Back in August it was reported that director David Yates and screenwriter Steve Kloves were looking to follow up the hugley-successful Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 with another book adaptation, developing what was described as ‘multi-part film series’ based upon Stephen King’s post-apocalyptic opus, The Stand. However, Deadline have revealed that Warner Bros. have since turned their attention to Ben Affleck, director of the critically acclaimed Gone Baby Gone and The Town, who is currently busy shooting his third feature, the comedy/drama Argo, co-starring Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad), John Goodman (The Big Lebowski), Kyle Chandler (Super 8) and Michael Parks (Red State).
First published in 1978 (with a revised edition in 1990), The Stand was previously adapted for the screen as a TV miniseries in 1994, with Stephen King regular Mick Garris (Sleepwalkers, The Shining, Riding the Bullet, Desperation) directing a cast that included Rob Lowe, Gary Sinise, Molly Ringwald, Ossie Davis, Miguel Ferrer, Corin Nemec, Jamey Sheridan and Matt Frewer. The latest big-screen version was first announced in January of this year and although details of Affleck’s involvement with the project remain scarce at present, it would appear that Yates and Kloves are no longer under consideration.
