Paramount Pictures has officially announced that director Doug Liman will oversee a new film that’s based on Stephen King‘s 1978 novel, The Stand. Known for his work on The Bourne Identity and Edge of Tomorrow, Liman is also set to produce the movie with Tyler Thompson, who he’s worked with on American Made. Paramount is currently looking for someone to pen the script.
The Stand is about a deadly man-made virus called “Captain Trips” that accidentally leaks from a military lab and wipes out around 99.4% of the human population. The people who do survive end up splitting into two groups. One group is led by a kind and spiritual Mother Abigail, while the other one is led by a menacing man named Randall Flagg a.k.a. “The Walking Dude.” The novel essentially shows the battle between good vs evil.
This isn’t the first time the story’s been adapted. In 1994, ABC aired a four-part miniseries starring Gary Sinise, Molly Ringwald, and Rob Lowe. Although it was restricted from premiering on certain networks, it still won two Emmy Awards. Another version was released in 2020 with James Marsden, Alexander Skarsgård, Amber Heard, and Whoopi Goldberg. Unfortunately, though, that one didn’t get much attention.
Doug Liman initially left his mark in the film industry, thanks to his indie blockbuster Swingers in 1996. Since then, he’s built a solid career with action-packed movies like Go, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Jumper, and Edge of Tomorrow.
Stephen King is a well-known horror author. His career kicked off with Carrie in 1974, which was quickly turned into a successful movie. Since then, his stories have been adapted countless times. His most well-known adaptations include The Shining, Cujo, Pet Sematary, Misery, The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, and Stand By Me.
