James Marsden (
"X-Men") and
Amber Heard (
"Aquaman") are set to star in CBS All Access' upcoming adaptation of
Stephen King' 1978 novel
"The Stand". The book was previously adapted into a 1994 ABC miniseries that starred
Gary Sinise and
Molly Ringwald.
The story is set in a world decimated by a plague and locked in an elemental struggle between good and evil. The fate of mankind rests on the frail shoulders of 108-year-old Mother Abigail and a handful of survivors. Their worst nightmares are embodied by a man with a lethal smile and unspeakable powers: Randall Flagg, the Dark Man. Flagg, made his first appearance in
"The Stand", and has popped up as a villain in several of King's books, including
"The Eyes of the Dragon" and the
"The Dark Tower" series.
The 10-episode limited series will also feature an entirely new finale, which will be written by King himself, intended as a coda to the series that is not found in the 1978 book. Marsden is set to play Stu Redman, a working-class man who becomes a leader of the survivors, while Heard will star as Nadine Cross, a deeply conflicted woman who feels the consequences of her actions but is compelled by her allegiance to Randall.
The cast also includes
Odessa Young (
"A Million Little Pieces") as Frannie Goldsmith, a pregnant young woman who recognizes there's evil lurking beyond the Dark Man, and
Henry Zaga (
"13 Reasons Why") as Nick Andros, a deaf and mute young man who finds himself in a position of authority when the unthinkable happens.
The limited series is written by
Josh Boone (
"The Fault in Our Stars",
"The New Mutants"), who has been attached to the project since its inception, in 2014, when it was supposed to be a feature film. He is also set to direct.
Ben Cavell (
"Justified") is on board as co-writer.
