‘The Stand’ Director Josh Boone Squashes Marilyn Manson Casting Rumors

Josh Boone is setting the record straight on the rumors surrounding Marilyn Manson appearing in the new limited series adaptation of Stephen King’s The Stand.

Rumors have been swirling for months that Manson would be playing the Trashcan Man in the series, but those were put to rest with the announcement that Ezra Miller (Fantastic Beast and Where to Find Them) had taken on the role. It did not take long for the rumor mill to switch their focus for Manson speculating that he might play the Kid, a small part in the epic novel that nonetheless plays into the Trashcan Man’s storyline.

However, Entertainment Weekly is reporting that though Boone really wanted Manson for that role, it simply isn’t going to happen.

“Just to clarify, Marilyn Manson and I had long-discussed him taking on the role of The Kid in The Stand,” the director told the publication in an email. “He and the great Shooter Jennings even recorded a killer cover of The Doors song, ‘The End,’ that ultimately proved too expensive to use. The show was made on a very tight budget and some of the dreams we had went to the wayside. The Kid was another casualty. When Manson wasn’t able to make it work schedule-wise, the storyline was ultimately excised and never shot, which is for the best, as no one could have slayed that role like Manson would have. Hope to work with him in the future.”

Boone has spoken of his admiration for Manson in other interviews in the past and we’re sure if there was anyway they could have made the role happen, he would have seen it done.

The Stand was first published in 1978 and follows the survivors of pandemic that wipes out 99.4 percent of the human populations. As they split into two groups, navigating toward either Mother Abigail (Whoopi Goldberg) or the evil Randall Flagg (Alexander Skarsgard), they find themselves in the ultimate battle between good and evil to decide the fate of humankind.

The series is set to debut on December 17, 2020 on CBS All Access. Will you be watching? Take a look at the latest trailer below and let us know what you think in the comments!