'The Stand' TV Series Officially Headed To CBS All Access, Stephen King Calls The Scripts "Dynamite"

The long-gestating The Stand TV series for CBS All Access is officially a go. The adaptation will arrive in 2020, with Josh Boone and Ben Cavell writing. Boone, the director of The Fault In Our Stars, was previously attempting to turn Stephen King's massive apocalyptic novel into a movie. Boone then spoke with Showtime about adapting it into a miniseries. Now, CBS All Access will bring the iconic novel to life.

The official word about The Stand TV series came out of the TCAs today.

Just revealed: The previously-announced CBS All Access series #TheStand is officially going to series in 2020. #TCA19

— Liz Shannon Miller (@lizlet) January 30, 2019

EW confirmed this as well, complete with a statement from Stephen King himself:

"I'm excited and so very pleased that The Stand is going to have a new life on this exciting new platform. The people involved are men and women who know exactly what they're doing; the scripts are dynamite. The result bids to be something memorable and thrilling. I believe it will take viewers away to a world they hope will never happen."

King's novel, which is about the breakdown of society following a mutated flu outbreak that kills 99% of humanity in the span of a few weeks, was adapted into a miniseries in 1994. Since then, various filmmakers have been attempting to launch a new adaptation. For a while, Ben Affleck was working on a feature film, but eventually departed. In 2014, Warner Bros. turned to Josh Boone, fresh off The Fault in Our Stars, to make the movie happen. Boone pitched a three-hour film, at which point Warners asked if he would instead do multiple movies. Boone agreed, but by 2016, the entire project was on hold.

In March of 2018, word surfaced that Boone was now going to turn the book into a series for CBS All Access. Nothing was confirmed, though. Until now. "[I] have been working to bring The Stand to the screen for five years," Boone said. "I've found incredible partners in CBS All Access and Ben Cavell. Together with Stephen King, Owen King, my longtime producing partners Knate Lee and Jill Killington, we plan to bring you the ultimate version of King's masterwork."

"Stephen King is one of our greatest living authors and The Stand is widely considered the crown jewel of his work," said Julie McNamara, executive vice president of original content at CBS All Access. "Millions of fans have been waiting for a modern interpretation that delivers on its depth, scope and ambition. We are thrilled to be working with Stephen, Josh, Ben and a dedicated team working passionately to bring this brilliant material to life."

This sounds like the right call overall. The Stand is too huge to fit into one movie, and multiple movies might eventually run out of steam. A TV show gives King's sprawling epic more room to breathe. In addition to co-writing, Boone will also direct the project. No final date is set yet, but it seems likely that it will arrive sometime in 2020. Here's the official synopsis:

The fate of mankind rests on the frail shoulders of the 108-year-old Mother Abagail and a handful of survivors. Their worst nightmares are embodied in a man with a lethal smile and unspeakable powers: Randall Flagg, the Dark Man.