‘Out of the Furnace’ director Scott Cooper leaves Stephen King adaptation ‘The Stand’

Warner Bros.’ long-gestating attempt to bring Stephen King’s The Stand to the big screen just lost another director. Out of the Furnace filmmaker Scott Cooper has dropped out.

In August, Cooper, who also directed Jeff Bridges in Crazy Heart, was hired to direct and re-write the project, which was once set to be helmed by Ben Affleck. Warner Bros. and CBS Films, which are co-producing the project, had hoped to get it moving soon since the rights will expire.

Unfortunately for the studios, TheWrap has just confirmed that Cooper is out of picture. While the site’s sources said that “creative differences” lead to Cooper leaving, The Hollywood Reporter added that Cooper had been pushing for a more intense, R-rated film to stay true to King’s post-apocalyptic novel. Warner Bros. balked at that idea, hoping to make a film that would at least get the PG-13 rating.

Another THR source noted that the studios are also unsure if they can adapt the book into one film, since King’s novel is massive.

Cooper’s Out of the Furnace hits theaters on Dec. 6.

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