release, but I'm sure a competent filmmaker can shave this down to 2 hours and 30 minutes and still keep most of Kings vision intact.
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nexus-7 

I just want that chapter from the book where it shows how the Superflu/Captain Trips spread all over. It's been years since I've read the book, but that might be my favorite chapter from any book, for some reason. 

Yes.  This absolutely needs to be in there.

On with the fancasting!

James Franco as Larry

Quote:

Originally Posted by fuzzy dunlop and Garris somehow turns some of Kings best material into an utter slog.

Garris hasn't been worth a damn since CRITTERS 2.

And where's my IT and THE TALISMAN news???

Quote:

Originally Posted by DARKMITE8 

 

And where's my IT and THE TALISMAN news???

THE STAND and IT are both getting second helpings.  SALEM'S LOT, THE SHINING, FIRESTARTER, THE DEAD ZONE and CHILDREN OF THE CORN all got two makeovers already.  The grandly uneven clusterfuck-in-the-making THE DARK TOWER is being greenlit with A-list talent, and yet THE TALISMAN sits alone on the doorstep with absolutely no love.  What the fuck?  Am I just going to have to make it myself with an iPhone and some Legos?
 

Loved the first hour, maybe two of the mini-series, the rest was poopies. Never read the book.

...but I have to say, this interests me. I'm interested.

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Rain Dog 

Loved the first hour, maybe two of the mini-series, the rest was poopies. Never read the book.

 

...but I have to say, this interests me. I'm interested.

Read the book. Then go back and watch the miniseries. You'll hate every minute of it.

Stephen King himself responds to the news.

(Yes, potshots are taken at Molly Ringwald. Poor Molly. Everyone knows and acknowledges how bad she sucked in the mini.)

All in favour of handing this to Kathryn Bigelow, raise your hand. Motion passed.

All in favour of Kyle Chandler as Stu Redman, Kate Mara as Fran Goldsmith, Walton Goggins as Lloyd Henreid, Brendan Fraser as Tom Cullen, Alessandra Torresani as Julie Lawry, James Badge Dale as Nick Andros, Logan Lerman as Harold Lauder and Damian Lewis as Randall Flagg, raise your hand. Motion passed.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tommy five-tone 

James Badge Dale as Nick Andros

Now we're talking. But let's give him the lead: I actually think Dale would make a great Stu.

(And, yes, obviously Goggins needs to be in this. I like him better for Trashcan Man, though.)

Here's a question: make this a period piece, or set it in current times? When it was written (and even for the rerelease in 1990), cell phones were a rarity (usually call "car phones") and no Internet. Granted, neither would change the outcome of the superflu outbreak, but they would change the ability for people to communicate during and after.

I actually think setting any sort of apocalyptic sci-fi piece in the past is a terrible idea that takes the audience out of the movie and robs it of any urgency. I honestly believe that was a major failing of the Watchmen film and a reason why a lot of people couldn't relate to it. Just deal with the cellphones and computers. Here's how--they don't work cause there's no one running the infrastructure! Problem solved.

I agree with Sebastian. And I think all of us are familiar enough with natural and manmade disasters now that we know how easy it is to knock out wifi and cell phone service.    The Walking Dead basically handed it off in a line -- "I don't know, everything just went off" -- so I don't see why The Stand can't work. Don't give it a specific year, just put "Present day." 

If people can't get AT&T service in New York or LA on an average day, I think it's easy enough to believe it would switch off when the plague hit!

I'm just gonna second those who have suggested that The Stand should go the way of Walking Dead and be a prestige miniseries. There is no way to compress that novel into one film, even a three-hour epic -- the story would be rendered essentially unrecognizable by all the trims that would have to be made. And while I guess you could trim some characters and condense the book (indeed, a lot of plot lines beg for it), much of its unwieldy charm would be lost in the process. I'm on the fence on the modernization/period piece question -- while I think a flu pandemic is arguably more topical for today's audiences, King is horribly awkward whenever he attempts to capture modernity in general and, as a result, I don't know how well the story of The Stand could be transposed to the present day. The embarrassing skate-slang of the teenagers in Under the Dome is a testament to this, although such trifles are probably the least of a Stand film adaptation's worries.

Walton Goggins as Llloyd, though, would be fucking perfect, as would a magically de-aged Jeff Bridges as Larry Underwood. Brendan Fraser as Tom Cullen would make me cry confused tears of despair/joy at once. And I'm probably only saying this because he might be in the Dark Tower, but Javier Bardem as Flagg sounds like a good fit to me.

WB needs to Band Of Brothers dis sh#t.

How's this sound?

Kyle Chandler as Stu Redman

Joaquin Phoenix as Larry Underwood

Kate Mara as Fran Goldsmith

James Badge Dale as Nick Andros

ANIMAL KINGDOM's James Frecheville as Harold Lauder

David Strathairn as Glen Bateman

Judy Greer as Nadine Cross

Alfre Woodard as Mother Abagail

Ron Eldard as Lloyd Henreid

Walton Goggins as The Trashcan Man

Luke Ford as Tom Cullen

Will Patton as Ralph Brentner

Alessandra Torresani as Julie Lawry

and Kiefer Sutherland as Randall Flagg.

