Stephen King's 'Dark Tower' Set For Film Trilogy, TV Series
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Stephen King's 'Dark Tower' Set For Film Trilogy, TV Series
From
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David
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Re: Stephen King's 'Dark Tower' Set For Film Trilogy, TV Ser
King movies are pretty hit-or-miss, but I'll be very happy if they get this right. Roland is one of my favorite characters.
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Re: Stephen King's 'Dark Tower' Set For Film Trilogy, TV Ser
My initial reaction is that they need Timothy Olyphant as Roland.
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Re: Stephen King's 'Dark Tower' Set For Film Trilogy, TV Ser
This was originally set to be done by Abrahms Bad Robot co. but rights passed and now it looks like Ron Howard will be taking this on. Ron Howard?! Didnt he just finish destroying both the DaVinci Code and Angels and Demons? I cant possibly imagine how hes going to be able to handle material as heady as the Dark Tower if he cant handle pulp schlock like Brown. I cant see this as having much of a chance but still I was willing to give him a shot until the writer was mentioned. Akiva Goldsman, the mind behind the franchise destroying Batman and Robin and of course the childhood raping movie version of Lost in Space. Hell, the hack couldnt even get I am Legend right and that seems like a no brainer. Now I am convinced that this is a doomed project. Could someone please kick this over to somebody like Nolan so we can have some small hope that this will be worth watching.... please?
Well do you ever get the feeling that the story's too damn real and in the present tense?
Or that everybody's on the stage and it seems like you're the only person sitting in the audience?
Or that everybody's on the stage and it seems like you're the only person sitting in the audience?
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Re: Stephen King's 'Dark Tower' Set For Film Trilogy, TV Ser
I have my doubts for the sole reason that King's books rarely translate well to film.
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Re: Stephen King's 'Dark Tower' Set For Film Trilogy, TV Ser
That would be justified.Kelric wrote:My initial reaction is that they need Timothy Olyphant as Roland.
Tolerance is the virtue of the man without convictions. – G.K. Chesterton
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Re: Stephen King's 'Dark Tower' Set For Film Trilogy, TV Ser
They already had a head start before he got to them.rshetts2 wrote:Ron Howard?! Didnt he just finish destroying both the DaVinci Code and Angels and Demons?
Tolerance is the virtue of the man without convictions. – G.K. Chesterton
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Re: Stephen King's 'Dark Tower' Set For Film Trilogy, TV Ser
Wait, huh? I'm not getting this at all.rshetts2 wrote:Ron Howard?! Didnt he just finish destroying both the DaVinci Code and Angels and Demons? I cant possibly imagine how hes going to be able to handle material as heady as the Dark Tower if he cant handle pulp schlock like Brown.
DaVinci Code novel - huge hit? Check
DaVinci Code movie - huge hit? Check ($700M+ worldwide)
Angels & Demons novel - huge hit? Check (after everyone went back post DaVinci Code and read it)
Angels & Demons movie - huge hit? Check ($485M+ worldwide)
So by the measure of box-office success, what he did was the opposite of "destroyed."
And since the films by and large were faithful adaptations of the novels, it's rather hard to argue that Howard somehow "destroyed" their artistic integrity assuming the novels had any to begin with.
So I'm Lost. Your use of "destroyed" must be a Symbol for some particular aspect of Howard's work.
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Re: Stephen King's 'Dark Tower' Set For Film Trilogy, TV Ser
I'll watch the Dark Tower series having read and finished the books. As I thought SK demolished his own series and sent it careening off into "I don't what happens to your characters except Roland" country, whatever they do to the series won't matter much to me. SK proved he hadn't thought his circular, meaningless series through at all, television won't hurt the Dark Tower much.
(As for the Da Vinci Code and its sequels, RH couldn't ruin what was already a huge abortion to begin with. That the books and the movies made money didn't make them any less trash.)
(As for the Da Vinci Code and its sequels, RH couldn't ruin what was already a huge abortion to begin with. That the books and the movies made money didn't make them any less trash.)
