J.J. Abrams to direct "The Dark Tower"?

[techs]

http://www.joblo.com/abrams-on-dark-tower

Abrams and his "Lost" buddies (namely co-creator Damon Lindelof) have never made a secret of their love for Stephen King. They said when "Lost" debuted that King's "The Stand" was a big influence. Later they participated in a roundtable interview with King for Entertainment Weekly and Lindelof even brought a copy of "The Gunslinger" for King to sign.
So it should come as no surprise that King and Abrams are in talks to adapt THE DARK TOWER.
It's unclear if the project is headed towards the big-screen or small as it hasn't ended up at either Paramount or Warner Bros. TV where Abrams has his production deals. It's still in the early talking stages but the project could be designed as either a TV mini-series, a season long TV series or a trilogy of movies. Abrams involvement in the adaptation is also unclear. He doesn't seem to be committed to direct STAR TREK XI but hasn't announced his next directorial project either. Adaptations of King's works for TV haven't had the best results so I'm hoping with the involvement of Abrams, they can deliver not just a faithful but entertaining DARK TOWER.


I have never read the series but the Stand made a pretty good mini-series.

 

[Vehemence]

It has a high chance of being terrible.

 

[Deeko]

A) The series is way too long and detailed to adapt to screen unless it is literally a full season long or they cut 90% out
B) I've read the series twice now, don't really want to see it as a movie. I think only parts of it will adapt well, and I don't want to see some director screwing it up anyway

 

[joesmoke]

Could be interesting... but could be awful, as already stated.

Who would you DT fans like to see play Roland/Man in Black?

 

[clamum]

Never read the book but I think Abrams (and Lindelof) make some great stuff.

 

[TruePaige]

Remember Kingdom Hospital?

 

[nakedfrog]

I think they should just stop adapting King books for movies or TV.

 

[Deeko]

Originally posted by: nakedfrog
I think they should just stop adapting King books for movies or TV.

Some of them are good, some of them not.

Most of his books are great books that don't really adapt well to TV - and when it DOES work, it's so heavily modified, it's barely even the same story anymore (such as 1408)

 

[imported_Section8]

Originally posted by: joesmoke
Could be interesting... but could be awful, as already stated.

Who would you DT fans like to see play Roland/Man in Black?

Just for grins - Hugh Laurie as Roland

 

[illusion88]

This is going to suck. Remember when they made The Stand? That was terrible.

 

[joesmoke]

Originally posted by: Section8

Originally posted by: joesmoke
Could be interesting... but could be awful, as already stated.

Who would you DT fans like to see play Roland/Man in Black?

Just for grins - Hugh Laurie as Roland

Heh... only if he sings minnie the moocher Text

 

[yllus]

How appropriate. A director who can't write a story ending to save his life meets a writer who can't write a story ending to save his life.

 

[jonks]

Originally posted by: Deeko
I've read the series twice now, don't really want to see it as a movie.

While I understand this sentiment, you have the option of simply not watching it. I love it every time they turn a book i liked into a movie. it at least has the potential to be an adapted version of source material that I know I enjoyed, unlike 90% of what comes out of Hollywood these days. I mean, Death Race? who greenlight's this shit?

 

[loup garou]

Originally posted by: yllus
How appropriate. A director who can't write a story ending to save his life meets a writer who can't write a story ending to save his life.

It's the perfect choice for them though...


*spoilers*







































no ending to write!

 

[Deeko]

Originally posted by: jonks

Originally posted by: Deeko
I've read the series twice now, don't really want to see it as a movie.

While I understand this sentiment, you have the option of simply not watching it. I love it every time they turn a book i liked into a movie. it at least has the potential to be an adapted version of source material that I know I enjoyed, unlike 90% of what comes out of Hollywood these days. I mean, Death Race? who greenlight's this shit?

I didn't say it shouldn't be made. I've read LOTR probably 5x and still haven't seen the 2nd or 3rd movies, for the same reasons. I'm a very visual reader and I don't like directors screwing with my imagination! haha.

 

[imported_Section8]

Originally posted by: joesmoke

Originally posted by: Section8

Originally posted by: joesmoke
Could be interesting... but could be awful, as already stated.

Who would you DT fans like to see play Roland/Man in Black?

Just for grins - Hugh Laurie as Roland

Heh... only if he sings minnie the moocher Text

LOL I remember that series. Hard to believe he pulls off House.

 

[loup garou]

Originally posted by: Deeko

Originally posted by: jonks

Originally posted by: Deeko
I've read the series twice now, don't really want to see it as a movie.

