Dark Tower Movie?

[coopthepirate]

so There NEEDS to be a movie for these books right?
has there been any thought or consideration by the mr. king for such a project? what kinds of things could i/we do as a dark tower-loving community to help spur along something like this?

[Moderator]

J.J. Abrams has been given the option to come up with a proposal to adapt The Dark Tower to film. If Steve approves the concept proposal, then it can move on to a production.

[michal]

I'm a bit worried about that. Cramming 7 not-so-short epic books into a two hours Hollywood-style movie can easily ruin the story. To top that, there are some great parts that will have to go and many story lines that will have to disappear. It'll be hard for anyone who really loved the series, but of course -Lord of the Rings was nothing like the books it was based on, and still managed to be a great film.

[Jake Featherston]

It'd have to be a trilogy, or something.

[Stranger]

i agree it would not be able to be stuck all into one movie, not if they had any hope of keeping the story the way it should be. i have seen this with so many stephen king movies.....things just get chopped out, and some of those things seem important to me...to important to just take out altogether, i hope if this project happens that they consider putting the time and effort and money into it that it truly deserves

[dawnde]

I can't even fathom all those books in one film . No way. It wouldnt do it justice . I won't go!! Can you imagine The Tolkien Trilogy crammed into one movie?

[Lily Sawyer]

J.J. Abrams? The option to pull together a Dark Tower project?

Shoot, I'd go see the film before reading the book if it's Abrams. It'll be a hyper-interesting hybrid of Lost & Alias.

[Jake Featherston]

Sawyer, you speaketh blasphemies with a forked tongue.

[Prince of Darkness]

Hi,

It could be done as a series of 7-Movies, like with the Harry Potter books. The last ones might be long, but of course the previous movies would have hooked them and they wouldn't mind the length.

Once again, on the topic of a DT Movie, this is just a simple opinion.

Long days and pleasant nights

[AndyDufresne]

I think it could be less movies. From a technical standpoint, 'Wizards and Glass' doesn't even have to be included, as it is sort of separate from the rest (doesn't deal with the four main characters). So that could be done as a separate movie (sort of like the Hobbit is now a prequel movie to the Lord of the Rings films). The first two books could be combined, so that it is just one film. That leaves five movies, and would be easier to pull off, I think.

[THISisWHEREiMAKEmySTAND]

I really hope they don't try and consolidate the books into one film, no way!! It would lose its ( at least some of its) magic

[BTRNYC]

NO WAY they can do it justice in one movie, if that's actually the talk. Five to seven, imo, are a must.

And I think they should include Wizard and Glass, too much good stuff with long, tall and ugly, when he was short, young and pretty.

[B4victorycomestemptation]

I would never watch a movie of this series. I like to read Stephen King much better.

[Jake Featherston]

I would never watch a movie of this series. I like to read Stephen King much better.

I'd watch if it came out, would presumably give it the Igantius J. Reilly treatment ie., "What an abortion! The people who made this piece of degenerate filth should be whipped to death!"

Of course, its always possible I could be surprised. In that event, I can imagine Edward Norton playing Eddie Dean...although he may now be a little too old for that. I suppose Clint Eastwood would have to play Roland. Anthony Hopkins could revise his role as, um, that guy from Hearts in Atlantis.

[ericon74]

Whith the magnitude of the hole serie, wouldn't it be better to adapt it to a tv series, like lost, or any other for that matter. That way they wouldn't have to cut out so much of the plot. then they might make it through in about 3-4 seasons, with 20 or so episodes in 1 season.

[ericon74]

and another thing, the wizard and glass could be a pilot in film lenght linked to the first episode of the gunslinnger.

[CruelPuppet]

I read somewhere that King sold Abrams the movie rights for $19. :)
Also, apparently King turned down the director of Shawshank/Green Mile before accepting Abrams.

Anyone think it would work better as a mini-series or even as a regular tv series?

[morganelafee]

hold on, who said that there was gonna be only one movie?,( if they decide to make one) i think they should do like the harry potter, or the LOTR. adapt every book, make two movies for one book if necessary, but please, please, don't ruin everything with a single >resume it all> movie.

[morganelafee]

wisard and glass have to be included, it explain the story of Roland, after all, he's the main character. i think they should do 7 movies, like Harry Potter. if they do only one, i won't bother go to see it, and if it plays on tv after, i'll switch channel, what's the point of doing one movie with a gigantic story like that. it took me 9 days to read the whole serie. i don't want a resume of only 2 hours!

