where you made your stand never mattered. only that you were there... and still on your feet.
STEPHEN KING'S THE STAND:
THE RE-CASTING
Graffito written on the front of the First Baptist Church of Atlanta in red spray paint:
"Dear Jesus. I will see you soon.
Your friend, America.
PS. I hope you will still have some vacancies by the end of the week."
Captain Trips. A bio-engineered super flu. In less than a month it wipes out 98% of the population. In the post-apocalyptic aftermath, the survivors are drawn by their dreams to two very different leaders: the elderly and religious Mother Abigail and the Walkin' Dude, the Dark Man who has had a hundred names over the millenia. The Stand is both an epic vision of the end of the world, and one of the grandest clashes between good and evil.
There was a 4-part, 8-hour miniseries released in 1994 starring the likes of Gary Sinise and Rob Lowe, and while it's an entertaining watch, I never felt that the casting was quite right. And THUS, MY RE-CASTING!
MOTHER ABAGAIL, NEBRASKA
cicely tyson
"Please, my Lord, my Lord, not unless I have to, I'd have you take this cup from my lips if You can. I'm old and I'm scared and mostly I'd just like to lie right here on the home place. I'm ready to go right now if You want me. Thy will be done, my Lord, but Abb's one tired shufflin old black woman. Thy will be done."
Mother Abagail didn't want to outlive all of her kith and kin. But at the age of 108, Abagail finds herself leading the forces of good against the incredible power of the Dark Man, Randall Flagg. Often speaking to God (and sometimes even getting a reply), Abagail is a powerful beacon of hope for the survivors and delivers the difficult orders to send some into Las Vegas against Randall Flagg.
Abagail's one sin is pride, but considering all she's accomplished and seen in her life, you can't truly blame her. She has several stirring moments, and Cicely Tyson is great at playing powerful women of conviction.
STUART REDMAN, EAST TEXAS
nathan fillion
"Mr. Redman, you're not being reasonable!" Denninger was keeping a prudent distance away. "Your lack of cooperation may do your country a grave disservice. Do you understand me?"
"Nope," Stu said. "Right now it looks to me like it's my country doing me a grave disservice. It's got me locked up in a hospital room in Georgia with a buttermouth little pissant doctor who doesn't know shit from Shinola. Get your ass out of here and send somebody in to talk to me or send enough boys to take what you need by force. I'll fight 'em, you can count on that."
Stu Redman knows that life is far from charmed. He's never had a dream come true, he lost his wife to cancer after three years of marriage, he's been to war and yet never escaped his dead-end hometown. But when Captain Trips devastates the world, this quiet Texan of few words discovers a strength he never knew when he's called upon to lead the survivors.
Stu is a soft-spoken man who's smarter than most give him credit for, and a stronger person than even he knows yet. He's also my absolute favourite character in the entire book -- and in my top ten favourite fictional characters of all time. Nathan could handle the accent, the character, and bring Stu to life perfectly. I'm sure of this.
FRANNIE GOLDSMITH, MAINE
zooey deschanel
From Fran Goldsmith's diary:
Stu was sitting with his back to the iron gate in the high wall that ran around the place, and I wanted to.. oh go ahead, Frannie, if you can't tell your diary, who can you tell? I wanted to run to him and kiss him and tell him I was ashamed for all of us not believing him.
Oh dear, I'm falling in love with him, I think I've got the world's most crushable crush!
Frannie thought the world had already thrown its biggest curveball at her when she discovered she was pregnant, out of wedlock and just in college. But then the flu came, and... While traveling with Harold, the teenaged brother of her best friend and only other survivor of her hometown, Frannie meets Stu. Their love seems destined -- if only Harold's jealousy hadn't turned so murderous...
Fran is an eternal optimist, someone who holds onto kindness and innocence despite the terrible darkness life throws in her path. She loves to laugh, and love, and has endless depths of empathy and determination. Zooey's so good at doing wide-eyed wonder and quirky sweetness, I think she'd bring a lot of warmth and sweetness to the role.
HAROLD LAUDER, MAINE
jonah hill
"Why can't I say what I mean?" he screamed. "I've always been able to say what I meant! It's a writer's job to carve with language, to hew close to the bone, so why can't I say what it feels like?"
Harold Lauder has never fit in. Unloved by his family, shunned by his classmates, ignored by Fran (the object of his teenaged obsession and affections), Harold allows the hatred in his heart to grow and twist, allowing his dreams for revenge to strangle the great man he could one day become. Everyone underestimates Harold, taken in by his cheerful act of bonhomie and good advice, and all the while the dark cogs are ticking away in his head...
