Dark Tower Movie and TV Series in the Works
Posted by Rodneyon 09. 09. 2010in News Chat
Stephen King’s Dark Tower series is a messed up mind trip, and when it looked like they were making a movie many people suggested that a TV series would be better suited for the multifaceted book series.
Well it looks like there will still be a movie… and a TV series? And then another movie?
MoviesOnline shares:
Today Deadline is reporting that NBC and Universal have snatched up the rights. At this point you should be asking why NBC and Universal both have the rights since one does TV and the other films. The plans are to release a feature film, then do a TV series which will air on NBC and tie into a second film followed by a second season of tv on NBC and the conluding third film which will complete the books/film adaptation.
We have seen TV series make the leap to the big screen in continuations and adaptations, and we have even seen movies move to the small screen with varying success. But this is the first time I think I have heard of a Movie that will spawn a TV series and then bounce back and forth to support each other.
Its creative, and maybe the only way you could do an adaptation of the novels. There is a lot of surreal messed up stories within the series and I have no idea what appeal they might have, but I assume they will be making a number of changes as a direct translation may bot have broad appeal and will get lost on the general audiences.
We will have to wait and see what happens with this, but I am very curious.
A W E S O M E
This is a GREAT idea! I could see them doing the first book as a movie or leaving Roland in front of the first door on the beach at the ending of the film. Then they could just start the series with him collecting everyone and starting the journey to the dark tower. Second movie could be the Western days of Roland’s existence from his childhood and let that movie stand on it’s own. Second season focusing on the rest of the journey to the dark tower and then just letting the last movie be the final push to the dark tower and the final “battle”. I can see this working and working on such a grand scale that it could rival any franchise out there if they get the right actors and don’t flake out and drop the entire thing if there’s not a HUGE response to the first film.
Now who could play Roland?
Josh Brolin? Timothy Olyphant?
The more I’ve thought about this project the more I’m seeing a HUGE flaw in their thinking. They are going to need someone with great acting chops to pull off Roland’s part and the ones that could play him perfectly like Jeff Bridges or Josh Brolin, or similar actors of their caliber, are not going to be willing to take a step down in their careers, pay scales, and their schedules to work on the TV series portion of the project. I’m seeing DOOM written all over this one without a serious MOVIE actors attached and I’m also thinking this could have the potential of looking cheesy when it’s all said and done.
Or they get an unknown actor who deserves better and he does both.
I dont get the mentality that TV is a step “down”. Acting is acting.
I agree. Plenty of “movie stars” are now doing regular TV ssries. It’s not the step down that it used to be.
I agree as well. I always thought television acting was a step down as well, but it’s been really picking up quite well as of late.
I was thinking the same thing as OP of this small little thread, but Rodney’s response makes sense. However, ultimately I hope that everyone they get for the film stays for the television series as well. It may go unnoticed, but even different actors playing the same MINOR character can be distracting IMO.
The problem I see with this project, is since the history jumps all over the place, is do you get an older actor to play “The Gunslinger”, then another actor to play “The Student”? Or do you get one actor, and do the whole “Benjamin Button” on him?
And not only that, but if it is the latter, this actor will be taking how much of this role in the movie and on TV onto his plate?
This actor’s time is going to be dedicated to this for about 4-5 years.
Unless they shoot this all at once, and then you are still talking about 2-3 years. So you are looking at a good actor who is out of work, or would be willing to do something like this for a decent price.
I could see:
One Actor (BB method)
Jim Caviezel as Roland
Two Actors:
Peter Weller - Old Roland
Viggo Mortensen - Old Roland
Tom Welling - Young Roland
Jensen Ackles - Young Roland
And finally, all in all, it’s going to be VERY difficult to generate drama in ant iteration of TDT because the antagonists don’t appear until very late in the books.