Dark Tower Movie/Show

So ummmm... holy shit.

http://tv.ign.com/articles/111/1119037p1.html

Quick summary: The Dark Tower is being made into a trilogy of movies and two seasons of tv. The seasons will take place between movies 1/2 and between 2/3 and will have the cast from the movies. Ron Howard is one of the men behind it with Akiva Goldsman writing.

I'm can't believe it. Dark Tower seemed pretty impossible to do as a movie, but doing it this way may actually work.

Wonder if they'll keep the same kick in the balls ending. That sure as hell isn't going to test well for the studio.

:td:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by bbobb

I'm can't believe it. Dark Tower seemed pretty impossible to do as a movie

---

Seemed?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by bbobb

but doing it this way may actually work.

---

No, it really won't.

It might! I am optimistic.

Here's the thing, they're at least smart enough to know that it's too much to try to shoehorn it into just a movie or a trilogy or even a TV miniseries. They're putting significant amounts of work to give it the amount of time it will need to bear out the full story well. This makes me optimistic as well.

Now here's hoping they get Darabont on to direct it.

Dark Tower isn't all that anyway.

This will suck btw.

It's like people who like this series don't realize it won't translate well to screen and that the entire first book is nonsense that even Stephen King wants to pretend doesn't exist.

If they get darabont, it will be amazing.

Like I said before, the only way this would work is in longform...the comics are pretty ok, a tv show or anime would be ideal.

Movie trilogy? no. Unless one whole movie is book IV. Then I'm in for book IV alone.

Actually, from the article it sounds like the majority of the second TV season could be Wizard & Glass (indeed, the best one).

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by dave is ok

This will suck btw.

It's like people who like this series don't realize it won't translate well to screen and that the entire first book is nonsense that even Stephen King wants to pretend doesn't exist.

---

The first book will make a great opening twenty minutes to half an hour of any movie. It's a book almost entirely about imagery and style and stereotype of character archetypes with a weird little tiwst (the boy)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Compass

Actually, from the article it sounds like the majority of the second TV season could be Wizard & Glass (indeed, the best one).

---

Is that the one about Roland's past and that witch and stuff? Because that was the only coherent story worth a shit.

Yes.

To be fair the books were just getting better until IV, with I basically being 200 pages of introduction. Then everything after IV went completely to shit.

I'll be so pissed if Stephen King plays Stephen King in whatever visual adaptation they make.

He will too, watch.

Wizard n glass was the worst book. It just went on and on and on. It turns out I'm still reading it now and this is all a dream.

Make the first movie, then just stop (if only they had done that with Matrix).

Warner Bros. are going to make their final decision on greenlighting this in the next two weeks.

Also: Javier Bardem is out, Russell Crowe as Roland?

Warners says no.

Dang.

Here comes a new challenger!

Bump. So this is happening with Idris Elba as Roland and Matthew McConaghy as the man in black.

Even better is this:

http://www.the-nextlevel.com/tnl/att...1&d=1468604881

So it's a sequel to the books.

Should be rad. It's not the adaptation I wanted but honestly, this is a better idea.

And icarusfall is totally wrong, book 4 is the best.

alright alright alright

I'm not jumping on the excite train just yet. I love Elba and McConaughey, but some of the early press photos look very suspect. It definitely doesn't look like a western, and it's got like a young teen / edgy / vampire look to it. No Eddie, no Susannah, no lobstrosities, I'm afraid this is going to get botched. Badly.

It does kind of look like Twilight doesn't it. Looks like they are taking more inspiration from the stand, which isn't like...wrong? But if they Twilight it up it's going to be lame.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Cowutopia

And icarusfall is totally wrong, book 4 is the best.

---

This is a tangential thought you had while still reading the book.

Your life is a lie.



Idris Elba is an odd choice for Roland, but McConnaghey (whatever spelling) seems like a great fit for TMIB.

I've never read the books, but man-babies are whining that casting Idris Elba as Roland ruins the character because apparently there's this whole subplot involving a racist black person who hates Roland because he's white. Is this really a thing that matters?

Only if you're a nerd.

It would be pretty cool if Tarantino directed this, I think. He would probably want TOO MUCH dialogue.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Dolemite

I've never read the books, but man-babies are whining that casting Idris Elba as Roland ruins the character because apparently there's this whole subplot involving a racist black person who hates Roland because he's white. Is this really a thing that matters?

---

She doesn't exactly hate him because he's white, but yeah, some dialogue is seriously going to have to be rewritten. IDGAF though. Idris is a great choice for Roland, and I think they completely nailed MIB/Flagg's casting.

I love that there's a fat spoiler in the teaser art, too.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Dolemite

I've never read the books, but man-babies are whining that casting Idris Elba as Roland ruins the character because apparently there's this whole subplot involving a racist black person who hates Roland because he's white. Is this really a thing that matters?

