Director Josh Boone Promises 3-Hour, R-Rated ‘The Stand’

Even though it was already made as a TV miniseries in the 1990s, Stephen King‘s epic “The Stand” has the sprawling scope befitting a big screen treatment. And indeed, Warner Bros. has been working hard trying to make it happen, with David Yates, Ben Affleck and Scott Cooper all mooted to direct at various points in the past. But earlier this year, the studio locked down the not quite obvious choice of “Stuck In Love” and “The Fault In Our Stars” director Josh Boone. And while this weekend sees him in weepy teen movie mode, the filmmaker promises to bring some big brass ones for this effort.

“We’re gonna do one three-hour, R-rated version with an amazing A-list cast across the board,” he told Vulture. “Every single one of those characters will be somebody you recognize and somebody you relate to. And it’s gonna be awesome. I’m really excited. It’s the most exciting thing I’ve ever got to do in my entire life.”

It’s rather interesting news, especially considering that in today’s tentpole landscape, no studio is really knocking out 3-hour, R-rated movies. It’s just not a financially viable plan, but perhaps WB believes in Boone’s vision. Or perhaps they simply realize that to try and tell this story—about a virus that kills off 99% of the world’s population, and the pack of survivors who come head to head with another group led by Randall Flagg—without an R-rating would be futile.

Either way, Boone is pumped and promises to do justice to the material. “I still say everything I learned about writing I learned from Stephen King. I don’t read screenplays. I don’t read screenplay how-to books. It’s always just, establish the character. Establish the character,” he added.

Thoughts? Do you think WB will really let this fly? Let us know below.