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First Look! Alexander Skarsgard as Randall Flagg in ‘The Stand’

Published

4 years ago

May 20, 2020

The book to television adaptation of The Stand penned by Stephen King moves forward! Vanity Fair released the first pictures of the CBS All Access mini series of Randall Flagg, the story’s demonic and sweet tongued villain.

Initial speculation predicted the role was going to land actor Matthew McConaughey as ‘The Man in Black.’ After all, McConaughey did portray the character in 2017’s film The Dark Tower , also penned by King. However, it has recently been revealed that Alexander Skarsgard will be beckoning the somewhat misfit cast of characters to the dark side in the new adaptation of the 1978 novel.

Alexander Skarsgard as Randall Flagg in ‘The Stand.’ Picture by Robert Flaconer/CBS

For many, the 6’4 Swedish actor was first noticed as vampire Eric Northman in HBO’s True Blood. The suave and powerful vampire had just as much a pull over the fans as he did his victims in the 6 season series. Some of that charm will certainly be used in his new role.

When reflecting on the character of Randall Flagg, executive producer Taylor Emlore told Vanity Fair;

“[Flagg is] so charming and he’s so handsome, and so powerful – I mean genuinely powerful, able to perform these sorts of miracles where he could levitate himself and he has these actual powers… and yet he needs this adulation and this kind of worship from these people whom he’s summoned to him. He needs to have them make a show all the time of how grateful they are to him.”

Benjamin Cavell, executive producer with Elmore, boldly added. “And there’s something fundamentally weak about that. Does it remind you of someone you know?”

Alexander Skarsgard as Randall Flagg and Nat Wolff as Lloyd Henreid in ‘The Stand.’ Picture by Robert Flaconer/CBS

There are indeed many similarities to our current world situation. The novel begins with a man made virus being accidentally released onto the world, killing 99% of the population. Those who survive are left to choose their path in their new, dystopian world. They can either follow Randall Flagg into darkness as well as the indulgences of the present, self, and sin, or they can rise above and walk a more righteous path with Mother Abigail (portrayed by Whoopie Goldberg) and start to build a world together for the benefit of each other as well as for the future of civilization.

Whoopie Goldberg as Mother Abigail in ‘The Stand.’ Picture by Robert Flaconer/CBS

Goldberg speaks to Vanity Fair of her own character, Mother Abigail;

“She is very, very righteous and very good. But really flawed I feel. I’ve been fighting with not making her the Magic Negro, because she’s complicated.”

While we are nowhere near that amount of human lives lost and world devastation, nor was our own pandemic made in a lab, we are facing a virus that is ravaging our country and the world at large. We are being forced to make choices we never thought we would have to in our lifetime. We are fighting and carving out paths we didn’t initially think we would take ten years ago. Many of us are being brave and making a stand in our beliefs of how we will live day to day, as well as move forward in this quickly and ever changing world.

Owen Teague as Harold Lauder and Odessa Young as Frannie Goldsmith in ‘The Stand.’ Picture by Robert Flaconer/CBS

Much like the characters in King’s book, we are in a world we were not prepared for. This is not the world we were promised as children. This is not a world we were expecting to enter upon leaving college. However, we have to be strong and stand together, and while the irony is strong that the CBS All Access miniseries is coming out during our own real life pandemic, perhaps there is no better time for The Stand.

Soon the ‘The Commpany of the Mad: The Stand Podcast’ will be debuting a six part series discussing the book. Every episode Jason Sechrest, Mike Flanagan, Tananarive Due, and Anthony Breznican will discuss a 200 page installment of the book. The show will begin May 29, so get reading! Read more about the podcast event here!

Read Vanity Fair’s article here

Be sure to read more about CBS All Access remake of The Stand on iHorror as more is to come!

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News

“In a Violent Nature” So Gory Audience Member Throws Up During Screening

Published

3 hours ago

May 8, 2024

Cameron McFarland

Chis Nash (ABC’s of Death 2) just debuted his new horror film, In a Violent Nature, at the Chicago Critics Film Fest. Based on the audience’s reaction, those with squeamish stomachs may want to bring a barf bag to this one.