---

Honk mah-fah.

I haven't gotten past Book 4, but people on animegirl's Facebook have said this makes plenty of sense after the last book, in an abstract way.

I'm not worried about continuity nerd issues. I'm betting King wouldn't let them do anything to ruin his baby unless he did it himself.

It's going to be very different than the books. It's a new story. So who cares.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by No One

I love that there's a fat spoiler in the teaser art, too.

---

It's supposed to get people to shut up about Roland being black. Things are different this loop because of REASONS, so shut up about Detta, ok?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by No One

I think they completely nailed MIB/Flagg's casting.

---

I know you're right about this without having read the Dark Tower books, because that's who I assumed the character really was based on McConaughey's casting alone (having read other King books with Flagg).

I should probably get around to finishing the books. I stopped after Wizard and Glass since it took so fucking long and now I don't remember a damn thing about any of them.

You have forgotten the face of your father.

If you didn't like wizard and glass or thought it was too long, there is no hope for you to finish the series.

Wizard and Glass is easily the best book in the series. Maybe one of King's best.

I read the entire series but pretty much checked out when golden snitches, lightsabers, and Dr. Doom showed up. Fuck that.

He wrote the final books quickly, because he was afraid he was going to die. Too quickly, and not Cocaine Steve quick either.

Yeah, I think King is better when he writes with more of a fantasy lean than a horror lean. Wizard and Glass is among his best.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by sedition

If you didn't like wizard and glass or thought it was too long, there is no hope for you to finish the series.

---

Too long as in nine years between books, not the book itself.

The last three almost feel like a different series

I am thinking of rereading the first 4 for Keyhole.

Leaked unfinished trailer. Get it before it vanishes into a thinny.

This is looking good

It's gone.

So it looks like Jake is going to be the conduit into Mid-world through his discovery of a portal after visions of the Dark Tower and some of the characters. Seems like he'll play a more central role instead of being easily discarded. AND he's not getting pushed into it.

It's not really what I'd want for a visual depiction of The Gunslinger, but maybe it's a better lead in for The Dark Tower story as a whole.

Well honestly Jake, Eddie and Susannah are more the main characters of the books as a whole.

Thank you for being honest.

It's probably the reason I like books one and four the best. Not much of Jake, Susannah, and Eddie.

As long as King is not one of the main characters, I am fine with it.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by sedition

Thank you for being honest.

It's probably the reason I like books one and four the best. Not much of Jake, Susannah, and Eddie.

---

Nailed it.

Why the fuck is Jake trying to convince Roland to save the tower? That's like the polar opposite of how this works. That's like if in the LotR movies Sauron just wouldn't take back the ring, no matter how much everyone begged him to.

Fuck this movie already.

Emo Roland for the millennials.

God damnit, I had high hopes for this one.

Watching again and I'm just getting more pissed. They're totally marketing this to millennials, Jake is going to be the protagonist. I guarantee Oy is going to be some wise cracking Rocket Raccoon.

Wow. Enough salt in this thread to open a soy sauce factory. :P

I just finished Book 3 this week, and it sure likes they're doing some sort of mash-up instead of a film faithful to the first book. Interest falling.

This would have been much better as a Netflix series, like one season per volume or something.

The slo-mo reloading has me really skeptical. I've been meaning to read the book for a while.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jed

Watching again and I'm just getting more pissed. They're totally marketing this to millennials, Jake is going to be the protagonist. I guarantee Oy is going to be some wise cracking Rocket Raccoon.

---

Being a poor adaptation has nothing to do with marketing to millennials.

If you have finished reading the books:

There is some speculation that the movie is a sequel.

It has to be. Wasn't Roland carrying the horn around in the teaser trailer?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by sedition

If you have finished reading the books:

There is some speculation that the movie is a sequel.

---

Speculation?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by bbobb

Bump. So this is happening with Idris Elba as Roland and Matthew McConaghy as the man in black.

Even better is this:

http://www.the-nextlevel.com/tnl/att...1&d=1468604881

So it's a sequel to the books.

---

"The tower protects both our worlds" no it doesn't. The axle doesn't give a shit what the truck is carrying. I'd like to be optimistic but this trailer doesn't understand the story it's trying to tell.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jed

Watching again and I'm just getting more pissed. They're totally marketing this to millennials, Jake is going to be the protagonist. I guarantee Oy is going to be some wise cracking Rocket Raccoon.

---

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by bbobb

Well honestly Jake, Eddie and Susannah are more the main characters of the books as a whole.

---

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by James

"The tower protects both our worlds" no it doesn't. The axle doesn't give a shit what the truck is carrying. I'd like to be optimistic but this trailer doesn't understand the story it's trying to tell.

---

Both. BOTH. Both?