[Captn_Tripps]

I don't think they should make the movies...maybe a LONG tv series, but if it has to be movies, they could probably fit the first two together, as The Gunslinger was pretty short, and The Drawing of Three wasn't too much longer, and it could be a 6 movie series, with each being 3 hours long.

[BigJimVt]

I can't imagine it being any good as a TV series, they would have to edit out to much to make it ok for sponsors etc. I would hate to see it made into a TV series.

I think a series of 7 movies would be ideal, maybe 5 as you could condense at least 2 of the books into two others. I thought LOTR was done really well considering you will always lose something when taken from book to movie. The only part they really had to take out was the whole bit with Tom Bambodil.

[Beatbox]

J.J. Abrams has been given the option to come up with a proposal to adapt The Dark Tower to film. If Steve approves the concept proposal, then it can move on to a production.

In a recent interview jj stated that he was giving up on the adaptation of the dark tower. Does this mean that someone else can be granted the rights to adapt the film of will this be stuck in movie limbo as jj has the rights.

[*Iris*]

I would loooove to see Dark Tower becomes a movie *as all of you I imagine:love:* I' ve read somewhere that the movie will be displayed in 2011, after Lost episodes and that it would be a trilogy not 7 movies. I don' t know if all these are just rumors or reality...:dunno: Anyway, rumors or not, I wish with all my heart that someday *very soon* to see Black Tower in the big Screen. And in 3D version please. I want to live inside the movie. Do I ask much?!:oo:

*Where is Santa Claus?! Oh no, he left back to Alasca...:eek2: I guess that I have to prepare my letter for next Christmas... and that I have to be a good child eh? Ok. I' ll be. I promise*:biggrin2:

[Fran D'Amico]

The gunslinger could not be a TV movie.Too much blood,too much sex ,and too much cursing.All the charm would be lost.

[WalterKovacs]

I'm only starting out with the series, but it already seems to me that it would work better as a miniseries than as a 2 or 3 hour movie. It would have to be made by HBO so as not to be censored. I'm thinking 10 episodes of one hour each so you could devote an hour and some change to each book. It's not perfect, but it would involve less butchering than a movie would. I think if they filmed entirely in green screen (like Sin City or 300) it would keep the budget manageable and also look cool. I would also prefer if actors were cast instead of movie stars. Quality would suffer if they blew half the production budget on hiring Christian Bale.

[Kozmikling]

NOOOO!!!! I don´t want a movie based on the book. People need to read it!!!!!!
movies just end with the magic of the books, we need people to read, not people to go see movies. I love the way I created every character, scene and voices in my own head, that I don´t think i´d see a movie based on the book.

[Lobstrocities Looming]

Lord of the Rings are great books, and the movies turned out to be great as well (although different) so I'm hopeful the same could be done with DK. The casting would be very important though - especially Roland. No one comes to mind off the top of my head, but then again I don't know if any actor can live up to the picture of Roland in my head! I really love the Roland/Susan love story and would like to see that come to life.

[KyleKarabekian]

There should never be a DT movie. Ever.

[morganelafee]

J.J. Abarams have a big task not to deceive all the Dark Tower lovers and fans. If he ever needs consultants, he can always look on this forum...I'm sure i'm not the only one who can read the books again and again and really fast(it took me 10 days to read the whole serie the last time and right now, i'm reading it and hope to get my score to 8 days)

[Moderator]

J.J. Abrams is no longer involved with the project but Ron Howard and Akiva Goldsman are. You can read more in this thread (http://www.stephenking.com/forums/showthread.php/17687-3-Dark-Tower-movies-amp-a-tv-series).

[#1fanofking]

For the sake of king fans everywhere there better be more then one movie cuz you can't cram thousands of pages into 2 hours of film

[Oy.]

Noooo. Maybe a long HBO series could work, but a movie just wouldnt do it justice. Period.
I'm nervous about putting this into film anyway- it's such an amazing series that I think people should have to read it and not have the option of just watching it.

[JABarnes]

this would definitly make an awesome movie. Needs to be like a 3 or 4hours movie though.