Harold's a character you pity even as you recoil from him. He has moments of sweetness and greatness, and most can relate to his motivations and anger. But he crosses the biggest line in the story, and his arc is definitely a cautionary tale about the dangers of jealousy and revenge. Jonah Hill definitely looks like Harold, and I'd like to see how he handles a more role for a change.
GLEN BATEMAN, NEW HAMPSHIRE
hal holbrook
"I was prejudiced against the world," Bateman said. "I admit that freely. The world in the last quarter of the twentieth century had, for me at least, all the charm of an eighty-year-old man dying of cancer of the colon. They say it's a malaise which has struck all Western peoples as the century -- any century -- draws to a close. We have always wrapped ourselves in mourning shrouds and gone around crying woe to thee, O Jerusalem... or Cleveland, as the case may be."
A retired professor, Glen is the scholar and voice of reason in the story. It's through Glen's musings and speeches that we get much of the novel's philosophy and messages -- and through him, King makes some very emotional and powerful commentary about society and human nature.
I LOVE GLEN BATEMEN. For all of his cynicism and intellectual pretentions, he remains a sweet old man. And almost everything he says is both A) incredibly important and B) incredibly interesting. Hal Holbrook is basically the world's best grandpa, and he'd make Glen both endearing and intelligent.
DAYNA JURGENS, OHIO
ali larter
She thought: My name is Dayna Roberta Jurgens, and I am afraid, but I have been afraid before. All he can take from me is what I would have to give up someday anyhow -- my life. I wil not let him break me down. I will not let him make me less than I am, if I can possibly help it. I want to die well... and I am going to have what I want.
She turned the knob and stepped through into the inner office... and into the presence of Randall Flagg.
Dayna Jurgens has survived through sheer force of will. First, the plague. Then the savagery of men who made her part of their "harem". She proves her worth to Stu and the other people of Boulder, accepting a suicidal mission to stop Randall Flagg and save what's left of goodness in humanity. And when her time finally comes, the time to take her stand, she takes it fearlessly and with determination, thwarting the Dark Man's quest for information and protecting her fellow spy -- the sweet-hearted and feeble-minded Tom Cullen.
Dayna is pretty much the definition of a fierce bitch. She's so strong-willed that she manages to stand up to even the Dark Man's hypnotic powers. She's got a truly heroic, die-fighting mentality. And Ali Larter has shown that she can play heroic, fierce bitches for years.
NICK ANDROS, ARKANSAS
anton yelchin
"You ain't gonna go without Tom Cullen, are you?"
Nick shook his head firmly.
"Okay," Tom said, and turned confidently to his toys. Before he could stop himself, Nick had ruffled the man's hair. Tom looked up and smiled shyly at him. Nick smiled back. No, he couldn't just leave him. That was sure.
Nick Andros has always lived on the margins. A deaf-mute from birth, he's struggled his entire life: to communicate, to learn, and to take care of himself in a world where he's never gotten an easy break. Living so rough would harden most, but Nick rises above everything to become one of the bravest, smartest, and most self-sacrificing characters Stephen King has ever created. When Nick, barely out of his teens, meets the mentally feeble Tom Cullen, my heart literally sings: their bromance is one of the sweetest and most sincere relationships I've ever encountered.
Anton has such a youthful face, and a cocky, snarky sweetness about him that Nick has in spades. He's also got some hella impressive acting chops, and I think he'd bring the wise-beyond-your-years quality to Nick and make him as incredible and loveable as he is in the book.
TOM CULLEN, OKLAHOMA
philip seymour hoffman
"Hey mister!" Tom said, rushing up. The no-talking man didn't turn around. Tom was momentarily puzzled, and then he remembered. He tapped Nick on the shoulder and Nick turned. "You're deaf n dumb, right? Can't hear! Can't talk! Right?"
Nick nodded. And to him, Tom's reaction was nothing short of amazing. He jumped into the air and clapped his hands wildly.
"I thought of it! Hooray for me! I thought of it myself! Hooray for Tom Cullen!"
Tom Cullen may be in his late forties, but at heart and in his mind he'll always be a perpetual seven-year-old. His innocence and kindness are infectious, and while everyone writes him off as a useless but sweet man, he truly proves his worth when he saves more than one life...
I love Stu, and I love Nick, and I love Tom. He's perhaps the most entertaining character in the story, and it's pretty much impossible not to smile or tear up when he's with Nick, playing with his trucks, or simply being good ol' Tom Cullen. Philip Seymour Hoffman would do a grand job with Tom, making him as endearing and ultimately awesome as he is in the book. (Many thanks to theclynodactyl for making this incredibly perfect casting suggestion.)
RALPH BRENTNER, KANSAS
linden ashby
The face that appeared belonged to a fortyish man wearing a straw hat with a feather cocked into the blue velvet band at a rakish angle, and when he grinned, his face became a drywash of agreeable sunwrinkles.
And what he said was: "Holy Christ on a carousel, am I glad to see you boys? I guess I am. Climb on up here and let's see where we're going."
That was how Nick and Tom met Ralph Brentner.
Ralph is a good-natured, laid-back cowboy who likes to talk plainly and work hard. He doesn't get a whole lot of "screentime" in the book, but he does contribute in some of of the novel's biggest moments, and he's a likable supporting character.
Linden Ashby is very good-looking and plays the awesome cowboy well, as was evidenced by his small role in Resident Evil: Extinction (yes, I love those movies, so?). Also, he was Johnny Cage. X^D
LARRY UNDERWOOD, NEW YORK
joseph gordon-levitt
Baby, can you dig your man?
He's a righteous man.
Tell me baby, can you dig your man?
Larry Underwood lived a dissolute life of excess and bad decisions before Captain Trips struck. A musician who was on his way to becoming either the next big pop star or a one-hit-wonder, he's struggled with a catalogue of character flaws: cowardice, selfishness, weakness, and a nasty temper. His personal journey through the fire is a compelling one -- at the end, will Larry make his stand with the forces of good, or with the Dark Man?
Larry is quite possibly the most complex character in the novel, full of darkness and capable of greatness, too. The part would require some impressive acting chops, the ability to stride the line between villainous and heroic, and the talent to play a guitar and carry a tune. I think Joseph Gordon-Levitt would be a perfect fit, able to play both the uncertain boy and the womanizing asshole.
NADINE CROSS, MAINE
christina ricci
Now the change was coming, and in her dreams she had begun to know her bridegroom, to understand him a little, even though she had never seen his face. He was the one she had been waiting for. She wanted to go to him... but she didn't want to. She was meant for him, but he terrified her.
Played over and over again, like a dominant chord, was her own firm belief that murder in this decimated world was the gravest sin, and her heart told her firmly and without question that death was Randall Flagg's business. But oh how she wanted his cold kiss -- more than she had wanted the kisses of the high school boy, or the college boy... even more, she feared, than Larry Underwood's kiss and embrace.
Nadine Cross is a woman who has lived at the center of a crossroads her entire life. She has known that she was meant for a man, a dark man, who would only take her if she was pure. And so she has fought with herself, and denied herself, to stay pure for the dark man. But when she meets Larry Underwood, the struggle is almost too much, and in this fight Nadine will have to sacrifice something: her destiny, or her sanity.
Yet another multi-faceted character who has both good and evil inside them, Nadine is a helluva whirlwind when it comes to emotions and motivations. I think Christina Ricci could convey the depth of Nadine's inner turmoil and her contradictory nature, and I want to see Christina do something this juicy and satisfying. (Where has she been the past couple years???)
JOE (LEO ROCKWAY), MAINE
jacob kogan
"All right," Larry said. "All yours. When you want a lesson, come see me."
The boy made a hooting sound and ran off along the beach, holding the guitar high over his head like a sacrificial offering.
"He's going to smash it to hell," Larry said.
"No," Nadine answered. "I don't think he is."
Named Joe by Nadine, who finds him near death from a rat bite, Leo Rockway is the most outwardly damaged of the survivors. Traumatized to the point of muteness and vicious savagery, Joe/Leo behaves like an unpredictable wild animal, as prone to lash out with a knife as he is to cling close for comfort. It's only when he begins to build a relationship with Larry, built on their shared love of music, that Leo begins to reclaim his humanity and reason.
The part of Leo requires both detachment and unpredictable passion, and what little I've seen of Jacob Kogan's work (wee!Spock!) makes me think he could hande it. Also, he looks like Leo, and I don't really know enough American child actors to cast anyone else. (Honesty!)
JUDGE FARRIS, ILLINOIS
morgan freeman
Lucy drew closer to him and saw that his Bible was open on his lap. "Judge, you'll strain your eyes doing that."
"Nonsense. Starlight's the best light for this stuff. Maybe the only light. How's this? 'Is there not an appointed time to man upon earth? are not his days like the days of an hireling? As a servant earnestly desireth the shadow, and as an hireling looketh for the reward of his work: So am I made to possess months of vanity, and wearisome nights are appointed to me. When I lie down, I say, When shall I arise, and the night be gone? and I am full of tossings to and fro unto the dawning of the day.'"
Judge Farris is an old man when he throws his lot in with Larry Underwood's group of survivors; an old, wise, and good man. He's a pillar of strength and fortitude and a great sounding board for the struggling Larry, and he provides advice and support to everyone in Boulder. Like Dayna and Tom, the Judge doesn't shirk his work when he's appointed to go into the Devil's lair.
