Though Stephen King's status as today's undisputed Master of Horror has never wavered, film adaptations based on the bestselling author's novels were hit and miss in the 1990s and early 2000s. Still, we've recently entered into a bona fide Stephen King Renaissance, ignited (at least in part) by The Duffer Brother's nostalgia-soaked horror/sci-fi series Stranger Things, which took binge-watchers by storm when it debuted on Netflix in 2016. The following year saw feature film adaptations of 1922, Gerald's Game, and a reimagining of IT (which had previously been turned into a made-for-TV miniseries in 1990). 2017 also saw TV series based on The Mist and Mr. Mercedes and, while the former left much to be desired, the later has been renewed for a second season.

Though Stephen King fever has cooled in 2018 with scant few projects based on his novels coming to fruition (though Castle Rock is shaping up to be a smashing success on Hulu), we can expect the resurgence to hit new heights in 2019 with planed releases for IT: Chapter Two and Pet Sematary, both currently filming and targeting release dates next year. There's also an adaptation of From a Buick 8 in the works, plus The Shining Sequel Doctor Sleep; expect both sometime in 2020. Add to this impressive and ever-growing list of projects a TV series adaptation of The Stand, King's apocalyptic tome that clocks in at a whopping 832 pages. The show's in the works at CBS All Access, who also tantalized horror fans this week with news that Jordan Peele's reboot of The Twilight Zone will also begin shooting soon. The only catch is, they don't exactly seem to be in a hurry. Here's what All Access president and COO Marc DeBevoise told Deadline (after CBS TV Studios president David Stapf confirmed The Stand is "in development"):

"To be clear, we mean 2019 like a 2019 season and, to be honest, we are a little vague on what our seasons are yet. So, we're just trying to get as much through that pipeline as we can."

For the uninitiated, here's the synopsis for The Stand, first published in 1978:

"A deadly virus called "Captain Trips", engineered as an advanced biological weapon by the government, is accidentally released across America and the world, causing 99.4% of the entire world's population to die. The 0.6% who survive struggle to find their bearings in the aftermath of the plague. They all dream about two opposing figures: Randall Flagg, the Dark Man, and Mother Abagail, who is receiving visions from God. The survivors split into two factions, one led by Flagg, and one led by Mother Abigail, and prepare for the final stand between good and evil."

This won't be the first time The Stand has been adapted for TV. Back in 1994, Mick Garris helmed a 4-episode made-for-TV miniseries starring Gary Sinise, Molly Ringwald, and Jamey Sheridan. Though it still scores respectively on IMDB (7.2 out of 10) and Rotten Tomatoes (86% Fresh) it lacked the uncompromising terror of its source material. Indeed, any King adaptation will have to be culled significantly to appease the FCC, though the success of 2017's R-rated IT proves genre fans and mainstream audiences alike will turn out in droves for a faithful cinematic interpretation of The Master's work. It'll be ages before we see a trailer, so feel free to pass the time by revisiting the trailer for Garris's The Stand at the bottom of the article. This news comes to us from Deadline.