Ron Howard to direct The Dark Tower

[Bydo]

Not sure about this .

As a big fan of the books, I think a huge budgeted TV series is the only way to do justice to 7 books worth of dense material.

http://www.totalfilm.com/news/ron-howard-to-direct-the-dark-tower

http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=28859

However they do it, lets hope it doesn't take them about 30 years to finish it like King did with the books.

[abigsmurf]

There have been lots of failed attempts to 'create' film franchises recently. Avatar and Golden Compass spring to mind.

I do hope that they change substantial portions of the last few books though (especially the final one)

[Neon Ignition]

http://www.darkhorizons.com/news/18194/-dark-tower-gets-series-film-trilogy

Describes how they're doing it. Basically it's unlikely to work, I can imagine this format will compromise quality and shed viewers.

[Matt]

Oh, I think the writer is more than capable of compromising quality and shedding viewers all by himself

I actually think it's a great, bold idea. Shame about the team involved. But I remain ever the optimist.

[abigsmurf]

You mean the writer of batman and robin and scores of other incredibly mediocre blockbusters doesn't inspire confidence?

[Matt]

Yeah, I can't imagine why that is....

[CMcK]

So JJ Abrams has given up with the Dark Tower already. Mr King sold him the rights to the film version for pennies as he reckoned it would be a difficult thing to pull off.

Sounds like an interesting way to do it though. Will it keep peoples interest through all that time though. And will they screw with ending? Who will play Stephen King in the screen version?
For me the ending is the big problem with the series. It is the correct ending and is hinted at from the start but will people approve. It's not your standard Hollywood style beginning, middle and end style wherein the hero gets the girl.

[abigsmurf]

The ending does fit with the general theme of Roland's quest for the Tower as being unworthy of salvation (but giving him the chance to earn it) but for readers who could've been waiting 30 years to get the story finished... It felt incredibly cheap and lazy.

Putting a disclaimer that the ending will just piss you off before hand didn't excuse it, it just re-enforced he knew the series deserved a better ending.

I think ultimately though, it's the stuff with Flagg and The Crimson King (plus the horribly self endulgent step of making himself a pivotal character) that made the final book deeply unsatisfying. It probably could've gotten away with the ending were it not for the events leading up to it.

->Open Spoiler<-

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

[Neon Ignition]

The trouble with this set up is it's going to result in 2 disjointed series that are dependant on the viewer having seen the films that bookend them. The flip trouble there is you can guarantee that many peeps will watch the first film, skip the series then go to the 2nd feeling it doesn't make sense and skip the 3rd. I think 2 series and 3 films is a very unbalanced way of dealing with the storyline. If series 1 is a viewing figure flop but the film does well what happens then? Crammed storyline? A choppy added 4th film to wrap things up? Or what if the films are unsuccessful but the series isn't? you could continue the story in series form but there's a high risk it'll get axed unresolved and suffer too many unplanned changes.

To be honest I was never convinced that Dark Tower could be adapted into film or TV at all in a way that would both do it justice and prove watchable. Part of me thinks it's not suited to the medium, let alone the way they're doing it.

[Neon Ignition]

http://www.darkhorizons.com/news/40358/idris-elba-is-top-choice-for-dark-tower

Revive me do!

Idris Elba is said to be a front runner for the role of Roland

[Neon Ignition]

http://www.ew.com/article/2016/02/29/dark-tower-rises-stephen-king-idris-elba-and-matthew-mcconaughey

So, this is finally official.

Idris Elba will play Roland and Matthew MCConaughey will play the Man in Black. Nikolaj Arcel directs and co-writes and the film will skip The Gunslinger and instead jump into the middle of the books storyline. Filming starts in 7 weeks and it's set to be out by next January