He was a violent, controlling sort on Big Little Lies and now Alexander Skarsgard is getting a crack at one of the most notorious villains in fiction. According to Collider, he's snagged the role of Randall Flagg in Josh Boone's new TV adaptation of Stephen King's The Stand.
And that wasn't the only news to emerge about the show, which will initially be carried in the US on the CBS All Access streaming service, home to the likes of Star Trek: Discovery. King himself visited talk show The View to promote his latest book (The Institute, which is naturally already targeted for its own adaptation) and dropped word on a batch of new casting details. Jovan Adepo is on to play Larry Underwood, Owen Teague will be Harold Lauder, Brad William Henke's appearing as Tom Cullen and Daniel Sunjata is playing Cobb.
They join the likes of James Marsden as Stu Redman, a Texan who is the first man discovered to be immune to the Captain Trips virus that has ravaged the planet. He eventually becomes a leader in a community known as the Free Zone, and is tasked with confronting the evil Flagg. Amber Heard is Nadine Cross, a teacher who believes it is her destiny to stand at Flagg's side.
Whoopi Goldberg will be Mother Abigail, who claims to be a prophet and leads the "good" survivors towards what she sees as a sanctuary in Boulder, Colorado. Greg Kinnear's on to be Glen Bateman, a professor who joins Stu on his journey to meet Abigail, while Odessa Young is playing Frannie Goldsmith a young pregnant woman who leaves her devastated community behind and falls for Stu. Finally, we have Henry Zaga as Nick Andros, a young, deaf-mute grifter.
Boone is writing much of the miniseries, though King has said he's contributing the 10th and final instalment, which will provide a conclusion for the narrative not found in the book. The show should hit screens in 2020.