Jake's most famous line is "Go then, there are other worlds than these" and in this movie he's taking about how the tower protects "both" worlds? The tower is the fucking connecting point of all existence ever, not some fucking thing protecting only two worlds. I'm getting more upset about this.

and I get it, he's in a loop and this is either after; or, andI don't see people pointing this out but it could easily be before as well, the books but come on. This is total shit.

King has been involved in production so I'm still optimistic.

Also we really need Iris Elba to be in everything

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by bbobb

King has been involved in production so I'm still optimistic.

Also we really need Iris Elba to be in everything

---

Yeah but King also isn't doing tons of drugs anymore.

True, more coke makes everything better

Confirmation, this is a sequel:

http://io9.gizmodo.com/yes-the-dark-...oks-1796235912

I feel somewhat better knowing it's for sure a sequal and not a prequal or pure reboot.

Means maybe we'll just see this to the true end now.

Depends on if people go and see this first one.

So this is 95 min long.

That's concerning.

Seems too action movie for the source material.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by icarusfall

Seems too action movie for the source material.

---

agree here. and generally they stand a very good chance to fail it, as the expectations of the fanbase are soaring too high and if some of them are not met it's going to be a big flop altogether

Welp, reviews are coming in and it's not good.

Just as well. Cool casting does not equal cool movie.

It's not like Stephen King has a clue as to what a good movie looks like from the inside.

Maximum Overdrive begs to differ.

Well, okay, that one's not really good, it's more like proof that a movie can be awesome while also not being good.

Yep, this was pretty bad. I've no idea how this script got so much wrong. Changing the main character from Roland to Jake is mind-bogglingly dumb, and making Jake some kind of psychic powerhouse made no sense whatsoever. Irdis Elba made a great Roland, during the few bits where he was allowed to actually be Roland rather than some weird burned-out emotionally-tormented oh god who gives a shit, and the strongest role was actually Walter/Randall Flagg, the man in black. Also, I've no idea why so much of this was set on Earth. It's like the filmmakers had zero faith in the thing they were supposed to be adapting and made Generic Fantasy Action Movie instead.

The filmmakers forgot the face of their fathers.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by bbobb

Welp, reviews are coming in and it's not good.

---

I'm zero percent surprised.

Not one single thing about this has been a good decision. Casting doesn't match the book. Setting is bullshit. Previews looked fucking horrible.

I have no problem with the casting, the rest though yeah.

Previews look like an action movie. The books are barely that at all.

There is a whole lot of action in those books though.

I just want man eating crabs to chow down on someone, and I doubt that's in it.

Dud a chum?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Josh

There is a whole lot of action in those books though.

---

I mean, some, but most of it's exposition.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by bbobb

I have no problem with the casting, the rest though yeah.

---

My problem with the casting is it shows they were taking liberties from the very beginning.

Idris Alba is an awasome actor and would make for a great gunsliner, but he's not the right casting if you're trying to cast Roland from the books. So when they say he's playing Roland you have to instantly assume that they have no intent of replicating the books.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Josh

Dud a chum?

---

Did-a-chick?

I'm sick of Hollywood's blackwashing.

I'm sick of Hollywood's shitmoviewashing.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Some Stupid Japanese Name

I'm sick of Hollywood's blackwashing.

---

It's not that he's black it's that Roland and Eddie being white is a big deal when they first draw Susana in midworld. So even before a single bit of plot was revealed through trailers or interviews, you knew immediately with the casting that details in the story were going to be changed.

It just wasn't a good sign that they were gonna do justice to the source material when they are making changes right off the bat with casting.

Edit: more to the point if this is supposed to be a continuation of the books it makes even less sense. Suddenly Roland is black out of nowhere? That's odd.

Things change with every loop, nothing is ever the same.

Maybe Susanah will be trailer trash.

Or maybe, in the final confrontation, Roland shoots straight at Walter, who reaches out to stop the bullet like every other time, and then Roland fires another bullet at an angle to the first one, ricochets it off something, shoots the first bullet out of its original trajectory, and finally lands a hit on Walter. Which only makes sense if you ignore that the legs of a triangle are longer than the hypotenuse and the first bullet not only had to make up the time from being fired after the first one but also all that extra distance in its trajectory to catch up. Maybe things change, but nothing is changing this from being a terrible, terrible movie.

Also, Idris Elba would have made a great Roland if only he'd had a script to work with, and I don't care about the race angle at all.

I set my expectations pretty low when going to see this last night and I was surprised.

It was so much worse than I thought. Holy shit... what a disaster.

You know what would make a really good Dark Tower movie? The Gunslinger.

I don't know who is going to have a worse experience seeing this movie. Someone that has read the books and is expecting them to do a semi-competent job, or someone that has had no access to the source material.

Well that was fucking horrible.

Ugh.

Right? It's so disappointing that I don't even want to discuss it. I just want to commiserate.

Yeah, I kind of just want to cry. Cause... fuck.