Stephen King's The Stand to be preceded by TV mini-series

Warner Bros. is going big with its adaptation of The Stand. Not only has the studio greenlit an R-rated movie from director Josh Boone, but that film will now be preceded by an eight-part mini-series on Showtime.

According to The Wrap, Boone is officially on board to write and direct the miniseries, allowing him room to cover more of King's epic novel in greater detail. Boone had initially suggested the adaptation could span a number of films, but it seems that Warner has decided a TV series would offer greater scope to establish the story.

For those unfamiliar with the book, it is set in a dystopian future in which a deadly plague has wiped out the vast majority of the population. A rag-tag group of survivors continue to endure against the odds, but they are faced by a formidable foe in the form of devilish cult leader, Randall Flagg.

Boone is expected to target an A-list cast for the series, which is scheduled to begin shooting early next year. An air date has yet to be confirmed, as has a release date for the movie.

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George Wales

George was once GamesRadar's resident movie news person, based out of London. He understands that all men must die, but he'd rather not think about it. But now he's working at Stylist Magazine.