Stephen King's Dark Tower

[Emperor]

Universal Pictures and NBC Universal Television have locked down an ambitious deal to adapt Stephen King’s fantasy novel series "The Dark Tower" for both the big and small screen reports Deadline.

 

"The Da Vinci Code" team of director Ron Howard, producer Brian Grazer and writer Akiva Goldsman will adapt the property into a feature film trilogy and network TV series that, in a highly unusual move, will unfold the story simultaneously across both formats. Ideally the viewer would watch the first film, the first season of the show, the second film, the second season of the show, and then the final film.

 

Ron Howard has committed to direct the first feature and first season of the series which will follow in close proximity. Akiva Goldsman will pen the film and the first season of the series which Grazer, Goldsman and King himself will produce.

 

Howard says the story's scale and scope requires a big screen budget, but a series allows them the time to explore the characters and their various nuances. Characters from the films and shows would crossover, while sets from the films will be reused on the series which would help cover the expense of such an undertaking.

 

The story follows Roland Deschain, the last living member of a knightly order of gunslingers and humanity’s last hope to save a civilization that will crumble unless he finds the mythical Dark Tower. Howard described the world of the Dark Tower as a post-apocalyptic Sergio Leone landscape.

 

Which books will be incorporated where is presently unknown, though the second season of the show is expected to be focused on Deschain as a young gunslinger using material from the prequel comic book series.

 

JJ Abrams and his "Lost" duo of Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse were the last to attempt to turn the property into a film relatively recently, but couldn't crack it. Howard, Grazer and Goldman are wasting no time with this version though, with Howard making this his next project once he finishes work on "The Dilemma". Goldsman is already busy at work writing.

[Emperor]

Deadline is reporting tonight that Javier Bardem is closing on a deal for him to play Roland Deschain, the Last Gunslinger, in THE DARK TOWER trilogy, as well as be in the television show that will run between the films. I think this might be a first in a large-scale production like this - a television series that runs between each film release, with the series between films 2 and 3 being a prequel. I'd imagine that part of the TV series would cover the events of WIZARD AND GLASS, and since the characters in that are younger, I don't think they would be casting Bardem for Roland in that except in brief moments.

 

According to the article, the deal isn't finalized yet, but it's close, close enough for Ron Howard to be looking at other actors to play Jake, Eddie, and Susannah, as well as the Man in Black and the various other characters. Bardem's a good choice - there's a real nobility and a sense of gravitas about him, but as we've seen in NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN he can play someone who is prone to violence at a moment's notice. I'm not sure that this kind of adaptation would be able to get the entire scope of Stephen King's saga, but that may be a blessing. I think this may be a case, as in LORD OF THE RINGS, that a completely loyal adaptation of the story may not be in order.

 

Now with the major casting hurdle out of the way, Howard can concentrate on the other actors to fill out the rest of the cast. But it looks like THE DARK TOWER saga is indeed coming to screens both large and small.

[Krakalakachkn]

"Heroes" and "Battlestar Galactica" producer Mark Verheiden has been brought onboard the big-budget adaptation of Stephen King's "The Dark Tower" fantasy book series for NBC and Universal reports Deadline.

 

As previously reported, the book series is being turned into a feature film trilogy and a two-season TV series. Akiva Goldsman is penning the first film and will co-write the TV series with Verheiden who will also executive produce the series.

 

The first season of the show is expected to bridge the gap between the first and second movie of the trilogy. The second season will serve as a prequel of sorts.

[Emperor]

Stephen King’s Dark Tower may be too high to climb after all.

 

Ron Howard’s plan to mount three Universal motion pictures and two NBC miniseries based on Stephen King’s “The Dark Tower” series of novels has collapsed with Comcast-owned NBC Universal’s decision to pass on the sprawling project, according to Deadline Hollywood.

 

Execs apparently considered the adaptation too costly.

 

Imagine Entertainment will have to find new money to mount the epic, which would have starred Javier Bardem as gunslinger Roland Deschain.

 

Screenwriter Akiva Goldsman ("Batman & Robin," "Lost In Space," "Practical Magic," "A Beautiful Mind," "I Robot," "I Am Legend," "The Da Vinci Code") was to write the movies and and co-write the miniseries with "Falling Skies" mastermind Mark Verheiden.

 

Could it wind up at ABC/Disney or HBO/Warner Bros.? It strikes one as unlikely, but we will be watching.

[Krakalakachkn]

HBO would be epic!

[raitora]

SADFACE D:

[Joshua Hendrickson]

Thank the gods that Ron Howard isn't going to get a chance to blandify the Dark Tower.

[Emperor]

Thank the gods that Ron Howard isn't going to get a chance to blandify the Dark Tower.

 

Right... now no one is going to do it! YAY!

 

Ron Howard may, from time to time, direct a boring movie. But damn are they good. Looking over his resume he rarely has a miss. I mean... ok DaVinci Code was his 'get paid' movie. But then you have classics like Splash and Cocoon... hell I even loved Gung Ho. Willow is a movie I look back on fondly as well. Then you get into his best movies. Apollo 13, A Beautiful Mind, Frost/Nixon and Cinderella Man... loved them.

 

I doubt Howard would blandify the series is all I am saying.

[Krakalakachkn]

A Beautiful Mind is one of my all-time favorites. Russell Crowe was crazygood.

 

 

Willow was just...incredibly entertaining. Still my favorite Val Kilmer movie.