These days, not only is Ben Affleck starring in some pretty good films, but he’s directing them as well. So far, he’s hit home runs with all three of his directorial efforts. That’s why it’s no surprise that Warner Bros. is willing to give him a massive project such as the adaptation of Stephen King’s ‘The Stand.’ However, it’s been nearly a year since there have been any updates. Now, in an interview with GQ, the actor/director reveals what’s been holding him up.
The last update we got about ‘The Stand’ was that Affleck had selected David Kajganich, the writer of the 2007 ‘Invasion of the Body Snatchers’ remake, ‘Invasion,’ and the upcoming remake of Stephen King’s ‘Pet Semetary,’ to write the script for the post-apocalyptic tale about a group of survivors tracking the government’s accidental unleashing of a killer virus. Since then, it appears that the writer and the director have found the process of adapting such a seminal and expansive piece of literature to be daunting. In the interview, Affleck said:
“Right now we’re having a very hard time. But I like the idea—it’s like ‘The Lord of the Rings’ in America. And it’s about how we would reinvent ourselves as a society. If we started all over again, what would we do?”
The tale of ‘The Stand’ is quite the epic one, but maybe Affleck and Kajganich could look to Marvel Comics’ adaptation of the story written by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa. Though I’m sure that they’d like to put their own twist on the story, it wouldn’t hurt to study the previous adaptations like the comic and the mini-series extensively. I’m sure Peter Jackson did the same thing with his ‘Lord of the Rings’ movies.
But if then they’ve already done that, then I’m out of ideas. Sorry, Ben!
How do you think Ben Affleck will do with the adaptation of Stephen King’s ‘The Stand’? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
