Stephen King's The Dark Tower

Avatar MIA

TerrorFirmer wrote: »

So, so SO much more to be explained.

Full explanation available in all good book stores!

kerplun k

Well, at least TDT avoided stupid Razzie nominations, which I think would have killed any prospect of a continuation.

There also looks to be some movement around the TV show with production potentially starting in the summer.

https://www.cbr.com/dark-tower-tv-filming-summer/

Liam McPoyle

It's not razzie worthy as it's not actually a bad movie, it's just a bad Dark Tower movie in that it only takes elements of a wonderful story and condenses it into a 90 minute piece.

kerplun k

Business Cat wrote: »

It's not razzie worthy as it's not actually a bad movie, it's just a bad Dark Tower movie in that it only takes elements of a wonderful story and condenses it into a 90 minute piece.

Yep. In any case it’s more suited to TV. I’m hoping season 1, is about 5/6 episodes long and plays it as a straight western, with only hints of fantasy and sci fi. Kinda like the same way GoT bookended it’s first season with these big fantasy moments. It should definitely open on a black screen with white text, “The man in black fled across the desert and the gunslinger followed”, we hear the sound of cloth ruffling in the wind and cut to a hooded figure draped robes and sprinting, the camera pans back to reveal a huge open vast dessert, and we see a speck, which is the Gunslinger in pursuit. That’s your opening. The TV show should be a direct adaptation of the books, They shouldn’t shy away from Roland as the anti-hero, and include the slaughtering of everyone at Tull, sacrifice of Jake, and end with the drawing of the three. Let the show stick to the books and retell the same story, also, I wouldn’t abandon the films either, let them be their own thing and finish the story in its own way and on its own terms. Let the film have its own incarnation of MiB, Roland and the Katet, and conclude it’s own version of the story.

OwaynOTT

kerplun k wrote: »

Yep. In any case it’s more suited to TV. I’m hoping season 1, is about 5/6 episodes long and plays it as a straight western, with only hints of fantasy and sci fi. Kinda like the same way GoT bookended it’s first season with these big fantasy moments. It should definitely open on a black screen with white text, “The man in black fled across the desert and the gunslinger followed”, we hear the sound of cloth ruffling in the wind and cut to a hooded figure draped robes and sprinting, the camera pans back to reveal a huge open vast dessert, and we see a speck, which is the Gunslinger in pursuit. That’s your opening. The TV show should be a direct adaptation of the books, They shouldn’t shy away from Roland as the anti-hero, and include the slaughtering of everyone at Tull, sacrifice of Jake, and end with the drawing of the three. Let the show stick to the books and retell the same story, also, I wouldn’t abandon the films either, let them be their own thing and finish the story in its own way and on its own terms. Let the film have its own incarnation of MiB, Roland and the Katet, and conclude it’s own version of the story.

Walter wouldn't have been sprinting. Other than that, perfect.

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Liam McPoyle

Amazon have seemingly bought the rights to The Dark Tower and intend turning it into a series.

This pleases me.

http://www.slashfilm.com/dark-tower-tv-series/

Business Cat

Business Cat wrote: »

Amazon have seemingly bought the rights to The Dark Tower and intend turning it into a series.

This pleases me.

http://www.slashfilm.com/dark-tower-tv-series/

I'm about 60% through the final book on my first read of the series.

Gripping stuff. I'd love to see a studio do a proper adaptation of the books. The movie was quite poor.

kerplun k

Business Cat wrote: »

Amazon have seemingly bought the rights to The Dark Tower and intend turning it into a series.

This pleases me.

http://www.slashfilm.com/dark-tower-tv-series/

I’d totally get a prime subscription just for this.

kerplun k

[Deleted User] wrote: »

I'm about 60% through the final book on my first read of the series.

Gripping stuff. I'd love to see a studio do a proper adaptation of the books. The movie was quite poor.

To be fair, in terms of a true adaptation, I think it’s more suited to TV. I don’t think a proper adaptation would work as a studio film.

Really looking forward to seeing what Amazon do with this. M.O.O.N, that spells excited

kerplun k

kerplun k wrote: »

To be fair, in terms of a true adaptation, I think it’s more suited to TV. I don’t a proper adaptation would work as studio film.

Really looking forward to seeing what Amazon do with this. M.O.O.N, that spells excited

TV would be ideal. I can't knock the movie too much...it was the original trailer which made me go "Hey, I've never actually read the Dark Tower series, I must do that" and here I am.

Having almost finished the book series now, I reckon there's no other way to do it justice than for a strong production company/studio to commit to a multi-series project.

I haven't actually watched any Amazon TV shows yet. Can any of you vouch for their quality?

kerplun k

[Deleted User] wrote: »

TV would be ideal. I can't knock the movie too much...it was the original trailer which made me go "Hey, I've never actually read the Dark Tower series, I must do that" and here I am.

Having almost finished the book series now, I reckon there's no other way to do it justice than for a strong production company/studio to commit to a multi-series project.

I haven't actually watched any Amazon TV shows yet. Can any of you vouch for their quality?

Unfortunately not, The Man in the High Castle and American Gods were both very good, but I would have preferred HBO, or Netflix even, but the source material is so good, I’m hoping they can do it justice.

Liam McPoyle

I'm wondering will they start from the start and work it's way through the entire cycle?

Book one could be done in probably 4 or 5 50 minute episodes, books 2 and 3 could be spread across the remaining season 1 then season 2. Wizard and Glass would be an entire season itself, books 5 and 6 could probably be done in season 4 then the final book in season 5.

I'd imagine they will go for a Roland as King wrote him from an ethnicity point of view.

I like Elba as an actor but he simply wasn't Roland.

kerplun k

kerplun k wrote: »

M.O.O.N, that spells excited

:pac:

I had forgotten all about that phrase!

Snake Plisken

kerplun k wrote: »

Unfortunately not, The Man in the High Castle and American Gods were both very good, but I would have preferred HBO, or Netflix even, but the source material is so good, I’m hoping they can do it justice.

Yep it would have been perfect for HBO to make a multi season series of The Dark Tower and it would have filled the void left after Game of Thrones finished! Hell they could have reused some of the sets and. Clothes from Westworld

kerplun k

Snake Plisken wrote: »

Yep it would have been perfect for HBO to make a multi season series of The Dark Tower and it would have filled the void left after Game of Thrones finished! Hell they could have reused some of the sets and. Clothes from Westworld

It’s a shame that they didn’t go for it. I’m guessing that they are putting their eggs in the GoT spin off basket.

Liam McPoyle

Production Schedule Set (Allegedly)

Amazon Studios is set to move ahead with production on their adaptation of Stephen King’s The Dark Tower books. The series, which will be comprised of 13 one-hour episodes, will be executive produced by a team of huge names led by Glen Mazzara (The Walking Dead), Akiva Goldsman (Titans, Star Trek: Discovery) and King.

Amazon Studios has begun looking to assemble a cast ahead of a mid-April start of production in Croatia, where the series is expected to film until late-June. It appears that part of the delay may have been, in part, due to efforts to distance the series from the 2017 film adaptation which was received poorly by fans and critics. The series will of course focus on Roland Deschain, a young boy from a long line of “gunslingers”, and his “ka-tet” comprised of Cuthbert Allgood, Alain Johns, Ileen Ritter and Jamie De Curry in addition to his girlfriend, Susan Delgado. The studio is currently looking at actors and actresses, ages 16-18 for all the roles listed above.

Marten Broadcloak will serve as the series antagonist and his affair with Roland’s mother, Gabrielle, will factor heavily into the plot. Her affair incites Roland to pick up his guns in a search for Broadcloak and sets his father, Steven, on a mission to find him. At this time, no offers have been made to talent, but the cast should begin to assemble quickly.

So its going to start with Wizard and Glass. It makes sense from a chronology point of view but I wonder how they will work it in that W&G takes place after The Wastelands when Roland has assembled his tet. Will they just jump from the end of W&G to "the man in black fled across the desert and the gunslinger followed" and take it from there I wonder.

With Game of Thrones winding down this year a proper adaptation of TDT multiverse could be the next big hit, if done correctly of course.

I'm not gonna lie, I'm feeling a little bit giddy about the possibilities.

beans

I can see it being a one-season deal. Given where the story goes, I can't see a more complete adaptation. W&G is a nice, self-contained story.

For example, I don't think they'll ever try to adapt something as mental as Blaine.
I'd love to see it working, but I just can't. Actually, once they get as far as giant bears with antennae I think the TV audience would be slowly stepping backwards towards the door. Never mind what comes later... although we know King loves a cameo.

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Liam McPoyle wrote: »

So its going to start with Wizard and Glass. It makes sense from a chronology point of view but I wonder how they will work it in that W&G takes place after The Wastelands when Roland has assembled his tet. Will they just jump from the end of W&G to "the man in black fled across the desert and the gunslinger followed" and take it from there I wonder.

Mistake to start from Wizards and Glass IMO.

Its the juxaposition of young Roland with the older gunslinger we already know that makes the tale of his youth so compelling.

kerplun k

Production to start in April? That’s cutting it close. Much like the film, I won’t believe it until they actually start shooting.

Liam McPoyle

beans wrote: »

I can see it being a one-season deal. Given where the story goes, I can't see a more complete adaptation. W&G is a nice, self-contained story.

For example, I don't think they'll ever try to adapt something as mental as Blaine.
I'd love to see it working, but I just can't. Actually, once they get as far as giant bears with antennae I think the TV audience would be slowly stepping backwards towards the door. Never mind what comes later... although we know King loves a cameo.

Hard to know. Blaine could be done over two episodes. As it all takes place within the train. The whole Lud / Tick Tock Man section is a pretty big piece of the wastelands so it would be difficult to redact without leaving massive holes in terms of how the tet get from one time zone to another.

Heckler

I was disappointed with the movie so am excited for any new potential projects. W&G was maybe my favourite of all the books. The whole Blaine thing was brilliant and could be done very easily and well I think.

This begs for a big budget HBO type of thing to do it any justice.

Glebee

Im currently half way through reading Wizard and Glass, I dont know what id think though if I had not read the previous books and started straight into Wazard and Glass...

kerplun k

Heckler wrote: »

I was disappointed with the movie so am excited for any new potential projects. W&G was maybe my favourite of all the books. The whole Blaine thing was brilliant and could be done very easily and well I think.

This begs for a big budget HBO type of thing to do it any justice.

Definitely. And a straight adaptation.

Liam McPoyle

Glebee wrote: »

Im currently half way through reading Wizard and Glass, I dont know what id think though if I had not read the previous books and started straight into Wazard and Glass...

Funnily enough that's exactly how I read them. Many years ago my mam got me W&G for a birthday or Christmas. As soon as I finished it I went and got the first three then bought the final each of the final 3 on release week. Didn't spoil my enjoyment at all, if anything it heightened it.

beans

Liam McPoyle wrote: »

The whole Lud / Tick Tock Man section is a pretty big piece of the wastelands so it would be difficult to redact without leaving massive holes in terms of how the tet get from one time zone to another.

Yeah, my gut feeling is that there won't be holes, because they're not going to try to adapt the whole story. Maybe, after 'Wizard', we'll see a season of Jericho Hill? Stays in the same timeline, could be fertile ground for good TV.

I just doubt we'll ever see a TV recounting of anything from book 5 onwards, tbh. 'Drawing' has real potential, but beyond that I can't see working for the audience they'd be going after.

Liam McPoyle

Game of Thrones shouldn't be as successful as it is, dragons, witch craft and zombie ice monsters, it's not exactly the stuff of what is usual for smash hits like breaking bad or the Sopranos but it's probably the biggest tv show ever made. TDT multiverse is more based in "reality" as in it crosses over into our world and has tropes such as king Arthur running through it.

Avatar MIA

Liam McPoyle wrote: »

Funnily enough that's exactly how I read them. Many years ago my mam got me W&G for a birthday or Christmas. As soon as I finished it I went and got the first three then bought the final each of the final 3 on release week. Didn't spoil my enjoyment at all, if anything it heightened it.

W&g was my starting point as well!.

kerplun k

The casting of Roland and MiB is interesting.

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kerplun k wrote: »

The casting of Roland and MiB is interesting.

Sam Strike for Roland and Jasper Pkönen for MiB.

Good thousand yard stare on young Roland.

Im not familiar with either actor but just on images of them alone I think they look like reasonable choices.