The long anticipated television adaptation of Stephen King’s epic novel, The Stand, is almost here. Much mystery has surrounded the CBS All Access limited series, but a full length trailer has finally been released. All nine episodes of the fantastical thriller will debut on December 17 via Indiewire.
A critically acclaimed novel by King, The Stand was first published in 1978. He then released an even longer, uncut version spanning over 1000 pages in 1990. The Stand lies somewhere between horror, adventure and romance as most of the world’s population has been wiped out after a viral outbreak. In this apocalyptic world, the few who have survived fight to continue on. King meant it to be study of morality and ethics, would humankind turn to evil or goodness in the face of an apocalypse?
The theme of good versus evil is very apparent in The Stand’s first full length trailer. Whoopi Goldberg (Ghost) stars as Mother Abigail, an old, all knowing guide who spouts her wisdom to those who will listen. In the trailer, she says, “You see now the world’s a blank page. And it is there you must make your stand.” James Marsden (Westworld) portrays Stu Redman, a man who takes Mother Abigail’s advice and attempts to fight the coming evil. That coming evil takes the form of the Dark Man, portrayed by Alexander Skarsgard( Big Little Lies). Hungry for power, he poses a threat to humanity as he will do anything to take control by any means necessary.
The Stand features a large ensemble cast, including Amber Heard (Aquaman), Heather Graham (Boogie Nights), Henry Zaga (13 Reasons Why), Jovan Adepo (Watchmen), and Nat Wolff (Palo Alto). It is executive produced by Benjamin Cavell (Justified), Taylor Elmore (Limitless), Will Weiske (The Beach Bum), Jimmy Miller (The Other Guys) , Roy Lee (The Exorcist), and Richard P. Rubinstein (Day of the Dead). Rubinstein is a constant collaborator on King adaptations, having produced the film version of Pet Semetary, Thinner, and the 1990 television miniseries The Stand.
Spanning across America, the trailer shows New York City as an abandoned, barren wasteland, Boulder, Colorado as a sort of safe haven, and endless rows of cornfields filled with terror. Watch the trailer for the upcoming limited series below: