The television adaptation of Stephen King's The Stand will premiere on CBS All Access on Dec. 17.
The series is set after the events of King's 1978 novel in a post-apocalyptic world, where a plague has taken out most of humanity and the survivors are in the midst of a fight between good and evil. After the series premiere, episodes will air subsequently each week for a total of eight episodes
"During the two years we spent making The Stand, we all felt the responsibility of adapting what may be the most beloved work of one of the world's most beloved storytellers, but none of us could have imagined that Stephen King's 40-year-old masterpiece about a global pandemic would come to be so eerily relevant," showrunner Benjamin Cavell said in a statement. "We're honored to tell this sprawling, epic story, including a new coda that Stephen King has wanted to add for decades."
"We're so proud of this show and its attempt to find meaning and hope in the most uncertain of times," he added. "We can't wait to share it with the world."
The Stand was previously adapted into a 1994 miniseries starring Gary Sinise, Molly Ringwald, Ruby Dee and Jamey Sheridan. The new version will find Whoopi Goldberg replacing Dee as Mother Abagail and Alexander Skarsgård taking on Sheridan's role as Randall Flagg, aka Dark Man.
THE STAND is Stephen King’s apocalyptic vision of a world decimated by plague and embroiled in an elemental struggle between good and evil. The fate of mankind rests on the frail shoulders of the 108-year-old Mother Abagail (Whoopi Goldberg) and a handful of survivors. Their worst nightmares are embodied in a man with a lethal smile and unspeakable powers: Randall Flagg (Alexander Skarsgård), the Dark Man.
The Stand stars Alexander Skarsgård as Randall Flagg, Whoopi Goldberg as Mother Abigail, James Marsden as Stu Redman, Odessa Young as Frannie Goldsmith, Jovan Adepo as Larry Underwood, Amber Heard as Nadine Cross, Owen Teague as Harold Lauder, Henry Zaga as Nick Andros, Brad William Henke as Tom Cullen, Irene Bedard as Ray Bretner, Nat Wolff as Lloyd Henreid, Eion Bailey as Weizak, Heather Graham as Rita Blakemoor, Katherine McNamara as Julie Lawry, Fiona Dourif as Ratwoman, Natalie Martinez as Dayna Jurgens, Hamish Linklater as Dr. Jim Ellis, Daniel Sunjata as Cobb and Greg Kinnear as Glen Bateman. The series premieres Dec. 17 on CBS All Access.