[krazy]

I`m not sure coopthepirate but i think a dark tower movie no w8 there needs to b a dark tower movie for all seven books i agree

[JamesMWatts]

I think it could be less movies. From a technical standpoint, 'Wizards and Glass' doesn't even have to be included, as it is sort of separate from the rest (doesn't deal with the four main characters). So that could be done as a separate movie (sort of like the Hobbit is now a prequel movie to the Lord of the Rings films). The first two books could be combined, so that it is just one film. That leaves five movies, and would be easier to pull off, I think.


I would not want them to omit Wizards and Glass. Although it is primarily about Roland's past, it has useful back story for the series as well as some interesting details. I like seven movies ideas. This way each book could be focused on without trying to pack everything into three or four films and keep from brutally gutting King's work. It is, after all, his opus. It is in my opinion, anyway.

[JamesMWatts]

There needs to be more than one. To me it would be like Hearts in Atlantis if they packed it into one movie. I loved that book, but the movie let me down. It was a good movie, very well done, but it was only the first section. Granted, Hearts in Atlantis was a collection, but it was a collection involving one group of characters.

[inkedquinn]

I think it would be smarter to leave it for the wonderful minds of constant readers, I dont want to see it on the screen and then get pissed when I think it's wrong based on my own imagination

[myfathersface]

It would be a monumental task to remain true to the books regardless of what format was undertaken (multiple films/tele series). Mind you the same was said about LOTR for many years and look at how well they turned out - even though there were some serious differences to the books - same could be said for the Harry Potter films. I would just hope that whoever does this epic approaches it with the same passion and committment that Peter Jackson did with LOTR.

[krs72]

What do you think about Javier Bardem playing Roland ? I think he looks just like the artists rend. of Roland on the cover of the last Dark Tower book . The only thing I've seen him in was "No Country for Old Men" and he was spectacular in his role .

[weetee]

I dont think they should make a movie at all, i'm happy with how i see the characters in my imagination. Some stories just lose to much in translation on the big screen

[bobledrew]

Weetee, I respect your opinion. But there's likely no chance that the DT project will not go ahead. Better to plan on not viewing it.

[Puppet79]

I don't think the DT books should be made into movie(s), prefer the characters to remain as I have envisioned them in my imagination, the last thing I want is for a hollywood actor(s) to be dancing around in my imagination as I travel on the epic journey with Roland and his ka-tet.

[Daniel Lee Severn]

Ok, so I really like the idea of Javier Bardem playing Roland, he has the look and the accent. Here's my list of actors/actresses to play the other roles: Naomi Harris as Odetta/Detta/Susannah, Bradley Cooper as Eddie Dean, Nathan Gamble as Jake Chambers, James Cromwell as Father Callahan, Alexander Skarsgard as Patrick Danville, Nicholas Hoult as Cuthbert Allgood, Chord Overstreet as Alain Johns, Anna Sophia Robb as Susan Delgado, Anton Yelchin as Sheemie Ruiz, Anthony Hopkins reprises his role as Ted Brautigan, Michael Flores reprises his role as Dinky Earnshaw, Ian McShane as John Farson, Mark Strong as Randall Flagg/Walter O' Dim/Marten Broadcloak, Tobin Bell as Eldred Jonas, Josh Holloway as Clay Reynolds, Jeremy Renner as Roy Depape, Lorna Raver as Rhea of the Coos, Nicholas Hope as The Crimson King, and just for kicks, Tim Curry as Dandelo. Tell me what you think, and remember, it's all in fun.

[Mr.Ace]

I don't think the DT books should be made into movie(s), prefer the characters to remain as I have envisioned them in my imagination, the last thing I want is for a hollywood actor(s) to be dancing around in my imagination as I travel on the epic journey with Roland and his ka-tet.

I think you're right, bеcаusе thе movie could nеvеr show us thе wholе picture оf thе world of DТ. Аnd I аgrее nоnе аctоrs cоuld rерlаcе Rоlаnd аnd his kа-tеt in my imаginаtion.

[prufrock21]

I would consider seeing it if it was directed by Peter Jackson, and if it was filmed in four installments:
The Gunslinger as one movie, and the remaining books as a trilogy. Also, I would starve Christian Bale (not the
first time he has done this) and cast him as Roland Deschain.

[bobledrew]

Sorry, Prufrock, but I don't see that happening...

[prufrock21]

Sorry, Prufrock, but I don't see that happening...

I can dream, can't I?