I'm fiddling with my own fan casting....part of the problem is that I'm simply not up on younger actors (midteens to mid 20s).

What about Nadine? Tall, long dark hair (or someone who would look good in a wig of long dark hair)...I'm guessing 30ish. Someone who just doesn't just look good but can carry a scene quietly and has presence.

OK, using Art Decade's list as a springboard, here's my own pie-in-the-sky casting, assuming this started filming in the next 12-18 months:

Jenson Ackles as Stu Redman

Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Fran Goldsmith

Joseph Gordon Levitt as Nick Andros

David Strathairn as Glen Bateman

Sasha Alexander as Nadine Cross

Alfre Woodard as Mother Abagail

Josh Holloway as Lloyd Henreid

Walter Goggins The Trashcan Man

Kevin Durand as Tom Cullen

Will Patton as Ralph Brentner

Christian Bale or Tom Cruise as Randall Flagg

I'm stuck on Larry Underwood, Harold Lauder and Julie Lawry. Lauder's especially hard to cast, as he starts out pretty overweight.

And I honestly think Cruise could do Flagg.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tommy five-tone 

and Kiefer Sutherland as Randall Flagg.

Yes!

Wonder what the odds are of getting somebody like Darabont involved.  And I always get shit for this, but based on the first couple seasons of Lost, I feel like Abrams / Lindelof / Cuse would actually 'get' what makes some of these characters tick.  Hell, Charlie Pace is essentially a mash-up of Larry Underwood and Eddie Dean.  

 Jensen Ackles? Toe-to-toe with Christian Bale or Cruise? I like him a lot in Supernatural, he's a natural small screen star, but c'mon dudes aim a little higher. How 'bout Ryan Gosling as Stu?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sebastian OB 

 Jensen Ackles? Toe-to-toe with Christian Bale or Cruise? I like him a lot in Supernatural, he's a natural small screen star, but c'mon dudes aim a little higher. How 'bout Ryan Gosling as Stu?

Except Stu never goes "toe to toe" with Flagg; they don't even have a scene together. Whoever is Stu needs the right combination of old school manliness, Texas drawl and screen presence. (And Gary Sinise, IMNSHO, utterly lacked the physicality for the role. As does Gosling.)

I get what you're saying - you need the lead good guy to equal the charisma of Flagg. I think Ackles, with the right script and directing, could pull it off.

Yeah, I meant in charasmatic terms. You've got a lot of faith in Ackles. I'm not sold on him as a big screen star. Maybe he'll get his chance to prove himself, but I wouldn't risk casting him in the lead for this, personally.

If they got on this thing soon enough, Josh Brolin could pull it off.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MichaelM 

Whoever is Stu needs the right combination of old school manliness, Texas drawl and screen presence. (And Gary Sinise, IMNSHO, utterly lacked the physicality for the role. As does Gosling.)

 

How bout Bradley Cooper?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sebastian OB 

Yeah, I meant in charasmatic terms. You've got a lot of faith in Ackles. I'm not sold on him as a big screen star. Maybe he'll get his chance to prove himself, but I wouldn't risk casting him in the lead for this, personally.

 

If they got on this thing soon enough, Josh Brolin could pull it off.

Ackles was someone who seemed a natural fit, but I take your concerns. Brolin's a great fit, but I think he might be too old, especially if they cast around age for Fran (she's 21 in the book).

fuzzy, Cooper's an interesting choice. Stu's not a chatty guy; we need someone who can do a lot with body movement and facial expressions.

I could see Chris Pine being Stu.
 

 Chris Pine's a great choice. Bradley Cooper could go either way.

I hate to say it but the role has 'Mark Whalberg' written all over it, from a studio's perspective.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sebastian OB 

 Chris Pine's a great choice. Bradley Cooper could go either way.

 

I hate to say it but the role has 'Mark Whalberg' written all over it, from a studio's perspective.

If he could do a convincing East Texas accent, I'd be OK with that.

How about Eva Green for Nadine?
 

I remain a huge King fan to this day, but, amongst all of the recent news, the only thing I remain completely interested in is the IT remake.  Is that thing completely dead in the water or what?!?

Oh, and of the names I see above, I think Damian Lewis and Bradley Cooper would actually make awesome Walking Dudes.

Cooper as an out and out villain is a really interesting idea.

I think Jonah Hill can pull off Harold Lauder. He can do the fat, pimply pre-plague kid, and the slimmed down, angry sociopath that betrays the Boulder group. He fits King's description way better than that Parker Lewis kid.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MichaelM 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sebastian OB 

 Jensen Ackles? Toe-to-toe with Christian Bale or Cruise? I like him a lot in Supernatural, he's a natural small screen star, but c'mon dudes aim a little higher. How 'bout Ryan Gosling as Stu?

Except Stu never goes "toe to toe" with Flagg; they don't even have a scene together. Whoever is Stu needs the right combination of old school manliness, Texas drawl and screen presence. (And Gary Sinise, IMNSHO, utterly lacked the physicality for the role. As does Gosling.)

 

I get what you're saying - you need the lead good guy to equal the charisma of Flagg. I think Ackles, with the right script and directing, could pull it off.

This sounds like a job for