With Devin Faraci's article titled, "How Will The Movie Version Of THE STAND End?" and a subtitle, "Will the film retain Stephen King's finale?" I feel myself getting a little concerned.
He addressed in particular the ending, writing:
I do know how the draft before Boone ended, one written by David Kajganich. It's not great.
In this version, from last year, the good guy survivors from Boulder get together in an army and march on Las Vegas to kill Randall Flagg. Flagg's headquarters is, of course, the Luxor Pyramid. The Boulderites invade the city while, off to the east, a squad fights at the Boulder Dam - which Trashcan Man explodes, killing Larry Underwood and sending a deadly flood to Vegas. In the city Flagg squares off against hero Stu Redman... who now has the power of God, and they have an Akira-like battle on the Las Vegas Strip, with Flagg trying to take Stu's magic. Cars are thrown, Excalbur's turrets are tossed, the people of Vegas are used by Flagg as disposable cannon-fodder. Meanwhile Nick Andros sacrifices his life taking out a howitzer. The Boulder forces, while armed, try to only take prisoners and rescue people from being under Flagg's evil spell. It all comes down to Flagg and Stu, and whether or not Stu will absorb Flagg's evil magic.
(badassdigest.com)I actually find this interesting. But. . .
If they want to film an apocalyptic novel with lots of battles -- why not film Swan Song? Because it's not "Stephen King's Swan Song" or we would already be talking about remake #4.
I sympathize with the filmmakers trying to find a better ending than King's. Giving Stu superpowers is about as dumb an idea as any I've ever heard, though. If you're going to go that route, it would make sense to turn Mother Abigail into a Gandalf-like figure and have her fight Flagg.
ReplyDeleteKing's ending is logical and resonant, but it lends itself to term papers moreso than to the finale of a movie. So I definitely get why a screenwriter would avoid it in the process of trying to craft a potential blockbuster.
Hopefully Josh Boone will be able to do a good job with it.
I'll admit, with the ending of the Stand, while it's not bad or anything, nonetheless I kept thinking it was one of those occasions where I wouldn't have minded if King went the traditional action movie route (though not at all anything in the Michael Bay region, which is what that David Kajganich treatment reads like).
ReplyDeleteI'll also admit that the ending part is where I get really leery of how it could be pulled off. In my mind, the ending might work best as a two hour finale to a series, chronicling Larry and Ralph trying break their way out of boulder, occasionally taking down whoever gets in their way, only for them to almost reach freedom before bumping into Trashcan, allowing Flagg to catch up.
All this time it looks like a storm is building and that would play a big part in the denouement.
Anyway, that's the best idea I had as far as a Stand ending goes. Like I said, I'm sort of nervous about how they can pull this off in just a movie format.
ChrisC
I like the end the way King wrote it. But will explain why in another post. I would be in favor of more action. But the proposed ending was -- lame. Yes, hopeful with what a true King constant reader will do with the work.
ReplyDeleteI like the ending, too. It works for a novel. I just don't think it works as the finale to a big-budget movie. It certainly didn't work as the finale to a four-part miniseries...
DeleteI recalled an anime or something. o_O.
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ReplyDeleteI read the script of David Kajganich's IT. That guy wrote a lot of unproduced King remakes! Let me know if you would like to check it for yourself, I can send it, but here are some spoilers about the end and such: The Loser's Club is now just 5 people; Stan and Mike were written out. Richie is a closeted homosexual, encountering IT as the leper.
ReplyDeleteIn the end, it turns out time means nothing around IT. So when they enter IT's lair, both the adults and kids battle the clown together. With the help of all the dead children who were killed by IT.
If I remember correctly, isn't Eddie closeted in the novel? Like, so closeted he doesn't even know it himself? It'd make more sense to give that trait to him.
DeleteI can understand the urge to omit characters from a one-film version. Hopefully, that won't have to happen with a two-film version.
The time-dilation stuff sounds like crap.
Obviously I'd love to see that script.
DeleteBryant, I personally never got that from the book, but it's an interesting theory. The script tries to give each Loser a deep childhood trauma to overcome, which is why it made Richie closeted. Eddie already has his whole fake medicine deal.
ReplyDeleteDavid, I'll mail it to your contact address