Dark Tower Movie/TV show in the works (Wait for it..)

[Tagus]

I know this is premature,

but

omfgomfgomfgomfgomfwut


http://screencrave.com/2010-04-30/ro...nto-a-trilogy/




According to Deadline, Ron Howard plans on doing the semi-impossible by adaptating Stephen King’s fantasy series, The Dark Tower. The director along with his producing partner Brian Grazer, Akiva Goldsman, and Universal Pictures are in the middle of a deal that will turn the 7 books into a theatrical trilogy and a possible TV series.

The Dark Tower novels are described as “King’s answer to JRR Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings.” The film will be directed by Howard and the screenplay will be written by Goldsman. Along with the three movies, the studio is trying to throw in a television package that will feature a small screen adaptation of the series.

“King’s books follow a wandering Gunslinger named Roland, the last of his kind, as he wanders across dimensions and other worlds on an endless quest to find the Dark Tower, a fabled building said to be a nexus between worlds.”

If adapted properly, this could very well be a huge fantasy franchise for everyone involved. Their biggest obstacle will be determining what they will or won’t take from the books. You can’t logically compress 7 novels into 3 films without it looking like sh*t. They have to cut the fat so it doesn’t appear weighed down or too sporadic. That’s one of the problems people had with Watchmen. Certain parts were covered extensively, while others were glanced over or merely mentioned. We don’t want that to happen here.

[Pirian]

Hate that you're posting this now since it won't come out for like 10 years ~.~

[Titanss]

Entertainment section now yo

[Tyche]

What the fuck? I thought JJ Abrams was going to direct. Fuck Ron Howard.

[Arrmani]

I'll watch it when (if?) it comes out, but I won't have high hopes for it. I think towards the end of the series it dragged on and there was stuff it could do without. Maybe if they do the movies, and would be cool if they had the same people do the side stories as TV movies.

I'm really like the series, but I think after book 4 it kinda went downhill a bit, and the ending was pretty good I think. I didn't like the part

Spoiler: show

when they eventually came to our world and Stephen King involved himself in it. I saw that coming and thought it was pointless.

The comic series of The Dark Tower sold well around where I live, or at least it was hard to get a copy. I think it will do good as a movie if done right, and people seem to get into book-to-movie adaptations.

[Ksandra]

moved to the right section.

Also idg the LotR reference that people give for the book a lot. Apparently every book where a guy travels on a mission = Tolkien.

<3 the books though.

[finitek]

Die hard Dark Tower fans will not accept an abridged version of the story line. The series was 7 books and people would not stand for three movies.
Granted there was alot of fluff in the books, but the reality remains that ALL of the back story matters.
It sets up Roland (the progatonist) for who he is and who he will become.
Trying to condense the story is ludicrous.
Maybe (an only maybe maybe)they could get away with it in 4 films if they were creative with the splicing of the tales. But the reality is each book got longer than the book that came before it.

Having read each book and owning signed first editions, I would be disappoint if Ron Howard really tried to cut the whole story to 3 films.

-Fin

[Odesseiron]

moved to the right section.

Also idg the LotR reference that people give for the book a lot. Apparently every book where a guy travels on a mission = Tolkien.

<3 the books though.

Stephen King himself references the lotr books in the intro to the novels (the later released versions) I can definitely see similarities, but I think Dark Tower is a much better written overall story and more enjoyable.

Also; Abrhams did buy the rights to the series from King for 19 bucks. He decided that it would be too big of an undertaking for anyone to do, and didn't want to do it any injustice. I'd rather see this as a weekly TV series than a movie trilogy. It would be butchered. At least with a TV series, it could run for a number of seasons rather than a condensed 3 movie version. I doubt we'll see anything any time soon though.

[Kytele]

TV version would be best, though i'm sure TV execs would just cancel it for not moving fast enough to get the highest amount of ratings. they want high ratings NOW, doubtful they'll wait for it to pick up steam if it doesn't start huffing it right out of the box

JJ Abrams was supposed to direct but scheduling conflicts, etc... would have loved to see it though.

[Meepein]

Another problem with translating The Dark Tower books into film is the fact you need to reference nearly everything King wrote. With characters showing up from 2 prominent King books (The Stand and Salem's Lot), plus small details referencing nearly everything else, you have your work cut out for you. Could you take the fluff out and make a trilogy? Sure, I guess. Combine books 1-2, then 3 and 5, then 6 and 7, skipping over book 4 entirely, but shit, you lose out on some cool back story if you ditch the 4th book.

Honestly, a TV series on HBO or Showtime would be better, something that would allow the translation to be as true as possible to the original works. This is, honestly, too massive for a movie series, much bigger in scope than LOTR, and this is coming from someone who loved LOTR books and movies.

