Movie: Stephen Kings The Dark Tower Idris Elba & Matthew McConaughey

[Paratus]

Apparently it's actually happening this time.

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

Idris Elba as

Spoiler

The Gunslinger Roland Deschain

Matthew McConaughy as

Spoiler

The Man in Black Walter o Dim

Ron Howard is a producer

Sony picked it up to start a new fantasy series. It will start with the famous line,

"The man in black fled across the desert and the gunslinger followed".

But the story won't start with the original Gunslinger book. The story will be in progress.

So what say you ATOT? I'm cautiously optimistic.

 

[ControlD]

I was reading about this at lunch today.

One thing the article I read did not mention was if this is going to be one movie or a series of movies. The book series is absolutely massive. If this is a single movie it isn't going to do the story justice at all. It could still be entertaining, but it won't really be The Dark Tower.

Interesting choice for Roland. The character was white (which came up a fair amount with another character in the books) for sure in the series. I think it is a decent choice though. I'll be keeping my eye on this one for sure. I wish this was being made into a series by Netflix or HBO rather than a movie though.

 

[ImpulsE69]

Apparently it's actually happening this time.

http://www.ew.com/article/2016/02/2...ephen-king-idris-elba-and-matthew-mcconaughey

Idris Elba as

Spoiler

The Gunslinger Roland Deschain

Matthew McConaughy as

Spoiler

The Man in Black Walter o Dim

Ron Howard is a producer

Sony picked it up to start a new fantasy series. It will start with the famous line,
But the story won't start with the original Gunslinger book. The story will be in progress.

So what say you ATOT? I'm cautiously optimistic.

I'd like to say I'm excited but I'm not. This would do much better as a cable series treatment (such as GoT, True Blood, etc etc) than as movies and possible series fillers. It is much more likely to be lost because said movie didn't make billions. The scope is too broad and out there for mainstream audiences.

Heck, mini series didn't really even do It or The Stand justice and they are just single massive books.

The best of his adaptations have been of the short stories.

 

[monkeydelmagico]

Another tragic cinematic butchering of a King book. I can hardly wait....

I read they are interjecting a totally unnecessary character (Abby Lee) to play crimson king. Let the bastardization begin. Rumor has it the story will not start in the desert either. Ron Howard as producer? Yeah, uhm suck. Since they cant cast Clint Eastwood at least get him to direct it.

Color me pessimistic.

 

[Paratus]

I was reading about this at lunch today.

One thing the article I read did not mention was if this is going to be one movie or a series of movies. The book series is absolutely massive. If this is a single movie it isn't going to do the story justice at all. It could still be entertaining, but it won't really be The Dark Tower.

Interesting choice for Roland. The character was white (which came up a fair amount with another character in the books) for sure in the series. I think it is a decent choice though. I'll be keeping my eye on this one for sure. I wish this was being made into a series by Netflix or HBO rather than a movie though.

I'd like to say I'm excited but I'm not. This would do much better as a cable series treatment (such as GoT, True Blood, etc etc) than as movies and possible series fillers. It is much more likely to be lost because said movie didn't make billions. The scope is too broad and out there for mainstream audiences.

Heck, mini series didn't really even do It or The Stand justice and they are just single massive books.

Apparently Sony is looking for a franchise. Ron Howard originally wanted to do a trilogy and a tv series similar to the MCU. It sounds like if they pull it off future installments would be on the table. This is why they are starting the story in the middle.

The launch date of Jan 17 doesn't bode well to me. However the casting choices are pretty good. So I guess we'll see.

 

[BrokenVisage]

I like Elba a lot but this doesn't bode well to staying true to the books, what a shame getting off on the wrong foot already. Diversity before accuracy, yay?

 

[BxgJ]

I would be really curious how they would handle then ending.... Without spoiling it I'll just say I can't see it going over well with tv/movie audiences.

 

[Paratus]

I would be really curious how they would handle then ending.... Without spoiling it I'll just say I can't see it going over well with tv/movie audiences.

Spoiler

I saw a comment that suggested when they start the movie they show the horn on Roland's belt indicating this will be the final turn of wheel and would explain why it won't perfectly follow the books.

 

[mrblotto]

"The man in black fled across the desert in his Lincoln, and the gunslinger followed".

ftfy

 

[zinfamous]

I was reading about this at lunch today.

One thing the article I read did not mention was if this is going to be one movie or a series of movies. The book series is absolutely massive. If this is a single movie it isn't going to do the story justice at all. It could still be entertaining, but it won't really be The Dark Tower.

Interesting choice for Roland. The character was white (which came up a fair amount with another character in the books) for sure in the series. I think it is a decent choice though. I'll be keeping my eye on this one for sure. I wish this was being made into a series by Netflix or HBO rather than a movie though.

