Stephen King, the reigning monarch of modern horror, could be in for a shakeup, as an upcoming book adaptation could beat out his 1994 classic TV show. It’s a safe bet to say that Stephen King is the first name that comes to mind when it comes to modern horror.
Not only has he dominated the literary world with a total of 66 Stephen King books, but his on-screen adaptations are mostly successes. Many books, including IT and Carrie, have been adapted multiple times.
However, other horror authors are finally getting their moment in the spotlight, too. Of the eight most exciting upcoming horror TV shows, only two are based on King’s books. Plus, one of them threatens to beat out Stephen King’s classic 1994 miniseries The Stand.
Robert McCammon’s Swan Song Is Becoming A TV Show
Thirty-eight years after the book was published, news broke that the novel Swan Song by Robert McCammon is being adapted into a TV show (via MovieWeb). The book takes place after the United States went to nuclear war. In the wake of the destruction, the citizens must traverse the wasteland, fighting supernatural creatures and bands of destructive rogues.
Russell Rothberg will serve as the writer, co-executive producer, and showrunner. Additionally, Greg Nicotero will serve as an executive producer on the show and direct the pilot. Since the announcement only came earlier this year, not much other information is available.
However, Rotherberg and Nicotero are both fans of the original book, citing it as influential to their work. As such, they will likely do everything in their power to ensure the show comes to fruition.
Swan Song & Stephen King’s The Stand Are Seminal Post-Apocalyptic Horror Books
The post-apocalyptic genre feels like it has always been around, though its scope has changed over the past century. Since WWII, the focus has increasingly gone towards war-based apocalypses. This is where Swan Song and The Stand by Stephen King come into play.
They are nowhere near the only two, nor are they the first of their kind. However, they still stand out as two of the most influential, if not the most prominent. The Stand features a DoD biological weapon, while Swan Song includes US nuclear weapons.
This makes it all the more shocking that The Stand has been adapted many times, but Swan Song still hasn’t graced the screen once. I love Stephen King, but my hot take is that Swan Song is a better book than The Stand. And, I need to see the Robert McCammon story on my TV screen.
How The Swan Song TV Show Could Beat Out The 1994 Adaptation Of The Stand
The 2020 version of The Stand was an absolute flop, but the 1994 adaptation is still considered a fantastic Stephen King TV show. It’s faithful to the book, has great acting, and the soundtrack is killer. The 1994 version of The Stand even earned six Emmy nominations, winning Outstanding Makeup and Sound Mixing in a Miniseries.
Still, if Rothberg and Nicotero do it right, the Swan Song TV show could outshine the classic Stephen King adaptation. Because of when it was released, The Stand has some corny dialogue and cheesy, dated visuals. The non-linear storytelling approach also didn’t work as well as they had hoped.
It’s still an excellent miniseries. I’ve watched it many times, so these criticisms come from a place of love instead of malice. However, Swan Song can learn from these mistakes and become one of the best post-apocalyptic TV shows. Modern visuals and a punchy script could really help the Swan Song show shine above the 1994 version of The Stand.