Maybe my fondness for the Judge stems from the fact that he's from Illinois (Joliet, in fact, which is about an hour and a half away from my house!), but I think his moments are pretty damn powerful, and his speeches are some of King's best writing. When you need someone who simply exudes wisdom and awesomeness, who can deliver stirring speeches full of Biblical references, you cannot fail with Morgan Freeman.
LUCY SWANN, NEW HAMPSHIRE
rachel mcadams
Lucy said, "How did it go? I am full of tossings and turnings unto the dawning of the day?"
The Judge nodded.
"Pretty good description of a man in love, isn't it?"
He looked at her, surprised that she had known all along about the thing he wouldn't say. Lucy shrugged, smiled -- a bitter quirk of the lips. "Women know," she said. "Women almost always know."
Before he could reply, she had drifted away toward the road, where Larry would be, sitting and thinking about Nadine Cross.
Lucy Swann thought her life was over when Captain Trips took her husband and baby daughter from her. But then she found Larry Underwood and Joe, and she discovered she had a reason to live after all. Unfortunately for poor Lucy, she always knew Larry couldn't love her the way she loved him. Not when Nadine Cross had come before her...
Lucy is one of those long-suffering but noble characters who understands her lot in life and strives to be happy with it. She loves someone who can't properly love her back, but she seeks comfort in the time they do share. She's also very empathetic and motherly with the young, traumatized Joe, and strong in her own right. Rachel McAdams could bring the pathos and the strength needed to the role, and I'd love to see her play off of both Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Christina Ricci.
THE TRASHCAN MAN, INDIANA
alan tudyk
"CIIIII-A-BOLA! BUMPTY-BUMPTY-BUMP! MY LIFE FOR YOU!"
Trashcan Man had a name once. But he threw that away when the flu freed him from his past. With everyone dead, Trash was finally free to set the fires his soul craved, finally free of the hurtful taunts and brutal institutions that had plagued him his entire life. When the Dark Man calls to him, promising him a place of honor in his new kingdom of Cibola and the task of "setting the world to burn", Trash pledges his life and soul to Randall Flagg.
And everything began to burn....
Trashcan Man is incredibly insane; to a staggering degree. But there's a Gollum-like quality to him -- he can't help the fact that he's a born pyromaniac, that he was different from everyone else. After years of terrible treatment and abuse, you can't blame him for going utterly batshit and pledging his life to the Devil. Alan Tudyk could give Trash both the necessary insane inner light of the zealot and the air of a pitiful kicked puppy.
LLOYD HENREID,
josh holloway
Lloyd was too stunned to even nod. He had decided that the man with the key was indeed a devil, or even more likely a mirage, and the mirage would stand outside his cell until Lloyd finally dropped dead, talking happily about God and Jesus and Gulden's Spicy Brown mustard as he made the strange black stone appear and disappear. The black stone disappeared into his clenched fish again. And when the fist opened, Lloyd's wondering eyes beheld a flat silver key with an ornate grip lying on the stranger's palm.
"My -- dear -- God!" Lloyd croaked.
Lloyd Henreid is not a nice man. A drug user, a thief, and a cowardly man who's quick to use violence to get what he wants, he finds himself in prison following a botched gas station robbery that ended with his partner Poke getting his head blown off. When the Dark Man offers him his freedom -- and an escape from death-by-starvation -- Lloyd takes it willingly, knowing full well that he's giving up his soul in return.
Josh Holloway might be a bit too pretty to play the cruel, crude, and frankly stupid Lloyd, but he can play the convict role well, and I'd like to see him try his hand at being a complete bad guy.
THE DARK MAN, RANDALL FLAGG
timothy olyphant
He was happier than he had ever been, because--
He stopped.
Because something was coming. He could feel it, almost taste it on the night air. He could taste it, a sooty hot taste that came from everywhere, as if God was planning a cook-out and all of civilization was going to be the barbeque. Already the charcoal was hot, white and flaky outside, as red as demons' eyes inside. A huge thing, a great thing.
It was almost time to be reborn. He knew. Why else could he suddenly do magic?
Randall Flagg. The Dark Man. The Walkin' Dude. He's worn a thousand names over thousands of years. He's been at the crux of every devastating tragedy and moment of destruction. He feeds off fear and blood and darkness. He is evil given human shape. And he is walking the world once again, walking down the empty roads alongside his friend Captain Trips.
In The Stand, Randall Flagg is sort of a wild cowboy gone wrong, who wears a jean jacket and old boots and has glittering red eyes. He's intense, and he's got a Joker-like quality to his insane laughter and brutal jokes. Does anyone not want to see Timothy Olyphant play the devil, seducing Christina Ricci and fighting against Nathan Fillion and Co.? Yeah, I thought so.
