It's hard to deny that the recent Coronavirus outbreak has some parallels in literature and cinema. After all, the idea of a possible pandemic that could wipe out an entire civilization has been the topic of several dystopian books and movies. However, it seems like the Coronavirus scare is a little too close for comfort to what happens in Stephen King's novel The Stand, which is being turned into a miniseries. Not surprisingly, James Marsden, who will appear in the show, is already concerned about the parallels between fiction and reality.
Marsden has been cast as Stu Redman in the upcoming series adaptation of The Stand and he admitted on the Big Ticket podcast that he is hoping that things won't get as serious as the fictional pandemic.
"It would be a cruel irony if The Stand happens before The Stand comes out," Marsden said. "I'm hoping we get a hold of it before it reaches the catastrophic proportions it does in The Stand."
The Sonic the Hedgehog star also pointed out that some of the scenes in the series are pretty similar to how people react to possible Coronavirus symptoms.
"It's an interesting strange sort of parallel universe going on," Marsden said. "There are scenes in the beginning of The Stand where as soon as you see someone who looks normal sneeze or cough into their arm, your eyes - everyone's eyes in the room - darts towards them. I see that in public now, and everyone kind of takes a few steps away from the person. It's crazy. We're in full panic mode right now."
It's certainly a scary time to be working on a series that is about a terrifying pandemic. Hopefully, the Coronavirus can be contained before the premiere of The Stand.
The Stand is currently in production although the series has not yet been given an official release date. Stay tuned for more updates on this story.
Related: Stephen King's The Stand Series Casts Fiona Dourif as Rat Man
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Fantasy & Science Fiction