The opinions expressed by JonathanStrange are solely those of JonathanStrange and do not reflect the opinions of OctopusOverlords.com, the forum members of OctopusOverlords, the elusive Mr. Norrell, or JonathanStrange.
Books Read 2013
Books Read 2013
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Re: Stephen King's 'Dark Tower' Set For Film Trilogy, TV Ser
Obviously I was stating a personal opinion in regards to both movies and not making a reference to their commercial success. I completely disagree that the movies were "faithful" adaptations especially with Angels and Demons where many crucial plot points were completely ignored. If you go by financial figures to establish a movies pedigree then Transformers 2 was a fantastic film! IMHO it was a complete train wreck but each to their own.Sith Lord wrote:Wait, huh? I'm not getting this at all.rshetts2 wrote:Ron Howard?! Didnt he just finish destroying both the DaVinci Code and Angels and Demons? I cant possibly imagine how hes going to be able to handle material as heady as the Dark Tower if he cant handle pulp schlock like Brown.
DaVinci Code novel - huge hit? Check
DaVinci Code movie - huge hit? Check ($700M+ worldwide)
Angels & Demons novel - huge hit? Check (after everyone went back post DaVinci Code and read it)
Angels & Demons movie - huge hit? Check ($485M+ worldwide)
So by the measure of box-office success, what he did was the opposite of "destroyed."
And since the films by and large were faithful adaptations of the novels, it's rather hard to argue that Howard somehow "destroyed" their artistic integrity assuming the novels had any to begin with.
So I'm Lost. Your use of "destroyed" must be a Symbol for some particular aspect of Howard's work.
Well do you ever get the feeling that the story's too damn real and in the present tense?
Or that everybody's on the stage and it seems like you're the only person sitting in the audience?
Or that everybody's on the stage and it seems like you're the only person sitting in the audience?
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Re: Stephen King's 'Dark Tower' Set For Film Trilogy, TV Ser
I'll eventually watch that show....Grifman wrote:That would be justified.Kelric wrote:My initial reaction is that they need Timothy Olyphant as Roland.
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Re: Stephen King's 'Dark Tower' Set For Film Trilogy, TV Ser
I think Ron Howard is fairly competent. It's Akiva Goldsman that's a bigger issue. I'm not sure why they work together so much. I've been wanting a Dark Tower series for a long time now, and I'm still excited by this news. Just, not as much as I might've been if they'd gone with another director/writer.
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Re: Stephen King's 'Dark Tower' Set For Film Trilogy, TV Ser
Just don't know how this'll translate.
I'm about 120 pages away from finishing the last book. Parts I absolutely love, parts I hate. If not for a friend I wouldn't have made it past the first book. I enjoy the parts that focus on Roland and his world. The rest? Not so much.
I'm about 120 pages away from finishing the last book. Parts I absolutely love, parts I hate. If not for a friend I wouldn't have made it past the first book. I enjoy the parts that focus on Roland and his world. The rest? Not so much.
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Re: Stephen King's 'Dark Tower' Set For Film Trilogy, TV Ser
Are you reading the book seven edition that has the second ending in it?Guy Incognito wrote:Just don't know how this'll translate.
I'm about 120 pages away from finishing the last book. Parts I absolutely love, parts I hate. If not for a friend I wouldn't have made it past the first book. I enjoy the parts that focus on Roland and his world. The rest? Not so much.
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Re: Stephen King's 'Dark Tower' Set For Film Trilogy, TV Ser
Roland = Clint Eastwood circa 1985 or so. On this, there can be no argument.