THE RE-CASTING
Graffito written on the front of the First Baptist Church of Atlanta in red spray paint:
"Dear Jesus. I will see you soon.
Your friend, America.
PS. I hope you will still have some vacancies by the end of the week."
Captain Trips. A bio-engineered super flu. In less than a month it wipes out 98% of the population. In the post-apocalyptic aftermath, the survivors are drawn by their dreams to two very different leaders: the elderly and religious Mother Abigail and the Walkin' Dude, the Dark Man who has had a hundred names over the millenia. The Stand is both an epic vision of the end of the world, and one of the grandest clashes between good and evil.
There was a 4-part, 8-hour miniseries released in 1994 starring the likes of Gary Sinise and Rob Lowe, and while it's an entertaining watch, I never felt that the casting was quite right. And THUS, MY RE-CASTING!
MOTHER ABAGAIL, NEBRASKA
cicely tyson
"Please, my Lord, my Lord, not unless I have to, I'd have you take this cup from my lips if You can. I'm old and I'm scared and mostly I'd just like to lie right here on the home place. I'm ready to go right now if You want me. Thy will be done, my Lord, but Abb's one tired shufflin old black woman. Thy will be done."
Mother Abagail didn't want to outlive all of her kith and kin. But at the age of 108, Abagail finds herself leading the forces of good against the incredible power of the Dark Man, Randall Flagg. Often speaking to God (and sometimes even getting a reply), Abagail is a powerful beacon of hope for the survivors and delivers the difficult orders to send some into Las Vegas against Randall Flagg.
Abagail's one sin is pride, but considering all she's accomplished and seen in her life, you can't truly blame her. She has several stirring moments, and Cicely Tyson is great at playing powerful women of conviction.
STUART REDMAN, EAST TEXAS
nathan fillion
"Mr. Redman, you're not being reasonable!" Denninger was keeping a prudent distance away. "Your lack of cooperation may do your country a grave disservice. Do you understand me?"
"Nope," Stu said. "Right now it looks to me like it's my country doing me a grave disservice. It's got me locked up in a hospital room in Georgia with a buttermouth little pissant doctor who doesn't know shit from Shinola. Get your ass out of here and send somebody in to talk to me or send enough boys to take what you need by force. I'll fight 'em, you can count on that."
Stu Redman knows that life is far from charmed. He's never had a dream come true, he lost his wife to cancer after three years of marriage, he's been to war and yet never escaped his dead-end hometown. But when Captain Trips devastates the world, this quiet Texan of few words discovers a strength he never knew when he's called upon to lead the survivors.
Stu is a soft-spoken man who's smarter than most give him credit for, and a stronger person than even he knows yet. He's also my absolute favourite character in the entire book -- and in my top ten favourite fictional characters of all time. Nathan could handle the accent, the character, and bring Stu to life perfectly. I'm sure of this.
FRANNIE GOLDSMITH, MAINE
zooey deschanel
From Fran Goldsmith's diary:
Stu was sitting with his back to the iron gate in the high wall that ran around the place, and I wanted to.. oh go ahead, Frannie, if you can't tell your diary, who can you tell? I wanted to run to him and kiss him and tell him I was ashamed for all of us not believing him.
Oh dear, I'm falling in love with him, I think I've got the world's most crushable crush!
Frannie thought the world had already thrown its biggest curveball at her when she discovered she was pregnant, out of wedlock and just in college. But then the flu came, and... While traveling with Harold, the teenaged brother of her best friend and only other survivor of her hometown, Frannie meets Stu. Their love seems destined -- if only Harold's jealousy hadn't turned so murderous...
Fran is an eternal optimist, someone who holds onto kindness and innocence despite the terrible darkness life throws in her path. She loves to laugh, and love, and has endless depths of empathy and determination. Zooey's so good at doing wide-eyed wonder and quirky sweetness, I think she'd bring a lot of warmth and sweetness to the role.
HAROLD LAUDER, MAINE
jonah hill
"Why can't I say what I mean?" he screamed. "I've always been able to say what I meant! It's a writer's job to carve with language, to hew close to the bone, so why can't I say what it feels like?"
Harold Lauder has never fit in. Unloved by his family, shunned by his classmates, ignored by Fran (the object of his teenaged obsession and affections), Harold allows the hatred in his heart to grow and twist, allowing his dreams for revenge to strangle the great man he could one day become. Everyone underestimates Harold, taken in by his cheerful act of bonhomie and good advice, and all the while the dark cogs are ticking away in his head...
