Harry Potter Director Taking on The Stand?

With the Harry Potter series wrapping up this week, Warner Bros. is looking to launch their next big film franchise. David Yates, director of the last four Harry Potter movies, is looking for his next project  and is considering Stephen King's The Stand for Warner Bros.

In January, it was reported that Warner Bros. was looking to adapt The Stand, and now Vulture has details on their plan for multiple films as well as their interest in David Yates directing the films:

"David Yates, who directed the last four Harry Potter films, has the pick of the litter — or should we say, pick of the literature? — at the studio. The studio's top priority is a multi-picture adaptation of Stephen King’s The Stand. Our spies tell us that Yates is flying into town tomorrow, and has been rereading King’s epic-length supernatural classic. We’re told Yates will decide if he wants to do the film sometime in the next two weeks. It is a big commitment, as the studio wants to split the giant book into three parts."

The works of Stephen King have become a hot property in Hollywood again. Along with The Stand, Universal is considering The Dark Tower series with Ron Howard directing. Universal and Warner Bros. haven't fully committed to an epic Stephen King film franchise yet, but we're excited at the possibility. We'll continue to pass along information on both projects, as they come in. If you're unfamiliar with The Stand, here is a brief plot synopsis:

"The Stand is a story of good vs. evil after a virus wipes out most of the American population. While it features dozens of characters (such as the Trashcan Man and Mother Abigail) and overlapping story lines running over many years, the struggle boils down to a group of survivors fighting the Antichrist-like Randall Flagg."