The Stand release date, cast, synopsis, trailer, and more

Heard about upcoming miniseries The Stand? Fans of the book might want to check this adaptation out.

Based on the 1978 Stephen King novel of the same name, this post-apocalyptic tale is also a rather timely one, set during a major pandemic—with many fantastical and spooky King-style twists, of course. In the book, the sickness at hand almost wipes out the entire world, for starters.

This isn’t the first time The Stand has been adapted. As reported by Esquire, a film version from Warner Brothers in the 1980s had been in the works, but it fell through.

In 1994, the story was adapted into an eight-episode miniseries on ABC starring Gary Sinise, Molly Ringwald, and Jamey Sheridan. A few years later, it looked like the movie version might actually be happening, but in 2016, that idea was canned.

As for the new miniseries, it’s definitely happening. Here’s what we know so far about The Stand (2020).

The Stand release date

The first episode of the series will be released on CBS All Access on December 17, 2020. Episodes will then be released weekly every Thursday, with the finale debuting on February 18.

The Stand cast

The cast is notably star-studded. James Marsden and Alexander Skarsgard are two of the bigger names, but that’s not all. Whoopi Goldberg, Odessa Young, Owen Teagu, Jovan Adepo, and Heather Graham also all have key roles.

Henry Zaga, Amber Heard, and Greg Kinnear will also appear in the limited series.

The Stand synopsis

As reported by Rotten Tomatoes, the miniseries’ description is as followed:

"The fate of mankind rests on the frail shoulders of the 108-year-old Mother Abagail (Goldberg) and a handful of survivors. Their worst nightmares are embodied in a man with a lethal smile and unspeakable powers: Randall Flagg (Skarsgård), the Dark Man."

The Stand trailer

Ready for The Stand? Check out the trailer below.

Happy streaming, friends!