Dark Tower fans

[bigpern23]

I'm watching the Daily Show interview with Ron Howard and he offhandedly mentioned he's developing the Dark Tower series. I had no idea, but I'm stoked. Not sure what his involvement will be, but seeing Roland of Gilead chase the man in black across the desert as directed by Howard would be perhaps my most anticipated movie since Episode I.

Anyone know anything else about this?

 

[lisa_simpson]

It's going to be a multi-media extravanganza, literally. Three movies interspersed with a TV series. I like Ron Howard. I like Akiva Goldsman. I firmly believe that they will find a way, whether intentionally or otherwise, to **** this up.

http://www.hitfix.com/blogs/motion-captured/posts/ron-howard-eyes-the-road-ahead-on-dark-tower-series
http://herocomplex.latimes.com/2010/12/17/the-dark-tower-ron-howards-plans-and-passion-for-stephen-king-epic/

I would love to see Timothy Olyphant as Roland.

 

[Bob Cook]

The battle scenes with the brigands will be great, each side watching to see what number pops up on the screen on the top of the tower to find out if they've won.

 

[lantaur]

My brother-in-law actually has the Dark Tower game intact and usable. He is quite meticulous, which is why the game is still in great shape. I know the movie has to do with the book series and not the game, but hell, it was the first thing I thought of when I saw the subject.

And speaking of which, holy crap:
http://cgi.ebay.com/MB-MILTON-BRADLEY-DARK-TOWER-GAME-SEALED-MISB-NEW-AFA-/180609954872?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a0d313438

 

[Bob Cook]

My brother-in-law actually has the Dark Tower game intact and usable. He is quite meticulous, which is why the game is still in great shape. I know the movie has to do with the book series and not the game, but hell, it was the first thing I thought of when I saw the subject.

And speaking of which, holy crap:
http://cgi.ebay.com/MB-MILTON-BRADLEY-DARK-TOWER-GAME-SEALED-MISB-NEW-AFA-/180609954872?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a0d313438

You can play it online here:

http://www.hotflashgames.com/darktower.htm

 

[Buck]

Most anticipated movie since 'Episode I' is kind of a stretch.

 

[bigpern23]

How would you know what I have anticipated most since Episode I?

 

[MonsterLobster]

How would you know what I have anticipated most since Episode I?

Let's hope it's not nearly as disappointing and doesn't tarnish my beloved memory of a great series the way Episode I did.

 

[Roland of Gilead]

Not surprisingly, I am looking forward to this.

 

[Buck]

How would you know what I have anticipated most since Episode I?

I missed the word 'my' in there as a qualifier.
My bad.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

Ron Howard was on Howard Stern on Thursday and said they would likely cast Javier Bardiem or Viggo Mortensen in the lead role and they were looking into doing a series of movies as well as a mini-series that would air on TV.

 

[MonsterLobster]

Ron Howard was on Howard Stern on Thursday and said they would likely cast Javier Bardiem or Viggo Mortensen in the lead role and they were looking into doing a series of movies as well as a mini-series that would air on TV.

I began reading the series after the LOTRs movies came out, so I have always pictured Viggo playing Roland. I could live with Bardiem doing it, too.

 

[Jersey_Guy]

It's going to be hard to do it well.

 

[JakeandElwood]

Just downloaded the first book to my Kindle. I'm interested in checking this stuff out after looking at this thread.

 

[John]

It's going to be hard to do it well.

Indeed. That's why I likely won't ever see any of the films. Those books are so special to me (well, most of them) that I don't want to mess with the image of Roland & Co. I have in my head.

 

[bigpern23]

It's going to be hard to do it well.

VERY hard ... it's such a sprawling story. I imagine the flashbacks to Roland's youth will make up the content of the television series between the trilogy films.

I'm also not sure how well meeting the writer (which I thought was the weakest part of the series) will translate to the screen. That whole part seemed either self-serving or as if King just didn't have any ideas following his accident, I could never quite decide which. If they can mostly drop that from the story, I wouldn't miss it.

Bardem would be a solid choice for Roland, I think. I'd like to see Christoph Waltz as The Man in Black (I always kind of pictured Max von Sydow, but he's probably too old by now ... not sure if he's even acting anymore) and perhaps Nona Gaye for the part of Susannah.

Eddie is a tough one. I wouldn't mind seeing Tom Hardy from 'Inception.' His star is rising, but he'd make a strong choice for the supporting role.

 

[bigpern23]

One of the biggest challenges, I think, will be finding a tone that's consistent across the three movies and two television series. The series crosses such vastly different worlds and times that maintaining a style that fits them all, instead of having three movies that look completely different and two TV series that don't match up, will be extremely difficult.

 

[kokane_muthashed]

When I read the series back in the '90s, I always pictured Whoopi as Susannah. Haha. :P

 

[YGBFKM]

What's Dark Tower?

 

[farmerjerome]

I can't believe I missed this. I picked up "The Wastelands" as an eighth-grader because Steven King was becoming cool. I couldn't put it down. That book completely facinated me, and it killed me that the next book didn't come out for like seven years.

If this happens, I'll be like those Lord of the Rings geeks.