Back in July, it looked like Harry Potter helmer David Yates was ready to trade one big-budget franchise for something a little more grown-up: a three-film adaptation of Stephen King’s classic novel The Stand, which Warner Bros. had marked as a priority project. Evidently it didn’t work out with Yates, as WB has ultimately chosen one of its other in-house directors, Ben Affleck, to hand the plum gig to. Affleck will also write the adaptation of King’s book, which sets up a massive battle between good and evil after nearly the entire world is wiped out by a super-virus. (And this time, that devastating contagion is not the fault of former Affleck paramour Gwyneth Paltrow.) Good luck, Ben! And be sure to avoid thwarted King trilogy-adapter Ron Howard at the next DGA holiday party … it’ll be awkward. [Deadline]