Are you a prostitute Rip? Because you blow the margins more than a $5 hooker. -rshetts2
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Re: Stephen King's 'Dark Tower' Set For Film Trilogy, TV Ser
This is my nightmare cast:
Roland......Tom Hanks
Jake.........Haley Joel Osmont
Eddie........Vince Vaughn
Odetta......Oprah Winfrey
Oy...........CGI by the same people that are doing the Yogi Bear movie
Roland......Tom Hanks
Jake.........Haley Joel Osmont
Eddie........Vince Vaughn
Odetta......Oprah Winfrey
Oy...........CGI by the same people that are doing the Yogi Bear movie
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Re: Stephen King's 'Dark Tower' Set For Film Trilogy, TV Ser
Of course. But Olyphant is an acceptable substitute, I think. Roland should be older than Olyphant (as 1985 Eastwood was), but some hair dying and makeup can take care of that.DD* wrote:Roland = Clint Eastwood circa 1985 or so. On this, there can be no argument.
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Re: Stephen King's 'Dark Tower' Set For Film Trilogy, TV Ser
Kelric, I haven't see Olyphant in much, so right now I totally cannot see him as Roland at all. But, as I said, I haven't seen him in much. Can you recommend me a movie or two where he's at his best? I'm curious.
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Re: Stephen King's 'Dark Tower' Set For Film Trilogy, TV Ser
Honesty I base this recommendation about 95% on how he looks and how I picture Roland (like a 1985 Clint Eastwood or an aging Olyphant) and about 5% on the awesomeness that is The Girl Next Door. He just fits how I imagine Roland - tall, skinny, brown hair, kind of crazy.Kyosho wrote:Kelric, I haven't see Olyphant in much, so right now I totally cannot see him as Roland at all. But, as I said, I haven't seen him in much. Can you recommend me a movie or two where he's at his best? I'm curious.
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Re: Stephen King's 'Dark Tower' Set For Film Trilogy, TV Ser
Oh. As far as just looks go, I'd prefer some one like Kevin McKidd. I just don't know if he could do a role like that.
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Re: Stephen King's 'Dark Tower' Set For Film Trilogy, TV Ser
He carried Rome. He could carry Roland.Kyosho wrote:Oh. As far as just looks go, I'd prefer some one like Kevin McKidd. I just don't know if he could do a role like that.
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Re: Stephen King's 'Dark Tower' Set For Film Trilogy, TV Ser
Ah, yeah, you know I never saw that. Good point though. Hmm.
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Re: Stephen King's 'Dark Tower' Set For Film Trilogy, TV Ser
Srsly? Please tell me your only exposure to him isn't Grey's Anatomy. Please.Kyosho wrote:Ah, yeah, you know I never saw that. Good point though. Hmm.
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Re: Stephen King's 'Dark Tower' Set For Film Trilogy, TV Ser
Um, no, of course not. I've seen him in..uh..... Aha! He was in GTA Vice City. As some character I don't recall even though I've played the game through multiple times. But yeah, I'm sure he was great in that! I don't watch Grey's Anatomy, no sir. Definitely not.
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Re: Stephen King's 'Dark Tower' Set For Film Trilogy, TV Ser
Oh, well, you probably saw him in Made Of Honor, then, right?Kyosho wrote:Um, no, of course not. I've seen him in..uh..... Aha! He was in GTA Vice City. As some character I don't recall even though I've played the game through multiple times. But yeah, I'm sure he was great in that! I don't watch Grey's Anatomy, no sir. Definitely not.
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Re: Stephen King's 'Dark Tower' Set For Film Trilogy, TV Ser
Is that better to admit to than Grey's Anatomy? If so, let's go with that.
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Re: Stephen King's 'Dark Tower' Set For Film Trilogy, TV Ser
I'd guess no. I just looked at his IMDB page. It seemed worse.Kyosho wrote:Is that better to admit to than Grey's Anatomy? If so, let's go with that.
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Re: Stephen King's 'Dark Tower' Set For Film Trilogy, TV Ser
Speaking of the Dark Tower, I just picked up the last few issues of the 5-part (30-issue, I think?) graphic novel series and got to finish the whole thing. It's the story of Roland and his first ka-tet, beginning with him winning his guns from Cort and ending with the disastrous battle of Jericho Hill. It includes the time in Meijis/Hambry, of course.
They were written by Peter David, who's work I often like, based on plotlines developed by Robin Furth, King's research assistant during the final three novels of the series.