It will certainly be a series of movies--and push the final book for 2 or more movies, if possible.

Major studios rarely take any pitch or greenlight any project these days that can not be franchised. It's a sad state of affairs.

 

[zinfamous]

I like Elba a lot but this doesn't bode well to staying true to the books, what a shame getting off on the wrong foot already. Diversity before accuracy, yay?

I haven't read these because Stephen King is a hack, but is the race of the Gunslinger dude actually integral to the plot? Not saying that there isn't an argument for that--there sure could be--just curious why this is an issue of accuracy.

 

[BrokenVisage]

I haven't read these because Stephen King is a hack, but is the race of the Gunslinger dude actually integral to the plot? Not saying that there isn't an argument for that--there sure could be--just curious why this is an issue of accuracy.

Integral to the plot? Not really, but integral to the original storytelling/setting, yes, especially in one of the books (I forget which).

 

[maniacalpha1-1]

Spoiler

I saw a comment that suggested when they start the movie they show the horn on Roland's belt indicating this will be the final turn of wheel and would explain why it won't perfectly follow the books.

I'd have to search for it but I actually started a thread a while back saying that if they ever make these movies, they should, in fact, do this

Spoiler

meaning make it "chronologically" take place as the go-round after the one in the books and he has the horn this time

, and that secondarily it would make a good justification for certain changes (provided those changes make sense anyway).

 

[Captante]

I haven't read these because IN MY OPINION Stephen King is a hack, but is the race of the Gunslinger dude actually integral to the plot? Not saying that there isn't an argument for that--there sure could be--just curious why this is an issue of accuracy.

Fixed for accuracy.


And yes the gunslinger being white is significant in several parts of the series which take place in the past.

My expectations for this are low.

 

[Rakehellion]

Great, there are already people complaining that a black guy is in it.

 

[Paratus]

I haven't read these because Stephen King is a hack, but is the race of the Gunslinger dude actually integral to the plot? Not saying that there isn't an argument for that--there sure could be--just curious why this is an issue of accuracy.

Part of it is there's a significant amount of description of the gunslinger having faded blue eyes and looking basically like Clint Eastwoods Man with No Name.

That's not a really big deal but expect some folks to complain.

The one story element they will have to work around is a main character(s) is a handicapped African-America lady from the 60's who violently disagrees to being kidnapped by a heavily armed white guy to come on his quest in god knows where/when.

So they'll have to adapt that story line. Otherwise I don't think there's much issue.

If I was casting I wouldn't have thought to cast him. However when I saw the two of them had been cast I didn't know who was cast as who. So I think he could be a good choice.

 

[ImpulsE69]

King was all for it. While initially he envisioned him as a Clint Eastwood type character, over time it become much less descript. They did talk about Savannah, but said they have a way to deal with that (probably going to make her white!)

 

[ControlD]

I haven't read these because Stephen King is a hack, but is the race of the Gunslinger dude actually integral to the plot? Not saying that there isn't an argument for that--there sure could be--just curious why this is an issue of accuracy.

The hack part makes me sad.

And yes, his race does play a decent part for a good portion of the story.

 

[ControlD]

Great, there are already people complaining that a black guy is in it.

I'm not complaining, it just changes the story. Not like they wouldn't be doing that anyhow.

 

[ImpulsE69]

Aren't all writers hacks when you come down to it?

 

[ControlD]

Aren't all writers hacks when you come down to it?

Perhaps if a loose definition is used.

Generally I think it refers to someone that writes low quality work and I find that to not be the case for the majority of Stephen King's work. But, to each his own I suppose.

 

[Paratus]

I like Elba a lot but this doesn't bode well to staying true to the books, what a shame getting off on the wrong foot already. Diversity before accuracy, yay?

 

[It's Not Lupus]

The man in black fled across the desert, and the black man followed.

 

[monkeydelmagico]

LOL

And to Ron Howard's credit he did produce the critically acclaimed Cowboys and Aliens so this is a recipe for LOTS of WIN for us Dark Tower fans.

 

[zinfamous]

The hack part makes me sad.

And yes, his race does play a decent part for a good portion of the story.

Well, from a writer's standpoint he is a hack, but an entertaining and successful one at that. Not to detract from him because the dude crafts some compelling stories and ideas. It's just that he sucks at dialogue for the most part, and the overall craft of writing...which really is fine in the end.

For the majority of writers, garnering that type of success doing what you love is worth more than anything else. I think there are plenty of far superior writers that wouldn't mind "giving up" and just going full on formulaic model and churning out the next pablum on an annual basis. (Exactly what Dean R Koontz way, way back when he gave up on trying to be good. ).