While the events of New York Comic Con last weekend had plenty of Star Trek to go around, Star Trek: The Next Generation (and soon, Star Trek: Picard) actor Whoopi Goldberg was on hand to promote a different project. The upcoming CBS All Access limited series adaptation of Stephen King’s The Stand held its own virtual panel, announcing the release of a new trailer along with two dozen production stills ahead of its December 17th premiere.

For those who haven’t read the book or seen its 1994 adaptation from ABC, The Stand is Stephen King’s vision of a world decimated by plague and embroiled in an elemental struggle between good and evil. The fate of mankind rests on the shoulders of a handful of survivors, led by 108-year-old Mother Abagail, played by Whoopi Goldberg. All bets are off and tensions rise as they are confronted by a man with a lethal smile and unspeakable powers: Randall Flagg, also known as the “Dark Man”, played by Alexander Skarsgård.

Along with Goldberg, the New York Comic Con panel included executive producers Benjamin Cavell and Taylor Elmore, along with actors James Marsden, Greg Kinnear, Odessa Young, Jovan Adepo, Amber Heard and Owen Teague.

Cavell took a moment to offer his thoughts on recreating and adapting the classic novel. “Whenever you’re adapting a masterpiece, an iconic piece of fiction, there’s a lot of pressure to [...] do right by it,” Cavell said. “No matter [...] how fantastical his stories are, how supernatural, they’re so grounded in reality in the sense that [King] seems to be able to anticipate how people will react.” 

Filming was completed in early March of this year, just a few days before the production would have been shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While no one in the production could have known what was to come from the novel coronavirus, Cavell noted the plot of the story, which stems from a global plague, is “prescient” and said “it really does seem to have resonance with the way the world has responded.”

At the end of the panel, Goldberg announced a “sneak peek” for fans, closing out the panel with the new trailer for the limited series. The nine-episode adaptation of The Stand will premiere on CBS All Access December 17th and you can check out the trailer for yourself at the CBS All Access channel on YouTube.