The 1994 TV mini-series adaptation of “Stephen King’s The Stand“ is officially coming to Blu-ray Disc on September 24th via CBS Home Entertainment. The mini-series, directed by Mick Garris, starred Gary Sinise, Molly Ringwald, Jamey Sheridan, Laura San Giacomo, Ruby Dee, Ossie Davis, Rob Lowe, Bill Fagerbakke, Miguel Ferrer, Ray Walston, and Stephen King.

UPDATES: This Blu-ray is now available for pre-order over at Amazon. CBS Home Entertainment has just released an e-mail with the following info that officially confirms the release. I’ll try to get further info about it. I’ve also just now updated this story with the official Blu-ray artwork (above). From that artwork, we can tell that it will come as a 2-disc set and that the mini-series has been “brilliantly restored.” This is great news, considering how Mick Garris expressed some concerns when I spoke to him in regards to this as the story was developing. More on that below but first the info sent out.

Title: Stephen King’s The Stand

Street Date: September 24, 2019

Format: Blu-Ray

Description: The Stand is a post-apocalyptic horror/fantasy novel by American author Stephen King. It expands upon the scenario of his earlier short story “Night Surf” and presents a detailed vision of the total breakdown of society after the accidental release of a strain of influenza that had been modified for biological warfare causes an apocalyptic pandemic, killing off over 99% of the world’s population

The Blu-ray is listed now over at retailer Best Buy but the pre-order is not yet functional – so it seems. Lastly, after the break, you can find some of a conversation that I had (along with some readers) with the director of the mini-series Mick Garris about this upcoming Blu-ray release on Twitter.

Mick Garris at first responding by discussing [the idea of] “Stephen King’s The Stand” actually coming to Blu-ray.

I don't know anything about it. I do know that they'd have to go back to the 16mm negative and start from scratch, as it was edited and finished on standard def video. The VFX will look terrible if they're not redone.

— Mick Garris & The Post Mortem Podcast (@MickGarrisPM) July 8, 2019

So, yes, he had no idea that it even was coming out. Mick then, after I confirmed to him that CBS had said it was coming, addressed some concern that they go back to that 16mm film negative and conform it.

I hope they go back to the negative and re-conform to HD standards!

— Mick Garris & The Post Mortem Podcast (@MickGarrisPM) July 8, 2019

Someone asked Mick about the complexity of a 16mm conversion in comparison to a typical 35mm conversion and Garris chimed back with this.

No, they just have to do it. It's a time-consuming and expensive process to go back to the negative and redo all the edits and everything. Same process as 35mm, the problem is that everything was finished on standard def video for ABC. I'll be impressed if they actually do it

— Mick Garris & The Post Mortem Podcast (@MickGarrisPM) July 8, 2019

Lastly, I asked Mick if they had actually shot the mini-series for sure in the 1.33:1 aspect ratio (4×3) and not just cropped it in post-production. He answered with this.

No, it was shot in that aspect ratio, using fullframe 16mm film. This came out in 1994, and there was no HDTV yet. When we did THE SHINING in 1997, we shot in 35mm, and finished on film, protecting for HD, which hadn’t hit yet, but framing primarily for the same aspect ratio.

— Mick Garris & The Post Mortem Podcast (@MickGarrisPM) July 8, 2019