Watch The Stand's new trailer, where an apocalyptic plague heralds the world's end
Sound familiar?
Actor Alexander Skarsgard is the villainous The Man in Black called Randall Flagg in The Stand.
In the battle between good and evil, which side will humans choose? That's the question the upcoming CBS All Access miniseries The Stand seeks to answer. Based on the 1978 Stephen King novel, The Stand takes place when humanity is almost completely killed off by a deadly virus -- a story that feels more relevant amid the coronavirus pandemic. (Editor's note: CBS All Access is a part of ViacomCBS, which also owns CNET.)
In The Stand most of the world's population dies from weaponized influenza known as Captain Trips, and society breaks down. A supernatural evil being called Randall Flagg encourages violence and destruction, while 108-year-old Mother Abagail leads a small group of good folks against him.
The new, two-minute-long trailer, which debuted Friday at New York Comic Con, shows actor Alexander Skarsgard as Randall Flagg, who will stop at nothing to make sure evil reigns. Actor Whoopi Goldberg plays the voice of hope: Mother Abagail.
Actor Whoopi Goldberg plays Mother Abagail in The Stand.
"The world is now a blank page, make your stand," Mother Abagail says.
The trailer shows a variety of characters who will bond or fight one another. James Marsden plays Stu Redman, Odessa Young is the heroic Frannie Goldsmith, Amber Heard is the mysterious Nadine Cross, Owen Teague is the dangerous incel Harold Lauder, and Jovan Adepo is troubled musician Larry Underwood.
This is a world full of desolate roads littered with abandoned cars, dead bodies and despair. But one very important road leads the survivors to the Boulder Free Zone, where people guided by Mother Abagail come together to help rebuild society. "All I know is we dreamed of her and she was real," Redman says in the trailer.
Poster for The Stand.
Other cast members for The Stand include Henry Zaga (13 Reasons Why), Brad William Henke (Orange Is the New Black) and Daniel Sunjata (The Dark Knight Rises).
The Stand series also includes a new coda written by King himself, according to Entertainment Weekly. The Stand premieres on CBS All Access on Dec.17. Episodes of the nine-part miniseries will air weekly.
