The Stand (1994 miniseries) type TV Show network ABC

EW can reveal that Stephen King will appear on director Mick Garris’ Post Mortem podcast to mark the 25th anniversary of The Stand miniseries. The show was based on King’s epic 1978 novel about a strain of flu which wipes out over 99 percent of the world’s population and the ensuing battle between good and evil. The miniseries’ cast included Gary Sinise, Molly Ringwald, Rob Lowe, Miguel Ferrer, Ed Harris, Adam Storke, Matt Frewer, Laura San Giacomo, Ruby Dee, and Jamey Sheridan. Garris directed the ABC show, for which King himself wrote the screenplay. In January of this year, it was announced that a new limited series adaptation of the book had been greenlit for the streaming service CBS All Access.

On the episode of Post Mortem, King reveals that he almost abandoned writing The Stand because of its dauntingly large cast of characters.

“I said, ‘This is getting too big, this is unwieldy,'” he recalls. “I almost ended the book right there, I almost left it in a drawer, because I said, ‘I don’t know what to do with all these people, I’ve spread the thing too wide.'”

Garris has directed several other King adaptations including the 1997 miniseries version of The Shining. He also oversaw a segment for the upcoming horror anthology film Nightmare Cinema (out June 21).

The episode of Post Mortem with King will be available to hear via the Fangoria Podcast Network from May 8, the 25th anniversary of The Stand miniseries premiere.

Watch a trailer for The Stand above.

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