Mankind is on a collision course with a world-ending plague and the dangerous Randall Flagg. Oh, don't get all dour; it's just the movies, folks. We're talking about "The Stand," the developing feature film adaptation of Stephen King's massive and classic novel.
"The Stand" has already undergone the adaptation treatment, previously latching its jaws onto reality by way of a television miniseries that King himself wrote and produced. But King is going to have significantly less involvement in the latest adaptation of his beloved book, if his own words on the subject are any indication.
"I didn't know anything about the remake until I read about it on the Internet," King revealed in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. That's just one of the ten things he knows about "The Stand." What else does he know?
Not a ton on casting, that's for sure. Although he rightly points out that original "The Stand" actors Gary Sinise and Molly Ringwald won't be reprising their roles as plague survivors Stu Redman and Fran Goldsmith for this latest film, King feels that their performances can't be topped.
"No one will be able to top Gary Sinise," he insists. "He was perfect. When he says 'You don't know nothing' to the soldiers who are putting him under mandatory quarantine, you believe his contempt completely."
As a runner-up to Sinise, King suggested Jake Gyllenhaal as a solid fit for Redman, which I agree is pretty strong casting. He also recommended Rutger Hauer for the Walkin' Dude (though he's "a little too old," King confesses) and Billy Bob Thorton for the Trashcan Man. King was also adamant that "The Stand" will not work "as a two-hour movie. If it was a trilogy of films… maybe."
Overall, King doesn't sound extremely optimistic about this version of "The Stand." He explained: "People who've seen Kubrick's 'The Shining' dislike the miniseries I wrote (and my amigo Mick Garris directed) even if they haven't seen it. That's always annoyed me. But the wheel of karma turns! This time people will probably say, 'The miniseries was lots better.'"
Though he did offer one silver lining: "Historically speaking, movie studios blow the budget on things like this, so maybe it'll be fun to look at."
It's not a lost cause on "The Stand" just yet, but it's disappointing to hear that King isn't too confident in the adaptation. Here's hoping he has more faith in "The Dark Tower" and "Pet Sematary."
What do you make of King's thoughts on "The Stand?" Tell us what you think in the comments section and on Twitter!
** FOLLOW MTV MOVIES BLOG ON TWITTER! **