The Stand 2020: When The Series Was Filmed (Was It Inspired By COVID-19?)

2020’s The Stand miniseries paints a haunting portrayal of a global pandemic and the aftermath, but was the series influenced by real life events?

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WARNING: Spoilers for The Stand episode 1, “The End”, ahead

2020’s retelling of The Stand, from prolific horror author Stephen King is a prophetic vision of a global pandemic come to life, but was it at all inspired by the COVID-19 pandemic and its real life aftermath? Here’s when the show filmed and how it connects to the ongoing Coronavirus.

The Stand was originally published in 1978, and got a miniseries adaptation for the first time in 1994. The 2020 version features a new ending from King, and was directed by numerous notable names, including Josh Boone (The New Mutants), Vincenzo Natali (Cube, Splice) and features episodes written in part by King’s son, Owen King. The 10-episode series airs weekly on CBS All Access beginning December 17, 2020. Although 2020 has felt like the year of Stephen King, and not just because of the author’s ever-increasing popularity, he apologized for The Stand in 2020, addressing comments about him predicting COVID-19. While it’s true that art does often imitate life and vice-versa, the depiction of King’s superflu—also called Captain Tripps—in The Stand was unintentional, as filming happened prior to the outbreak’s early stages in the United States and Canada.

Production on The Stand began in September 2019 and wrapped in early March 2020; filming took place primarily in British Columbia, Canada. As the early stages of lockdowns across the United States and Canada began in mid to late March, and increased restrictions—such as border shut-downs and travel bans—extended into the spring months, it’s unfair to say that the filmmakers were inspired by the real pandemic. In a way, this prophetic insight is a hallmark of King’s book, and continues the source material’s spirit. While the book is over 40 years old, the new miniseries adapts a modern setting complete with mention of modern technology, such as Instagram. This will likely put audiences in a strange and unfamiliar place, given some of the stark similarities that might cause some to question the series’ timing and whether it’s too soon.

Even though Stephen King and those associated with The Stand miniseries couldn’t possibly have predicted a global pandemic, and have dramatized the superflu in King’s novel based on the material that was already present, it’s still interesting timing. As of this writing, there have been over 72 million reported cases of COVID-19 worldwide, with approximately 1.6 million people dead and 41.3 million recovered. Some areas remain in various stages of lockdown, with top experts in the field advising people to continue hand washing, mask wearing, and social/physical distancing to keep themselves and others safe. In The Stand, the superflu is a mutation of influenza that almost wipes out the entire world’s population, depicting a truly apocalyptic setting that leads to an epic battle between good and evil.

As there have been other global pandemics in history, there was existing material for King to use as inspiration for his original novel, and likewise, this was likely utilized by the 2020 series’ creators to establish basics of what would happen if a pandemic that could wipe out billions did exactly that. There are bound to be similarities, although some of the more minute details might seem too similar. These instances include the United States’ president encouraging people to disregard rumors about the government being the source of the pandemic’s spread while coughing during a broadcast—a sign that he, too, is infected—and conversations regarding Internet shutdowns to quiet conspiracy theories.

Even so, it’s important to remember that art has always reflected life; The Stand and other horror stories are notorious for commenting on real life social and political issues. However, the overlap may cause the new miniseries to see earn interest as a result of it being too close for comfort for some.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/stand-2020-miniseries-filming-when-inspiration-covid19-stephen-king/