Thats right, we have another horror film that is causing audience members to walk out of the screening. According to a report from Film Updates at least one audience member threw up in the middle of the film. You can hear audio of the audience reaction to the film below.

Audience reacting to a kill from ‘IN A VIOLENT NATURE’ during the Chicago Critics Film Fest screening of the film. An audience member also vomited during the screening.

The film, described as a slasher from the killer's perspective, hits theaters on May 31. pic.twitter.com/KGlyC3HFXa
— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) May 6, 2024

This is far from the first horror film to claim this kind of audience reaction. However, early reports of In a Violent Nature indicates that this film may be just that violent. The film promises to reinvent the slasher genre by telling the story from the killer’s perspective.

Here is the official synopsis for the film. When a group of teens takes a locket from a collapsed fire tower in the woods, they unwittingly resurrect the rotting corpse of Johnny, a vengeful spirit spurred on by a horrific 60-year old crime. The undead killer soon embarks on a bloody rampage to retrieve the stolen locket, methodically slaughtering anyone who gets in his way.

While we will have to wait and see if In a Violent Nature lives up to all of its hype, recent responses on X offer nothing but praise for the film. One user even makes the bold claim that this adaptation is like an arthouse Friday the 13th.

In a Violent Nature will receive a limited theatrical run starting May 31, 2024. The film will then be released on Shudder sometime later in the year. Make sure to check out the promo images and trailer below.

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Movies

New Windswept Action Trailer for ‘Twisters’ Will Blow You Away

Published

6 hours ago

May 8, 2024

Timothy Rawles

The summer movie blockbuster game came in soft with The Fall Guy, but the new trailer for Twisters is bringing back the magic with an intense trailer full of action and suspense. Steven Spielberg’s production company, Amblin, is behind this newest disaster film just like its 1996 predecessor.

This time Daisy Edgar-Jones plays the female lead named Kate Cooper, “a former storm chaser haunted by a devastating encounter with a tornado during her college years who now studies storm patterns on screens safely in New York City. She is lured back to the open plains by her friend, Javi to test a groundbreaking new tracking system. There, she crosses paths with Tyler Owens (Glen Powell), the charming and reckless social-media superstar who thrives on posting his storm-chasing adventures with his raucous crew, the more dangerous the better. As storm season intensifies, terrifying phenomena never seen before are unleashed, and Kate, Tyler and their competing teams find themselves squarely in the paths of multiple storm systems converging over central Oklahoma in the fight of their lives.”

Twisters cast includes Nope’s Brandon Perea, Sasha Lane (American Honey), Daryl McCormack (Peaky Blinders), Kiernan Shipka (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina), Nik Dodani (Atypical) and Golden Globe winner Maura Tierney (Beautiful Boy).

Twisters is directed by Lee Isaac Chung and hits theaters on July 19.

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News

Travis Kelce Joins Cast on Ryan Murphy’s ‘Grotesquerie’

Published

8 hours ago

May 8, 2024

Timothy Rawles

Football star Travis Kelce is going Hollywood. At least that is what Dahmer Emmy award-winning star Niecy Nash-Betts announced on her Instagram page yesterday. She posted a video of herself on set of the new Ryan Murphy FX series Grotesquerie.

“This is what happens when WINNERS link up‼️ @killatrav Welcome to Grostequerie[sic]!” she wrote.

Standing just out of frame is Kelce who suddenly steps in to say, “Jumping into new territory with Niecy!” Nash-Betts appears to be in a hospital gown while Kelce is dressed as an orderly.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Niecy Nash (@niecynash1)

Not much is known about Grotesquerie, other than in literary terms it means a work filled with both science fiction and extreme horror elements. Think H.P. Lovecraft.

Back in February Murphy released an audio teaser for Grotesquerie on social media. In it, Nash-Betts says in part, “I don’t know when it started, I can’t put my finger on it, but it’s different now. There’s been a shift, like something’s opening up in the world — a kind of hole that descends into a nothingness…”