While I understand this sentiment, you have the option of simply not watching it. I love it every time they turn a book i liked into a movie. it at least has the potential to be an adapted version of source material that I know I enjoyed, unlike 90% of what comes out of Hollywood these days. I mean, Death Race? who greenlight's this shit?

I didn't say it shouldn't be made. I've read LOTR probably 5x and still haven't seen the 2nd or 3rd movies, for the same reasons. I'm a very visual reader and I don't like directors screwing with my imagination! haha.

I understand where you're coming from.
Have you read the DT comics? My coworker mentioned they might be better source material for this than the books proper. I've read the first few, I tend to agree, although newcomers would probably be lost without knowing the universe constructed in the original books.

 

[nakedfrog]

Originally posted by: Deeko

Originally posted by: nakedfrog
I think they should just stop adapting King books for movies or TV.

Some of them are good, some of them not.

Most of his books are great books that don't really adapt well to TV - and when it DOES work, it's so heavily modified, it's barely even the same story anymore (such as 1408)

I can't tell if you agree with me or not

 

[joesmoke]

COMIX??!!

 

[RandomFool]

Originally posted by: yllus
How appropriate. A director who can't write a story ending to save his life meets a writer who can't write a story ending to save his life.

That made me laugh. I hated the way this series ended. The first few books were pretty good but the last few felt rushed.

 

[Deeko]

Originally posted by: nakedfrog

Originally posted by: Deeko

Originally posted by: nakedfrog
I think they should just stop adapting King books for movies or TV.

Some of them are good, some of them not.

Most of his books are great books that don't really adapt well to TV - and when it DOES work, it's so heavily modified, it's barely even the same story anymore (such as 1408)

I can't tell if you agree with me or not

I agree that they should stop making 'real' adaptations, like The Stand (although The Shining worked very well). The 'fake' ones that are only based on his stories are ok, I guess - as long as you can take them as that.

 

[Deeko]

Originally posted by: loup garou

Originally posted by: Deeko

Originally posted by: jonks

Originally posted by: Deeko
I've read the series twice now, don't really want to see it as a movie.

While I understand this sentiment, you have the option of simply not watching it. I love it every time they turn a book i liked into a movie. it at least has the potential to be an adapted version of source material that I know I enjoyed, unlike 90% of what comes out of Hollywood these days. I mean, Death Race? who greenlight's this shit?

I didn't say it shouldn't be made. I've read LOTR probably 5x and still haven't seen the 2nd or 3rd movies, for the same reasons. I'm a very visual reader and I don't like directors screwing with my imagination! haha.

I understand where you're coming from.
Have you read the DT comics? My coworker mentioned they might be better source material for this than the books proper. I've read the first few, I tend to agree, although newcomers would probably be lost without knowing the universe constructed in the original books.

I haven't read them, I considered it though. The DT universe is the biggest problem with turning this into a movie. It's so detailed. Plus there's so much history - there's an entire book based on a story from Roland's past! There's a ton of stories from the universe they mention but don't really explain in the books, even.

 

[loup garou]

Originally posted by: Deeko

Originally posted by: loup garou

Originally posted by: Deeko

Originally posted by: jonks

Originally posted by: Deeko
I've read the series twice now, don't really want to see it as a movie.

While I understand this sentiment, you have the option of simply not watching it. I love it every time they turn a book i liked into a movie. it at least has the potential to be an adapted version of source material that I know I enjoyed, unlike 90% of what comes out of Hollywood these days. I mean, Death Race? who greenlight's this shit?

I didn't say it shouldn't be made. I've read LOTR probably 5x and still haven't seen the 2nd or 3rd movies, for the same reasons. I'm a very visual reader and I don't like directors screwing with my imagination! haha.

I understand where you're coming from.
Have you read the DT comics? My coworker mentioned they might be better source material for this than the books proper. I've read the first few, I tend to agree, although newcomers would probably be lost without knowing the universe constructed in the original books.

I haven't read them, I considered it though. The DT universe is the biggest problem with turning this into a movie. It's so detailed. Plus there's so much history - there's an entire book based on a story from Roland's past! There's a ton of stories from the universe they mention but don't really explain in the books, even.

That's what a lot of the comics are about (formerly unexplained events/stories in the universe). That's why my coworker thought they'd be good for a TV series, as they are more self contained. Book=episode, arc=season (or 2 arcs/season as the first 2 arcs published are only a dozen or so books).

Anyways, I love the art of the books I read. Not all of it was as I visualized, but much of it was very, very cool...the Crimson King, for example. Nothing like I imagined him...but now it is how I see him.