Matthew McConaughey eyed for villain role in Stephen King’s The Stand

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

Could the upcoming adaptation of Stephen King's THE STAND be gaining a "True Detective"? It is a possibility as Deadline is reporting that Warner Bros. is coveting Oscar-winning actor Matthew McConaughey for a villainous role in the Josh Boone-helmed take on the classic King tale.

According to Deadline, Matthew McConaughey, who heads into the weekend as a favorite to win an Emmy for HBO’s “True Detective”, is being sought by Warner Bros. to play the role of Randall Flagg in THE STAND, the adaptation of Stephen King’s apocalyptic masterpiece novel that Josh Boone will direct. Flagg is the personification of evil, a demonic figure who wreaks havoc after a plague kills most of the population. He was played in haunting fashion by Jamie Sheridan in the 1994 miniseries adaptation. Flagg (aka “The Walkin’ Dude”, “The Dark Man”, “The Hardcase”, “Ageless Stranger”, and “The Man In Black”) is a recurring character in a lot of Stephen King's novel; he first appeared in “The Stand" and then he was the main antagonist of "The Dark Tower" series.

Back in June director Josh Boone made headlines when he said THE STAND was going for an R-rating and 3-hour runtime. It seems they really wanna do the source material justice and serve the fans well. Getting an esteemed actor such as McConaughey onboard as Flagg would be a step in the right direction, for sure. We'll see how this pans out.

More on THE STAND as we hear it.