Scott Cooper might be the next director to tackle a Stephen King adaptation. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Crazy Heart and Out of the Furnace director is in talks to replace Ben Affleck on Warner Bros.' The Stand.

Because of his commitments to star in Gone Girl and play Batman in the next Superman movie, Affleck's scheduled has filled up quickly, leaving the studio with a limited time to move The Stand into production before the license lapses.

A massive work set during an apocalypse caused by a virus, The Stand weave through individual tales, with a huge battle at the end. ABC turned the book into a miniseries in 1994.

The big-screen version of King's novel has been in the works since 2011, with Affleck attached since October of that year. The Invasion screenwriter David Kajganich penned the first script which Cooper will re-write if he does sign on to helm the project.