The new adaptation of Stephen King's The Stand is coming to CBS All Access to deliver another take on a plague-stricken planet before the end of the year, and the first look at Aquaman leading lady Amber Heard provides a glimpse at what's in store. The miniseries will premiere in December, with Heard playing Nadine Cross as part of a cast stacked with stars. Check her out, and keep on reading for what to expect from the series!
In the image, Amber Heard is speaking with another woman with a child on hand, and I for one get the sense that this particular scene takes place before the plague strikes to decimate the planet. In Stephen King's book, Nadine Cross was a teacher before everything changed, so it would make sense if this is a look at Nadine's life early in the series.
Of course, Nadine is notable for a lot more than her pre-plague profession as a teacher. The character in the book remained a virgin because she felt a powerful sense that she was destined for something, and she's unfortunately drawn to darkness. This makes her a target for the baddie of the book (and show), Randall Flagg, a.k.a. the Dark Man, played by Alexander Skarsgård.
Amber Heard and Alexander Skarsgård are only two of the recognizable names attached to The Stand. Also starring in the miniseries are James Marsden as Stu Redman, Whoopi Goldberg with a shocking new look as Mother Abagail, Odessa Young as Frannie Goldsmith, Greg Kinnear as Glen Bateman, Heather Graham as Rita Blakemoor, Katherine McNamara as Julie Lawry, and more.
The Stand is described as a limited event series running for nine episodes, so viewers should not go into the highly-anticipated project expecting to see the first of several seasons. The show will also make its expected 2020 premiere date, although not by much. The series premiere releases on Thursday, December 17 on CBS All Access. Episodes will continue to drop weekly on the streaming service, taking The Stand into 2021.
While CBS All Access' The Stand promises to deliver an adaptation with the time and freedom to tackle aspects of the book that readers didn't get to see in the previous miniseries adaptation, even the most diehard fans of Stephen King's novel are in for some surprises. The limited series will end on a new coda penned by Stephen King that he evidently wanted to add for decades.
The author already offered real-life pandemic knowledge based on The Stand, so his new take on the ending should be worth checking out. If that December 17 premiere feels painfully far off, you can always check out the novel. With the book running for more than a thousand pages and the audio book running for nearly 48 hours, the source material could last you a while!
If you're in the market for some TV options between now and The Stand's debut on CBS All Access in December, check out our 2020 fall TV premiere schedule!