Harold's a character you pity even as you recoil from him. He has moments of sweetness and greatness, and most can relate to his motivations and anger. But he crosses the biggest line in the story, and his arc is definitely a cautionary tale about the dangers of jealousy and revenge. Jonah Hill definitely looks like Harold, and I'd like to see how he handles a more role for a change.
GLEN BATEMAN, NEW HAMPSHIRE
hal holbrook
"I was prejudiced against the world," Bateman said. "I admit that freely. The world in the last quarter of the twentieth century had, for me at least, all the charm of an eighty-year-old man dying of cancer of the colon. They say it's a malaise which has struck all Western peoples as the century -- any century -- draws to a close. We have always wrapped ourselves in mourning shrouds and gone around crying woe to thee, O Jerusalem... or Cleveland, as the case may be."
A retired professor, Glen is the scholar and voice of reason in the story. It's through Glen's musings and speeches that we get much of the novel's philosophy and messages -- and through him, King makes some very emotional and powerful commentary about society and human nature.
I LOVE GLEN BATEMEN. For all of his cynicism and intellectual pretentions, he remains a sweet old man. And almost everything he says is both A) incredibly important and B) incredibly interesting. Hal Holbrook is basically the world's best grandpa, and he'd make Glen both endearing and intelligent.
DAYNA JURGENS, OHIO
ali larter
She thought: My name is Dayna Roberta Jurgens, and I am afraid, but I have been afraid before. All he can take from me is what I would have to give up someday anyhow -- my life. I wil not let him break me down. I will not let him make me less than I am, if I can possibly help it. I want to die well... and I am going to have what I want.
She turned the knob and stepped through into the inner office... and into the presence of Randall Flagg.
Dayna Jurgens has survived through sheer force of will. First, the plague. Then the savagery of men who made her part of their "harem". She proves her worth to Stu and the other people of Boulder, accepting a suicidal mission to stop Randall Flagg and save what's left of goodness in humanity. And when her time finally comes, the time to take her stand, she takes it fearlessly and with determination, thwarting the Dark Man's quest for information and protecting her fellow spy -- the sweet-hearted and feeble-minded Tom Cullen.
Dayna is pretty much the definition of a fierce bitch. She's so strong-willed that she manages to stand up to even the Dark Man's hypnotic powers. She's got a truly heroic, die-fighting mentality. And Ali Larter has shown that she can play heroic, fierce bitches for years.
NICK ANDROS, ARKANSAS
anton yelchin
"You ain't gonna go without Tom Cullen, are you?"
Nick shook his head firmly.
"Okay," Tom said, and turned confidently to his toys. Before he could stop himself, Nick had ruffled the man's hair. Tom looked up and smiled shyly at him. Nick smiled back. No, he couldn't just leave him. That was sure.
Nick Andros has always lived on the margins. A deaf-mute from birth, he's struggled his entire life: to communicate, to learn, and to take care of himself in a world where he's never gotten an easy break. Living so rough would harden most, but Nick rises above everything to become one of the bravest, smartest, and most self-sacrificing characters Stephen King has ever created. When Nick, barely out of his teens, meets the mentally feeble Tom Cullen, my heart literally sings: their bromance is one of the sweetest and most sincere relationships I've ever encountered.
Anton has such a youthful face, and a cocky, snarky sweetness about him that Nick has in spades. He's also got some hella impressive acting chops, and I think he'd bring the wise-beyond-your-years quality to Nick and make him as incredible and loveable as he is in the book.
TOM CULLEN, OKLAHOMA
philip seymour hoffman
"Hey mister!" Tom said, rushing up. The no-talking man didn't turn around. Tom was momentarily puzzled, and then he remembered. He tapped Nick on the shoulder and Nick turned. "You're deaf n dumb, right? Can't hear! Can't talk! Right?"
Nick nodded. And to him, Tom's reaction was nothing short of amazing. He jumped into the air and clapped his hands wildly.
"I thought of it! Hooray for me! I thought of it myself! Hooray for Tom Cullen!"
Tom Cullen may be in his late forties, but at heart and in his mind he'll always be a perpetual seven-year-old. His innocence and kindness are infectious, and while everyone writes him off as a useless but sweet man, he truly proves his worth when he saves more than one life...
I love Stu, and I love Nick, and I love Tom. He's perhaps the most entertaining character in the story, and it's pretty much impossible not to smile or tear up when he's with Nick, playing with his trucks, or simply being good ol' Tom Cullen. Philip Seymour Hoffman would do a grand job with Tom, making him as endearing and ultimately awesome as he is in the book. (Many thanks to theclynodactyl for making this incredibly perfect casting suggestion.)
RALPH BRENTNER, KANSAS
linden ashby
The face that appeared belonged to a fortyish man wearing a straw hat with a feather cocked into the blue velvet band at a rakish angle, and when he grinned, his face became a drywash of agreeable sunwrinkles.
