Stephen King’s ‘The Stand’ Being Adapted as a Feature Film

Last year an unprecedented movie/TV adaptation of Stephen King’s Dark Tower series was announced, with director Ron Howard onboard and Akiva Goldsman (I Am Legend) writing the script. But if an adaptation of King’s mammoth Dark Tower series wasn’t enough, then how about a big screen version of one of King’s other legendary stories, The Stand?

Heat Vision is exclusively reporting that Warner Bros. has teamed up with CBS Films to bring King’s “magnum opus” The Stand to the big screen. The two companies will co-develop and co-produce the feature film adaptation, with CBS possibly co-financing the film and WB handling worldwide distribution and marketing.

A director, writer or stars aren’t in place (yet) but WB and CBS will reportedly sit down with potentials in the next few weeks in order to figure out what sort of direction to take the adaptation. One of the big decisions to be made at this point is whether to make just one film or spread the story across several films. I’m sure many fans of King’s book will want multiple films in order to see as much of the story brought to life as possible (is another Lord of the Rings-type trilogy in order here?).

CBS has actually held the rights to a film adaptation of The Stand for years but finally decided that the best way to make it a reality was to team up with another production company. WB apparently beat out harsh competition from both Sony and Fox in a “tight bidding war” for the chance to team-up with CBS on the adaptation.

Fans will be glad to hear that King himself will be involved with the adaptation in some capacity. With this being one of his most beloved titles – at one point it was voted by fans as his most popular book – I’m not surprised in the slightest that King wants to be involved.

Originally published in 1978 (and re-released in 1990), The Stand tells the story of a post-apocalyptic world resulting from a virus which wiped out most of Earth’s population. The tale is vast with more characters and story arcs than you could shake a stick at, but the main focus is on a single group of survivors and their good vs. evil battle against Randall Flagg, a demonic figure who wreaks havoc (the character also appears in various other King books).

King fans will likely be aware that this isn’t the first time The Stand has received the live-action treatment. In 1994, a 6-part TV mini-series was made starring Gary Sinise, Molly Ringwald, Rob Lowe and Jamey Sheridan (amongst many others). Although well-received critically (it won two Emmys, for Makeup and Sound Mixing), I’m sure fans were expecting more from the rather toned-down version of the original story.

Hopefully WB and CBS respect the original source material and give The Stand the epic and detailed big screen adaptation that it truly deserves.

Source: Heat Vision

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Summit Eying ‘Perks of Being A Wallflower’

Now that she’s finished her rather rigorous studies at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Emma Watson will try her hand at being a more regular troubled adolescent in The Perks of Being a Wallflower, based off the popular (and often banned) novel by Stephen Chbosky.

The Harry Potter actress has been attached to the project since last year and now Summit Entertainment looks to pick up the teen life tale, which already has actor John Malkovich onboard as an independent producer.

Vulture broke the story about Perks of Being a Wallflower, which is told from the perspective of a troubled teenager who identifies himself as Charlie – a role that Percy Jackson & the Olympians star Logan Lerman will tackle. Charlie recounts his experiences as a high school freshman living in Pittsburgh circa 1991 through a series of diary-like letters to an anonymous figure (i.e. the reader) – so yes, for those who are wondering, Perks of Being a Wallflower is an epistolary novel in the vein of Twilight. Moving on…

Watson is set to play Samantha (Sam), a senior who, along with her step-brother Parick, befriends the intelligent but socially awkward Charlie. Perks of Being a Wallflower tackles many a controversial (and messy) issue including teenage sex, drug use, abortion, molestation, struggles with homosexuality, and the difficulties of high school life in general. Chbosky’s novel pays homages to J.D. Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye and could be considered an updated version of that classic coming of age tale.

Chbosky himself has a background in screenwriting and was responsible for scripting the cinematic adaptation of the acclaimed Broadway rock musical Rent. He is set to both write and direct the Perks of Being a Wallflower adaptation as well.

The main cast of 'Rent'.

While Watson will be playing another adolescent in Perks of Being a Wallflower, her character will be far removed from that of the brainy, brave, and beautiful Hermione in the Harry Potter franchise. Watson will get to show off her acting chops with a part that requires her to be far less self-assured, capable, and overall more confused about her direction in life – in other words, just your average young person.

Perks of Being a Wallflower features a whole lot of teen angst and more drama than (by and large) the majority of individuals endure during their high school years. It stands to be seen if Chbosky will deliver a harrowing account of one male youth’s rite of passage into adulthood, or an adaptation that comes off as too melodramatic and soapy for most moviegoers’ tastes.

Assuming Summit Entertainment does pick up the project, filming on The Perks of Being a Wallflower could begin this June.

Stay tuned for additional information and follow us on Twitter @screenrant and @feynmanguy for more movie and TV news.

Source: Vulture

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‘Being Human’ Series Premiere Review & Discussion

With much care and great consideration for the source material, Syfy has successfully re-imagined Toby Whithouse’s hit BBC series Being Human for the American television viewing audiences.

Set in the heart of Boston, Being Human follows three supernaturally disposed outcasts who, after failing to obtain any sense of normalcy on their own, come together in an attempt to support each other throughout their superordinary tribulations that result from attempting to survive daily life.

