Way back in 2011, we reported that Ben Affleck had stepped forward to direct Stephen King adaptation THE STAND. Now, suspiciously soon after another Affleck-related announcement (he’s in some superhero thing), comes the news that he’s dropped out, to be replaced by the lesser-known Scott Cooper.

Cooper, whose only feature to date is the Jeff Bridges-starring CRAZY HEART, will take on the post-apocalyptic story, originally published in 1978. It follows various groups of survivors of an influenza virus which has nearly wiped out humanity. Though Affleck and screenwriter David Kajganich have been hard at work on the adaptation, it’s unknown how much of the existing drafts Cooper will cling on to. What we can expect is that, as it’s not exactly the quickest film to be produced, we’ve probably got a good wait left.

The switch isn’t a massive surprise, as Affleck has a lot on his plate. He’s still planning to direct Prohibition thriller LIVE BY NIGHT, but the big news is his inheritance of the Batmask for the MAN OF STEEL sequel, an announcement which has divided opinions. While many fans have taken against the choice and even started an online petition for Warner Bros. to change their mind, one fan you may have heard of, AVENGERS director Joss Whedon, has expressed his support, tweeting that Affleck will “crush it”. 

Source: Variety 

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