In what is perhaps the most well-timed TV event in history, Stephen King’s novel The Stand is getting a major overhaul in a new CBS miniseries this December.
The epic, about a post-apocalyptic world ravaged by a deadly disease known as the Superflu and the few survivors left behind, dropped its first full-length trailer on Friday.
The sneak peek gave viewers a deeper look at stars Alexander Skarsgard and Whoopi Goldberg.
In what is perhaps the most well-timed TV event in history: Stephen King’s plague novel The Stand is getting a major overhaul in a new CBS miniseries this December
The two actors portray Randall Flagg and Mother Abagail Freemantle, respectively – two mystical figures to whom the few straggling plague survivors are drawn for an ultimate showdown between good and evil.
Fans are especially excited to see Goldberg, 64, in one of her rare outings as a screen actress.
The performer – who won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar in 1990 for her unforgettable turn in Ghost – has acted less and less in recent decades, as her hosting duties on The View have taken up most of her available time.
Here she plays the kindly white-haired sage Abigail, a role first portrayed by actress Ruby Dee in the cult hit 1994 ABC miniseries that starred Molly Ringwald and Gary Sinise.
The Dark Man: The epic, about a post-apocalyptic world ravaged by a deadly disease and the survivors left behind, dropped its first full-length trailer on Friday
In the 2020 update, Whoopi faces off against Skarsgard’s devilish Flagg, who is evil incarnate in all his glory.
The eerie trailer starts with just a few images of a garden-variety cinematic apocalypse – corpses on the floor of a military facility, stilled traffic, a newspaper with a boldfaced headline proclaiming, ‘Is this the end?’
Soon, James Marsden emerges as as Stu Redman, the de facto leader of the wandering survivors who feel the call to gather in Boulder, Colorado to await instruction from Mother Abagail in Nebraska.
They dream of cornfields, of the calming voice of Abagail… but also of the nightmarish Flagg in his denim jacket.
Good vs. evil: The trailer gave viewers a look at stars Alexander Skarsgard and Whoopi Goldberg, who portray mystical figures Randall Flagg and Mother Abagail, respectively
Lost in the stalks: Some of the survivors dream of cornfields, of the calming voice of Abagail… but also of the nightmarish Flagg
‘She brought us all together to keep us safe in these uncertain times,’ Redman tells the crowd before him.
The groups of survivors take to the road, some heading to Boulder, and others heading to Las Vegas, Nevada, where Randall and his evil posse is holding court.
There are fleeting glimpses of a menacing white wolf, which is one of the forms Flagg – also known as the Dark Man – takes.
Meeting: Many of the wandering survivors feel the call to gather in Boulder, Colorado to await instruction from Abagail
Partiers on the dark side: Others head to Las Vegas, Nevada, where Randall and his evil posse is holding court
Heeding the call: The groups of survivors take to the road
‘There’s bitter day ahead,’ Mother Abagail says. ‘Death and terror. The Dark Man grows stronger every day.’
Flagg is seen sauntering into an abandoned prison, where a forgotten prisoner lays in waiting.
He says, ‘Boo’ before the prison wall explodes in fiery ash, freeing the criminal inside.
He’s shook: James Marsden emerges as as Stu Redman, the de facto leader of the ‘good’ survivors trying to get to Abagail
Poetic imagery: There are fleeting glimpses of a menacing white wolf, which is one of the forms Flagg – also known as the Dark Man – takes
‘The world is now a blank page,’ Abagail is heard saying. ‘And it is there, you must make your stand.’
Other big names in the nine-part series include Greg Kinnear, Amber Heard, Heather Graham, Nat Wolff and Marilyn Manson.
The Stand will premiere on CBS All Access on December 17th.
Other big names in the nine-part series include: Amber Heard
Coming soon: The Stand will premiere on CBS All Access on December 17th