And what he said was: "Holy Christ on a carousel, am I glad to see you boys? I guess I am. Climb on up here and let's see where we're going."
That was how Nick and Tom met Ralph Brentner.
Ralph is a good-natured, laid-back cowboy who likes to talk plainly and work hard. He doesn't get a whole lot of "screentime" in the book, but he does contribute in some of of the novel's biggest moments, and he's a likable supporting character.
Linden Ashby is very good-looking and plays the awesome cowboy well, as was evidenced by his small role in Resident Evil: Extinction (yes, I love those movies, so?). Also, he was Johnny Cage. X^D
LARRY UNDERWOOD, NEW YORK
joseph gordon-levitt
Baby, can you dig your man?
He's a righteous man.
Tell me baby, can you dig your man?
Larry Underwood lived a dissolute life of excess and bad decisions before Captain Trips struck. A musician who was on his way to becoming either the next big pop star or a one-hit-wonder, he's struggled with a catalogue of character flaws: cowardice, selfishness, weakness, and a nasty temper. His personal journey through the fire is a compelling one -- at the end, will Larry make his stand with the forces of good, or with the Dark Man?
Larry is quite possibly the most complex character in the novel, full of darkness and capable of greatness, too. The part would require some impressive acting chops, the ability to stride the line between villainous and heroic, and the talent to play a guitar and carry a tune. I think Joseph Gordon-Levitt would be a perfect fit, able to play both the uncertain boy and the womanizing asshole.
NADINE CROSS, MAINE
christina ricci
Now the change was coming, and in her dreams she had begun to know her bridegroom, to understand him a little, even though she had never seen his face. He was the one she had been waiting for. She wanted to go to him... but she didn't want to. She was meant for him, but he terrified her.
Played over and over again, like a dominant chord, was her own firm belief that murder in this decimated world was the gravest sin, and her heart told her firmly and without question that death was Randall Flagg's business. But oh how she wanted his cold kiss -- more than she had wanted the kisses of the high school boy, or the college boy... even more, she feared, than Larry Underwood's kiss and embrace.
Nadine Cross is a woman who has lived at the center of a crossroads her entire life. She has known that she was meant for a man, a dark man, who would only take her if she was pure. And so she has fought with herself, and denied herself, to stay pure for the dark man. But when she meets Larry Underwood, the struggle is almost too much, and in this fight Nadine will have to sacrifice something: her destiny, or her sanity.
Yet another multi-faceted character who has both good and evil inside them, Nadine is a helluva whirlwind when it comes to emotions and motivations. I think Christina Ricci could convey the depth of Nadine's inner turmoil and her contradictory nature, and I want to see Christina do something this juicy and satisfying. (Where has she been the past couple years???)
JOE (LEO ROCKWAY), MAINE
jacob kogan
"All right," Larry said. "All yours. When you want a lesson, come see me."
The boy made a hooting sound and ran off along the beach, holding the guitar high over his head like a sacrificial offering.
"He's going to smash it to hell," Larry said.
"No," Nadine answered. "I don't think he is."
Named Joe by Nadine, who finds him near death from a rat bite, Leo Rockway is the most outwardly damaged of the survivors. Traumatized to the point of muteness and vicious savagery, Joe/Leo behaves like an unpredictable wild animal, as prone to lash out with a knife as he is to cling close for comfort. It's only when he begins to build a relationship with Larry, built on their shared love of music, that Leo begins to reclaim his humanity and reason.
The part of Leo requires both detachment and unpredictable passion, and what little I've seen of Jacob Kogan's work (wee!Spock!) makes me think he could hande it. Also, he looks like Leo, and I don't really know enough American child actors to cast anyone else. (Honesty!)
JUDGE FARRIS, ILLINOIS
morgan freeman
Lucy drew closer to him and saw that his Bible was open on his lap. "Judge, you'll strain your eyes doing that."
"Nonsense. Starlight's the best light for this stuff. Maybe the only light. How's this? 'Is there not an appointed time to man upon earth? are not his days like the days of an hireling? As a servant earnestly desireth the shadow, and as an hireling looketh for the reward of his work: So am I made to possess months of vanity, and wearisome nights are appointed to me. When I lie down, I say, When shall I arise, and the night be gone? and I am full of tossings to and fro unto the dawning of the day.'"
Judge Farris is an old man when he throws his lot in with Larry Underwood's group of survivors; an old, wise, and good man. He's a pillar of strength and fortitude and a great sounding board for the struggling Larry, and he provides advice and support to everyone in Boulder. Like Dayna and Tom, the Judge doesn't shirk his work when he's appointed to go into the Devil's lair.