Aidan (Sam Witwer), the vampire; Josh (Sam Huntington), the werewolf and Sally (Meaghan Rath), the ghost all serve as the reluctant protagonists for this series. In addition, providing wonderful depth to not only the multiple preternatural worlds that this series attempts to realize, but also the main characters are Bishop (Mark Pellegrino), Aidan’s one-time master; Emily (Alison Louder), Josh’s sister – whom he ran away from – and Danny (Gianpaolo Venuta), Sally’s now ex-fiancé.

With a series of beautiful introductory tracking shots, the initial tone of the premiere is perfectly set by the accompanied voice-over and supplemental visuals of Aidan and Josh attempting to survive the hardest moments of their paranormally inflicted lives. In this case, turning into a werewolf (Josh) and drinking an unsuspecting victim’s blood (Aidan).

Unfortunately, as the series jarringly transitions past its wonderfully elegant opening, viewers may find themselves initially put off with the intentional direction with the core series. Instead of the familiar single-camera look that many television series have, SyFy’s Being Human consciously decided to set itself apart by using handheld cameras for its visual stylings.

To its credit, the handheld camerawork does succeed in providing a richer, more intimate depiction of Being Human’s colorful characters. Although, considering the original British series also makes use of handheld cameras, this could become a point of contention for those already weary of this American re-imagining simply replicating the source material.

Fortunately, this perfectly cast series instantly proves to supersede any inclinations that Syfy’s re-imagining may simply be another poor British adaptation. The combination of Witwer, Huntington and Louder – who in their own right, are all able to portray exceptionally personable depictions of ambit characters – allows Being Human to consistently deliver deep emotional storylines, no matter how fantastical the subject matter.

Aside from Being Human’s pilot serving as an introduction to the series main and recurring characters, much of the episode is centered around Aidan and the repercussions that result from unintentionally murdering his fellow co-worker. With film and television already filled with numerous depictions of vampires and like-kind, it’s refreshing to see that Being Human is attempting to distant itself from Hollywood’s typical sensationalistic portrayals of these other-worldly creatures. Instead, Being Human focuses on using vampires, werewolves and ghosts as integral elements for providing rich character progression.

In the age of worldwide televisual availability, comparisons between Syfy’s version of Being Human and its original BBC counterpart are inevitable. Despite being completely unwarranted and categorically incorrect, there will be some who wrongfully choose to relegate this series down to simply being an uninspired copy. For those that are willing to put aside all natural Anglophilian instincts and arrogance, a truly wonderful television experience awaits you.

While American remakes of popular British series are typically a poor re-imagining of the series’ core elements, Syfy’s Being Human has proven itself to most certainly be the exception to that rule. With terrific casting, fully realized characters and an emotional depth not typically seen in a series with such fantastical surroundings, Being Human has become the benchmark that all future British adaptations should strive to meet.

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Being Human airs Monday @9pm, on SyFy

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’47 Ronin’ Being Shot in 3D

It’s hard to deny that the “bullet-time” fight sequences from The Matrix would look all that much cooler if they could’ve been seen in 3D. Since we’ve yet to catch the “convert old movies to 3D” fever, the upcoming Samurai epic starring Keanu “Neo” Reeves, 47 Ronin, will have to satisfy our need to see multi-dimensional martial arts action on the big screen.

Universal has plans for the pic to be shot and released in 3D, with first-time feature director Carl Rensch (who recently left the Logan’s Run remake for the Reeves period action flick) in the director’s chair.

47 Ronin is a refashioning of the famous Japanese story, which itself was based off a real-life incident often referred to as the Genroku Ako incident. This event occurred near the beginning of the 18th century and concerned a group of forty-seven samurai who set out to avenge the death of their leader after he was forced to commit ritual suicide (seppuku) for attacking a court official. It’s a legend of Japanese culture that is seen as a reflection of the country’s heavy emphasis on values such as loyalty, honor, and sacrifice in the name of justice.

Like the folklore legend Mulan, the 47 Ronin story has been adapted by Japanese filmmakers many a time in the past – and now it will be given a Hollywood makeover as an action movie that stars Reeves. It’s not yet clear whether the Speed actor will play one of the forty-seven warriors or if his character will be a new addition to the centuries-old epic. Will he join the ranks of the Samurai, a la Tom Cruise in The Last Samurai?

Rensch will undoubtedly amp up the sword-clashing battles and blood-shedding in his 3D take on 47 Ronin, which hopefully won’t go overboard on the “stuff flying out at the camera” gimmick. The true story has generally been embellished and elaborated upon heavily in previous Japanese theatrical and cinematic adaptations, so a big-budget Hollywood treatment seems almost appropriate.

Reeves may not be known as an especially expressive actor (to put it mildly), but his mannerisms could serve him well as a stoic warrior who places an emphasis on not being overtly emotional in either everyday life or battle. The prospect of having Reeves play a Japanese samurai will definitely be problematic for some, but in the actor’s defense, his father is of English, Irish, Portuguese, Hawaiian, and yes, Chinese descent. So there is a tiny, tiny, tiny, fraction of Asian genetics in there somewhere (which is better than none, no?).

Ultimately though, we should probably wait and see what Reeves’ 47 Ronin role actually is before getting too riled up about the racial/cultural inaccuracies of his casting.

47 Ronin is scheduled to arrive in 2D and 3D on November 21st, 2012.

Source: Universal (via Collider)

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