New Mutants director Josh Boone reveals Stephen King wrote an episode of The Stand set after the book’s ending. King’s apocalyptic novel received the adaptation treatment in 1994, with a miniseries of the same name, which aired on ABC. Early last year, CBS All Access announced it had ordered a 10-episode limited series based on the horror novel.
Set after a strain of influenza has wiped out over 99% of the world’s population, The Stand chronicles the lives of the remaining survivors. The novel culminates in the ultimate showdown between good and evil, with the survivors caught in the middle. King’s vision opened up a world where the fate of humanity depends on the 108-year-old Mother Abagail and a handful of unlikely heroes. Ultimate bad guy, Randall Flagg, presents a slew of new nightmares as he wields unspeakable powers. This new adaptation of The Stand has garnered massive interest for the impressive list of talent attached. The cast includes Whoopi Goldberg, James Mardsen, Amber Heard, Odessa Young, Greg Kinnear, Heather Graham, and Alexander Skarsgard as Randall Flagg. Now, it appears fans of King’s novel have another reason to look forward to the upcoming series.
Speaking with Screen Rant, Boone reveals that King penned an episode of The Stand that takes place after the novel’s ending. Creator - and director of the first and last episodes - of The Stand, Boone states that he teamed up with writer Ben Cavell to workshop the first episode of the series. Touching on the finale of The Stand, Boone says King had an alternate epilogue up his sleeve for the adaptation. The director further revealed, “...the last episode Stephen King wrote, so we had sort of an hour of original material by Stephen King that was a story set after The Stand. There was a story that he’d always wanted to tell.”
Despite production on The Stand wrapping earlier this year, it remains to be seen when a release date for The Stand will be announced. Overall, King’s novels getting the adaptation treatment shows no signs of slowing down. One of the most prolific authors of all time, King has a slew of adaptations on the horizon, including The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, The Long Walk, and The Revelations of Becka Paulson.
In the creative hands of Boone, Cavell, and King, The Stand continues to garner buzz for CBS All Access. Indeed, a plotline that centers on a global pandemic could hit a little too close to home for viewers. However, King penned The Stand over four decades ago and has since had time to marinate on the story. The newest adaption of The Stand has offered the author a clean slate to wrap up the series with a different ending. No doubt King’s new epilogue had added further anticipation for CBS All Access’ adaption of The Stand.