However you feel about the recent casting of Ben Affleck as Batman, it’s definitely near objectively depressing news to hear that he is no longer attached to the epic film production of Stephen King’s The Stand. Affleck is replaced by Scott Cooper(Crazy Heart), who will also rewrite the script. Apparently Affleck is tied to a non-cape-related project with Warner Bros and had to drop out of the project. While I certainly enjoyed the television miniseries (in all of its occasionally cheesy glory), I was really excited to see a proven talent like Affleck take on a project of this magnitude.

Months ago, Affleck confessed to hitting a road block with the adaptation, so I suppose it’s better that he was replaced than to have the movie canned completely, but it hits hard to see another King-project, especially a film based on another one of his best works, swirling around development hell after the dream of a Dark Tower movie fizzling out so unspectacularly.

King fans will just have to hope Doctor Sleep is great enough to make us forget about going to the movies or wait for Kimberly Pierce’s turn at a Carrie film to hold us over until the next bad DKU news. Check out The Stand miniseries on Netflix if you get a shot because it’s one of the best of his made for TV adaptations.