I thought the series was excellent. Each issue was about 70% story and 30% "other stuff." The "other stuff" included everything from reflections on the series by Furth and others to pencil sketches of both used and unused artwork. The best ones, though, had backstory on various aspects of the Dark Tower universe - Maerlyn's rainbow, Arthur Eld, poisons, magic, North Central Positronics, etc., etc.
My only regret, and it's a small one, is that I bought each issue as a comic, rather than getting the hardbound collected editions. I'd have liked to put that next to the original novels on my bookshelf. They're about $12-16 (for each of the five) on Amazon. If I had the money, I think I'd buy them anyway, and duplication be damned.
They were written by Peter David, who's work I often like, based on plotlines developed by Robin Furth, King's research assistant during the final three novels of the series.
I thought the series was excellent. Each issue was about 70% story and 30% "other stuff." The "other stuff" included everything from reflections on the series by Furth and others to pencil sketches of both used and unused artwork. The best ones, though, had backstory on various aspects of the Dark Tower universe - Maerlyn's rainbow, Arthur Eld, poisons, magic, North Central Positronics, etc., etc.
My only regret, and it's a small one, is that I bought each issue as a comic, rather than getting the hardbound collected editions. I'd have liked to put that next to the original novels on my bookshelf. They're about $12-16 (for each of the five) on Amazon. If I had the money, I think I'd buy them anyway, and duplication be damned.
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Re: Stephen King's 'Dark Tower' Set For Film Trilogy, TV Ser
On my blog today I expanded a bit on my thoughts above and review the completed Dark Tower comic series.
A Completed Journey - Stephen King's Dark Tower Graphic Novels
A Completed Journey - Stephen King's Dark Tower Graphic Novels
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Re: Stephen King's 'Dark Tower' Set For Film Trilogy, TV Ser
I could see josh brolin or hugh laurie as Roland. Hugh Laurie with the piercing blue eyes is a pretty good fit. Wizard and Glass is tougher to cast with young Roland, Cuthbert and Alain.
I could even see Gary Sinese as Roland
I could even see Gary Sinese as Roland
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Re: Stephen King's 'Dark Tower' Set For Film Trilogy, TV Ser
Jaddison wrote:I could even see Gary Sinese as Roland
I find that hard to picture, but then casting actors has never really been my strong suit. Josh Brolin seems like a good fit, but it would be awfully similar to his Jonah Hex role - probably too similar.
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Re: Stephen King's 'Dark Tower' Set For Film Trilogy, TV Ser
weird as it may sound Laurence Fishburne would a damn fine Roland as well. Jason Patric, Guy Pearce as well
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Re: Stephen King's 'Dark Tower' Set For Film Trilogy, TV Ser
Guy Pearce could pull it off. How about Paul Bettany?Jaddison wrote:weird as it may sound Laurence Fishburne would a damn fine Roland as well. Jason Patric, Guy Pearce as well
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Re: Stephen King's 'Dark Tower' Set For Film Trilogy, TV Ser
It'd be a little strange for Suzannah to refer to Laurence Fishburne as a "honkey ma-fa" for most of The Drawing of the Three.Jaddison wrote:weird as it may sound Laurence Fishburne
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Re: Stephen King's 'Dark Tower' Set For Film Trilogy, TV Ser
easily re-written as high yellow or uncle tom or probably any number of expressions I have never heard
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Re: Stephen King's 'Dark Tower' Set For Film Trilogy, TV Ser
I assume the one with the 2nd ending but I don't know. The book ended, King wrote that I should probably stop reading, then he talked for a little bit and the story went back to Roland.Kelric wrote:Are you reading the book seven edition that has the second ending in it?Guy Incognito wrote:Just don't know how this'll translate.
I'm about 120 pages away from finishing the last book. Parts I absolutely love, parts I hate. If not for a friend I wouldn't have made it past the first book. I enjoy the parts that focus on Roland and his world. The rest? Not so much.
