The project is set to encompass several theatrical movies and a TV series lasting for three or more seasons. Universal were developing the project but ditched it three months ago due to concerns over mounting costs. Ron Howard and fellow producer Brian Grazer have downgraded the budget of the movie project (the first movie's budget has been dropped by $45 million) but potentially upgraded that of the TV series by teaming up with HBO.
Javier Bardem is attached to the role of Roland Deschain, apparently for both the TV series and movies.
I think going off network TV will be good for the franchise. Let's eb honest there is likely a bit of mature situations to try and whitewash for the networks.
I am still worried about Ben Affleck directing a movie of the Stand.
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The project is set to encompass several theatrical movies and a TV series lasting for three or more seasons. Universal were developing the project but ditched it three months ago due to concerns over mounting costs. Ron Howard and fellow producer Brian Grazer have downgraded the budget of the movie project (the first movie's budget has been dropped by $45 million) but potentially upgraded that of the TV series by teaming up with HBO.
Javier Bardem is attached to the role of Roland Deschain, apparently for both the TV series and movies.
I just really don't see this doing well. For one thing, following it across several TV seasons and films will just be a bit confusing. Some people are bound to not realize that it's on both.
Secondly, the story peaks in book three, and promptly goes directly down the drain. It gets one of the more unsatisfying endings imaginable, after turning the "big bad" of a once epic story into an inept brainless nothing.
Sorry for the spoilers.
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The project is set to encompass several theatrical movies and a TV series lasting for three or more seasons. Universal were developing the project but ditched it three months ago due to concerns over mounting costs. Ron Howard and fellow producer Brian Grazer have downgraded the budget of the movie project (the first movie's budget has been dropped by $45 million) but potentially upgraded that of the TV series by teaming up with HBO.
Javier Bardem is attached to the role of Roland Deschain, apparently for both the TV series and movies.
I just really don't see this doing well. For one thing, following it across several TV seasons and films will just be a bit confusing. Some people are bound to not realize that it's on both.
Secondly, the story peaks in book three, and promptly goes directly down the drain. It gets one of the more unsatisfying endings imaginable, after turning the "big bad" of a once epic story into an inept brainless nothing.
Sorry for the spoilers.
I don't know it worked okay for Babylon 5. The movie/TV thing.
I totally agree with the assessment about the books.
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I don't know it worked okay for Babylon 5. The movie/TV thing.
I totally agree with the assessment about the books.
The TV series stood completely on it's own, though. The Gathering was a decent starting point, but so too was episode #1. The proposed model for the Dark Tower is essentially:
Part 1: Movie
Part 2: TV Series
Part 3: Movie
Part 4: TV Series
etc....
Also, the Dark Tower movies were, last I check, supposed to be feature films. That means that not only are they shown in a different format than the TV series portions, but they're also shown in a different venue (theater instead of on your TV).
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I don't know it worked okay for Babylon 5. The movie/TV thing.
I totally agree with the assessment about the books.
The TV series stood completely on it's own, though. The Gathering was a decent starting point, but so too was episode #1. The proposed model for the Dark Tower is essentially:
Part 1: Movie
Part 2: TV Series
Part 3: Movie
Part 4: TV Series
etc....Also, the Dark Tower movies were, last I check, supposed to be feature films. That means that not only are they shown in a different format than the TV series portions, but they're also shown in a different venue (theater instead of on your TV).
Interesting, it is a new approach for sure. Sex and city did real well but didn't get made until after the show had a cult following. It could lead people to the series. I dont think it will because Dark Tower tends to be overrated but I like where they are going with it.
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I honestly just read that the Dark Tower is overrated? Oooooooookay...
:-p
Anyway, this is fabulous news. I couldn't disagree more with the peak of the books being book 3. For me, it was clearly book 4. Seeing Roland as a young man and understanding even a bit of his anguish... oh, man. great stuff.
The problem they're going to face, here, is that a big thing that makes the DT books so phenomenal is their interaction with the other parts of the "Constant Reader" multiverse. I loved DT more because I was able to see the repercussions of the events in the DT in SK's other books. You're not going to get that here.
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I honestly just read that the Dark Tower is overrated? Oooooooookay...
If this is the first time you've heard it, I'd like to welcome you back to Earth. You've missed a lot since the early 90s.
The problem they're going to face, here, is that a big thing that makes the DT books so phenomenal is their interaction with the other parts of the "Constant Reader" multiverse. I loved DT more because I was able to see the repercussions of the events in the DT in SK's other books. You're not going to get that here.
Actually, that's what made the DT such a letdown as the series waned. The Crimson King was presented as a mysterious and powerful entity in Insomnia. By the time we actually meet him in DT, he's just an inept old man who's powers are reduced to tossing grenades. In the novel IT, It is portrayed as a cosmic power beyond human comprehension, and is only defeated with the aid of another cosmic power. It's conterpart in Roland's world, Dandelo, is killed with a headshot from a .45. Randall Flagg, King's most notorious antagonist, goes from being the Satan analogue in The Stand to not even being worthy of being killed by one of Roland's ka-tet, instead being killed by a newborn spider-man thing.
Basically, too many things that had been built up as cool and powerful enemies ended up being handwaved away.