Maybe my fondness for the Judge stems from the fact that he's from Illinois (Joliet, in fact, which is about an hour and a half away from my house!), but I think his moments are pretty damn powerful, and his speeches are some of King's best writing. When you need someone who simply exudes wisdom and awesomeness, who can deliver stirring speeches full of Biblical references, you cannot fail with Morgan Freeman.
LUCY SWANN, NEW HAMPSHIRE
rachel mcadams
Lucy said, "How did it go? I am full of tossings and turnings unto the dawning of the day?"
The Judge nodded.
"Pretty good description of a man in love, isn't it?"
He looked at her, surprised that she had known all along about the thing he wouldn't say. Lucy shrugged, smiled -- a bitter quirk of the lips. "Women know," she said. "Women almost always know."
Before he could reply, she had drifted away toward the road, where Larry would be, sitting and thinking about Nadine Cross.
Lucy Swann thought her life was over when Captain Trips took her husband and baby daughter from her. But then she found Larry Underwood and Joe, and she discovered she had a reason to live after all. Unfortunately for poor Lucy, she always knew Larry couldn't love her the way she loved him. Not when Nadine Cross had come before her...
Lucy is one of those long-suffering but noble characters who understands her lot in life and strives to be happy with it. She loves someone who can't properly love her back, but she seeks comfort in the time they do share. She's also very empathetic and motherly with the young, traumatized Joe, and strong in her own right. Rachel McAdams could bring the pathos and the strength needed to the role, and I'd love to see her play off of both Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Christina Ricci.
THE TRASHCAN MAN, INDIANA
alan tudyk
"CIIIII-A-BOLA! BUMPTY-BUMPTY-BUMP! MY LIFE FOR YOU!"
Trashcan Man had a name once. But he threw that away when the flu freed him from his past. With everyone dead, Trash was finally free to set the fires his soul craved, finally free of the hurtful taunts and brutal institutions that had plagued him his entire life. When the Dark Man calls to him, promising him a place of honor in his new kingdom of Cibola and the task of "setting the world to burn", Trash pledges his life and soul to Randall Flagg.
And everything began to burn....
Trashcan Man is incredibly insane; to a staggering degree. But there's a Gollum-like quality to him -- he can't help the fact that he's a born pyromaniac, that he was different from everyone else. After years of terrible treatment and abuse, you can't blame him for going utterly batshit and pledging his life to the Devil. Alan Tudyk could give Trash both the necessary insane inner light of the zealot and the air of a pitiful kicked puppy.
LLOYD HENREID,
josh holloway
Lloyd was too stunned to even nod. He had decided that the man with the key was indeed a devil, or even more likely a mirage, and the mirage would stand outside his cell until Lloyd finally dropped dead, talking happily about God and Jesus and Gulden's Spicy Brown mustard as he made the strange black stone appear and disappear. The black stone disappeared into his clenched fish again. And when the fist opened, Lloyd's wondering eyes beheld a flat silver key with an ornate grip lying on the stranger's palm.
"My -- dear -- God!" Lloyd croaked.
Lloyd Henreid is not a nice man. A drug user, a thief, and a cowardly man who's quick to use violence to get what he wants, he finds himself in prison following a botched gas station robbery that ended with his partner Poke getting his head blown off. When the Dark Man offers him his freedom -- and an escape from death-by-starvation -- Lloyd takes it willingly, knowing full well that he's giving up his soul in return.
Josh Holloway might be a bit too pretty to play the cruel, crude, and frankly stupid Lloyd, but he can play the convict role well, and I'd like to see him try his hand at being a complete bad guy.
THE DARK MAN, RANDALL FLAGG
timothy olyphant
He was happier than he had ever been, because--
He stopped.
Because something was coming. He could feel it, almost taste it on the night air. He could taste it, a sooty hot taste that came from everywhere, as if God was planning a cook-out and all of civilization was going to be the barbeque. Already the charcoal was hot, white and flaky outside, as red as demons' eyes inside. A huge thing, a great thing.
It was almost time to be reborn. He knew. Why else could he suddenly do magic?
Randall Flagg. The Dark Man. The Walkin' Dude. He's worn a thousand names over thousands of years. He's been at the crux of every devastating tragedy and moment of destruction. He feeds off fear and blood and darkness. He is evil given human shape. And he is walking the world once again, walking down the empty roads alongside his friend Captain Trips.
In The Stand, Randall Flagg is sort of a wild cowboy gone wrong, who wears a jean jacket and old boots and has glittering red eyes. He's intense, and he's got a Joker-like quality to his insane laughter and brutal jokes. Does anyone not want to see Timothy Olyphant play the devil, seducing Christina Ricci and fighting against Nathan Fillion and Co.? Yeah, I thought so.