Warner Bros. upcoming adaptation of “The Stand” is going through some changes. Ben Affleck was originally attached to the project but has been forced to drop out since being cast as Batman last week. The Hollywood Reporter is now reporting that director Scott Cooper has entered negotiations to take over the film.

“The Stand” was famously adapted into a television miniseries back in 1994 and was critically acclaimed. The story, written by Stephen King, follows the events of a full-scale apocalypse, driven by the accidental release of a biological weapon and the ensuing struggle of good versus evil carried out by the world’s final survivors.

The novel was originally published in 1978 and was later re-released in 1990 as The Stand: The Complete & Uncut Edition; King restored some text originally cut for brevity, added and revised sections, changed the setting of the story from 1980 (which in turn was changed to 1985 for the original paperback release in 1980) to 1990, and updated a few pop culture references accordingly. The Stand was nominated for the World Fantasy Award for Best Novel in 1979. In addition to the television miniseries for ABC, the novel was also adapted into a graphic novel published by Marvel Comics.

There is no word yet if Cooper has accepted the project or when production on the adaptation is scheduled to begin.