I actually liked that. I thought it fitted well with both the "evil falls apart on itself" thing that the forces of Chaos had going on and, more importantly, the "the world has moved on" theme driven home from the very beginning. Sure The Crimson King, Randall Flagg and Dandelo may once have been cosmically powerful amd enigmatic threats and once upon a time it may have been the place of noble knights to defeat them, an epic duel of good and evil. But not anymore... now they're just sad, sad little creatures, easily beaten by guns, young artists and their own allies. How better to hammer home that it's no longer the age of heroes? Now is the age of the gunslinger, a pragmatic man without allies.
All that aside: ending was pretty damn disappointing :P
I honestly just read that the Dark Tower is overrated? Oooooooookay...If this is the first time you've heard it, I'd like to welcome you back to Earth. You've missed a lot since the early 90s.
The problem they're going to face, here, is that a big thing that makes the DT books so phenomenal is their interaction with the other parts of the "Constant Reader" multiverse. I loved DT more because I was able to see the repercussions of the events in the DT in SK's other books. You're not going to get that here.Actually, that's what made the DT such a letdown as the series waned. The Crimson King was presented as a mysterious and powerful entity in Insomnia. By the time we actually meet him in DT, he's just an inept old man who's powers are reduced to tossing grenades. In the novel IT, It is portrayed as a cosmic power beyond human comprehension, and is only defeated with the aid of another cosmic power. It's conterpart in Roland's world, Dandelo, is killed with a headshot from a .45. Randall Flagg, King's most notorious antagonist, goes from being the Satan analogue in The Stand to not even being worthy of being killed by one of Roland's ka-tet, instead being killed by a newborn spider-man thing.
Basically, too many things that had been built up as cool and powerful enemies ended up being handwaved away.
You mean like Boba Fett, Jango Fett, Darth Maul, Count Doku, General Grievous, the Rancor, Mace Windu, the Emperor, Darth Vader....I could go on.
Sounds good. HBO seems able to give mature fantasy the adaptation it deserves.
The first book being turned into a film rather than a season can totally work, since it was really short. We'll have to see about the rest of the stuff.
And for those complaining about the end: You were told not to read on....
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You mean like Boba Fett, Jango Fett, Darth Maul, Count Doku, General Grievous, the Rancor, Mace Windu, the Emperor, Darth Vader....I could go on.
Sorry, I'm going to commit geek heresy: Star Wars kinda sucks. The first two films were decent, but overrated, and the rest are crap.
Please don't ban me, Lisa?
Sounds good. HBO seems able to give mature fantasy the adaptation it deserves.
The first book being turned into a film rather than a season can totally work, since it was really short. We'll have to see about the rest of the stuff.
And for those complaining about the end: You were told not to read on....
I was actually wondering if they might take the arc the comic adaptation did and start with book 4 and the story of young Roland and Susan.
But wit Javier Bardem playing Roland, I am guessing not.
I loved 1-3.
4 was my favorite of the series.
5 was totally awesome, and worth the wait.
6 was filler, except for the Dixie Pig.
And the first half of 7 was everything it should have been.
If King had (a) left himself out of it; and (b) ended the series
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I loved 1-3.
4 was my favorite of the series.
5 was totally awesome, and worth the wait.
6 was filler, except for the Dixie Pig.
And the first half of 7 was everything it should have been.If King had (a) left himself out of it; and (b) ended the series ** spoiler omitted ** The Dark Tower would probably be one of my favorite fantasy series of all time.
I like the additional material that's been published since DT7. WITK is like a huge deleted scenes bonus. Some of the short-stories published in the last few years have been quite good, as well. Since the Tower is the linchpin for almost everything King writes and has written, I look forward to seeing the role Roland's quantum universe plays in each new King novel. I really dig the connection.
I like the additional material that's been published since DT7. WITK is like a huge deleted scenes bonus.
Ack! I somehow hadn't realized that was out! Will order it tonight!!!
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Yeah I'm with Kirth. I loved Wolves, it's my favorite book in the series, though 3 and 4 were also good. And most of the final book was great, up to the aftermath of the Battle of Algul Siento. The ending was meh, but I agree with Robb that it was kind of something you saw coming and really the only way it could have ended.
And likewise I like how it echoes throughout all of King's writing.
Also agreed that the way Flagg went out was... well, cheap. They can't all be winners, I guess.
Looking forward to this. Might actually have to watch TV while this is on.
EDIT: Okay I just noticed that the original post in this thread is almost two years old. I am guessing this never happened then.
EDIT: Okay I just noticed that the original post in this thread is almost two years old. I am guessing this never happened then.
Indeed. The idea was for a combination of three movies with several seasons of TV falling inbetween. Unfortunately, they couldn't make it work.
There's been some vague talk of pressing forwards with a TV adaptation alone, but HBO seem to have put it way on the backburner, possibly as they have quite a few fantasy projects already underway (GAME OF THRONES and TRUE BLOOD, though that's ending next year) or in pre-production (AMERICAN GODS).
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One of the saddest things about this not taking off is that they already had an awesome poster for it by way of The Mist and Drew Struzan(the guy that did damn near most awesome movie posters you may remember from the 80's).