[Not Kuno]

Heres betting that the first movie is gonna be fantastic and the last two are gonna be crap

[Byrd]

I'm really like the series, but I think after book 4 it kinda went downhill a bit, and the ending was pretty good I think. I didn't like the part

Spoiler: show

when they eventually came to our world and Stephen King involved himself in it. I saw that coming and thought it was pointless.

The comic series of The Dark Tower sold well around where I live, or at least it was hard to get a copy. I think it will do good as a movie if done right, and people seem to get into book-to-movie adaptations.

That was odd, but I thought it made sense in the context of the books, particularly relating to what happened in King's life during that age. That storyline didn't bother me much, but I can see why others would not like it. That being said, I can't imagine that carrying over a movie very well.

Spoiler: show

If they did, would they have another actor play King? Stephen King often shows up in his movies as a bit part, but I don't think he could handle a real acting role, which this would require. And it would seem weird to have someone else playing him in this context, since the whole point of the storyline was to break the 4th wall (Stephen King's "The Dark Tower," starring Gary Sinise as Stephen King! Sounds weird to me.) Alternatively, do they change the name of the author to something fictional so someone else could play the role believably? I don't really like that option either.

I think it would just be best just taken out of the movie. They could probably excise that from the whole storyline fairly easily and it wouldn't be terribly missed except by purists.

I think, from a storyline perspective, the meat of the story is in books 1, 2, 6, and 7 (although it's been a few years). Everything in between could be trimmed a bit, or eliminated entirely. Wizard and Glass and Wolves of the Calla could probably be condensed into five or ten minute scene; you'd lose a lot of flavor text and background, but I would imagine those would be the first to go.

[Serra]

I love this series, but just can't see how they'd cut it down to 3 movies. There's just so much that happens, and it'd ruin the flow to cut things out.

[Acturus]

I love this series, but just can't see how they'd cut it down to 3 movies. There's just so much that happens, and it'd ruin the flow to cut things out.

Most likely you'd cut it into books 1-4, 5, and then 6-7.

But you're right, they'd cut a ton out to do so.

[Meepein]

Well, if you think about it (and this is not to say I endorse this idea), you can see where to cut.

First book, for example, can be made into a short sequence (mind you , I have not read it in years.) But, from what I remember, the book is mainly about Roland chasing after 'the man in black', finding Jake along the way, and some back story. Now, ignore the back story stuff, just have the chase and Jake, and well... You got a long opening sequence. Again, not defending this (I think this would be horrible), just saying it could be done.

The main parts they have to focus on, really, are books 2, 6, and 7. Drawing of the Three (which is my least favorite of the series) is needed cause it introduces pretty much everyone. Song of Susannah is needed (in my eyes) because it finally shows what is at stake, and that the goal is in sight. And of course the last book is needed, cause well, it's the last book. Books like Wizards and Glass and Wolves of the Calla, while cool, are just not needed to spend a 2 hour movie on if you intend on truncating this down from 7 books to 3 movies.

Still, this is a horribad idea. Ron Howard is an awful choice for this (is he even capable of doing movies with this much action and gore?), and 3 movies is way too short. Not saying they should make 7 movies (honestly, it felt like King drew it out at times, it could be shortened with nothing missed), but 3 is just not enough. A TV series is the best idea. Which mean Hollywood won't do it.

[Null]

Second I saw the title I came in here to post J.J or GTFO. Seems I was beaten to it but I still want to say it.

J.J or GTFO.

[Not Kuno]

After reading this thread am I the only person on earth that's not a JJ Abrams fan?

[Null]

Lost and Fringe are probably my favorite shows of all time so I love him for those. Don't care for the rest of his work though. That's not to say they aren't good, just don't care for em.

[Byrd]

Not saying they should make 7 movies (honestly, it felt like King drew it out at times, it could be shortened with nothing missed), but 3 is just not enough. A TV series is the best idea. Which mean Hollywood won't do it.

Marvel has done a really good job with their comic book adapation of the series, and is filling in a lot of holes that the book series left out. Stephen King is a key consultant on the series, so it's definitely kept the spirit and style of the original. I highly recommend them to any fan of the series.

They are telling the story chronologically, so they started with the historical events of Wizard and Glass, then filled out the stories telling about the Fall of Gilead and the war with Farson. The 30th issue just came out, and the next issue could start up with the start of the first book.

"The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed."

[Manako]

Gunslinger and the Wastelands were both pretty short, I can see those fitting into "half the movie" chunks just fine.

I'm sure they can cut down Wizard and Glass a bit without losing too much. Frankly, I hope they cut a lot out of "Wolves of the Calla" that book just dragged on forever.

I was really hoping for a miniseries treatment though, that would probably be much easier to do well.