Jake Gyllenhaal is Stephen Kings Favorite to Lead in The Stand

Stephen King says that although he had no idea that there would be a film remake of The Stand he would choose Jake Gyllenhaal as the lead. King also favors Billy Bob Thornton to be in the film because he’s “always cool.” I think this is completely true and that Thornton kind of looks like a cooler better looking version of King so it all makes a lot of sense to me.

The Stand has been previously adapted into an ABC mini series staring Molly Ringwald and Gary Sinise. This remake comes at a time when Stephen King is especially hot with a massive TV and film adaptation of The Dark Tower starring Javier Bardem and directed by Ron Howard in the works. In addition there will be new adaptations of Pet Sematary and IT as well.

This is what Stephen King said about The Stand in Entertainment Weekly:

1. No one will be able to top Gary Sinise, who played Stu Redman in the original ABC miniseries. He was perfect. When he says “You don’t know nothing” to the soldiers who are putting him under mandatory quarantine, you believe his contempt completely. My runner-up pick would be Jake Gyllenhaal.

2. I didn’t know anything about the remake until I read about it on the Internet.

3. You absolutely can’t make it as a two-hour movie. If it was a trilogy of films… maybe.

4. Molly Ringwald won’t be playing Fran Goldsmith this time.

5. Rutger Hauer is a little too old to play the Walkin’ Dude, and that’s too bad.

6. People who’ve seen Kubrick’s “The Shining” dislike the miniseries I wrote (and my amigo Mick Garris directed) even if they haven’t seen it. That’s always annoyed me. But the wheel of karma turns! This time people will probably say, “The miniseries was lots better.” BUT…

7. …historically speaking, movie studios blow the budget on things like this, so maybe it’ll be fun to look at. The dough certainly isn’t going to me, although if it is a trilogy, and if it makes a lot of money, I might be able to buy a chicken dinner at Popeye’s. Great slaw!

8. Molly Ringwald will probably not play the Trashcan Man, either, but Billy Bob Thornton would be cool. Billy Bob’s always cool.

9. They need to write in a lot of heavy-metal for the soundtrack.

10. M-O-O-N, that spells “you probably won’t see this anytime soon.” And when you do, Woody Allen won’t be directing it. Or Molly Ringwald.