You know who else I would like for this besides Frank Darabont? Rob Reiner. Hear me out. This guy is in major need of a comeback, a MAJOR comeback, and he's given us two Stephen King classics with Stand By Me and Misery, the latter being a horror/thriller that was handled perfectly. Plus, he's given us A Few Good Men, and When Harry Met Sally. He's a damn fine director who's gotten caught up in crappy movies lately.
Most importantly, The Stand is NOT really an action shoot-em-up, nor is it straight horror. There's not really a ton of Michael Bay explosions, there are no giant creatures. The Stand is really a slow-paced human drama. That's right up Reiner's alley. He's given us some damn good interactions between everyday human beings.
And, King himself has gone on record saying that Stand By Me is the best movie of his own work ever made, and has put Misery in his Top 10 movies based on his own work.
Now, Frank Darbont on the other hand, has given us The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, and The Mist.
Stand By Me
Misery
The Shawshank Redemption
The Green Mile
The Mist
To me, it's undeniable that one of these two directors would be absolutely ideal.