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Re: Stephen King's 'Dark Tower' Set For Film Trilogy, TV Ser
i really enjoyed the da vinci code book & angel & demons. They were fun reads with nice little twists in them and tossing in the historical angle & conspiracy clues was a nice little touch. I enjoyed the books for what they were and not read deeper into hating catholicism or whatever.rshetts2 wrote:Obviously I was stating a personal opinion in regards to both movies and not making a reference to their commercial success. I completely disagree that the movies were "faithful" adaptations especially with Angels and Demons where many crucial plot points were completely ignored. If you go by financial figures to establish a movies pedigree then Transformers 2 was a fantastic film! IMHO it was a complete train wreck but each to their own.Sith Lord wrote:Wait, huh? I'm not getting this at all.rshetts2 wrote:Ron Howard?! Didnt he just finish destroying both the DaVinci Code and Angels and Demons? I cant possibly imagine how hes going to be able to handle material as heady as the Dark Tower if he cant handle pulp schlock like Brown.
DaVinci Code novel - huge hit? Check
DaVinci Code movie - huge hit? Check ($700M+ worldwide)
Angels & Demons novel - huge hit? Check (after everyone went back post DaVinci Code and read it)
Angels & Demons movie - huge hit? Check ($485M+ worldwide)
So by the measure of box-office success, what he did was the opposite of "destroyed."
And since the films by and large were faithful adaptations of the novels, it's rather hard to argue that Howard somehow "destroyed" their artistic integrity assuming the novels had any to begin with.
So I'm Lost. Your use of "destroyed" must be a Symbol for some particular aspect of Howard's work.
however, i honestly dont think the source material can easily translate into a good movie, simply there are a lot of little details and actions that take place in the main characters minds, and to translate each and every bit of those to the movie would have blown up the movie to 4+ hours. So i think a good movie adaption was in fact extremely hard to do. I do think Ron howard is a pretty damn good directory though and hopefully he can pull this off. I started reading the dark tower in the early 90's but stopped after book 3 or so, since i had read somewhere that king was gonna take his time finishing the series.
Also about timothy olyphant, he can be seen in justified on FX right now. Fun little show.
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Re: Stephen King's 'Dark Tower' Set For Film Trilogy, TV Ser
Wait, what's this about a second ending? My copy is a first edition hardcover (bought it for my wife - she's been a King fan since before I ever started the Dark Tower). It's 845 pages long, includingGuy Incognito wrote:I assume the one with the 2nd ending but I don't know. The book ended, King wrote that I should probably stop reading, then he talked for a little bit and the story went back to Roland.Kelric wrote:Are you reading the book seven edition that has the second ending in it?
Spoiler:
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Re: Stephen King's 'Dark Tower' Set For Film Trilogy, TV Ser
The impression I get, and I don't know that King has ever come right out and said it, is that if not for getting hit by that van, he very well might never have finished it. I think it had gotten a lot bigger than he'd ever expected and I suspect it probably even scared him a little (or a lot) so he put it off and put it off and did other stuff. It was his magnum opus, after all - remember that he said he was retiring after he finished it, planning to never write again. I think that might have lasted almost an entire year, but I'm not sure it was that long.Newcastle wrote:I started reading the dark tower in the early 90's but stopped after book 3 or so, since i had read somewhere that king was gonna take his time finishing the series.
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Re: Stephen King's 'Dark Tower' Set For Film Trilogy, TV Ser
Right, that would be the second ending.Guy Incognito wrote:I assume the one with the 2nd ending but I don't know. The book ended, King wrote that I should probably stop reading, then he talked for a little bit and the story went back to Roland.Kelric wrote:Are you reading the book seven edition that has the second ending in it?Guy Incognito wrote:Just don't know how this'll translate.
I'm about 120 pages away from finishing the last book. Parts I absolutely love, parts I hate. If not for a friend I wouldn't have made it past the first book. I enjoy the parts that focus on Roland and his world. The rest? Not so much.
Sith Lord
Spoiler: