Stephen King’s The Dark Tower book series is thought of by many as one of the greatest and most successfully ambitious stories ever told. But it’s had its fair share of problems, most notably in trying to make a life for itself on the silver screen.
The story, set over the course of eight novels (plus short stories and comic book series), tells the tale of Roland Deschain, the last gunslinger, and his quest to reach the Dark Tower. Its fans are devoted and they are legion. And while they may be a little skeptical at seeing their beloved series transmogrified for cinema, they are also beyond excited by the possibility of getting a cinematic addendum to their own adventures with the written word.
But the film (or films [or films and television shows]) has hit several bumps over the years. Between 2007 and today, a number of big names have attached themselves to the project–including J.J. Abrams, Damon Lindelof, Ron Howard, Javier Bardem, Russell Crowe, Universal Studios, and Warner Bros.–but each of them has either met with resistance or simply given up the quest altogether.
Is the adaptation ever going to happen? Maybe, maybe not. But the real question is: SHOULD the adaptation happen? Here are 7 reasons why we think it’s a horrible idea. And 1 reason why studios must be out of their minds to pass it up.
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33 Comments
I read the entire series for the first time last year. All the problems you mention are very real. Instead of a series of movies, I think it would be a better fit for a television series on a cable network such as HBO. The producers should scope out exactly how long it would take. I don’t believe it would require eight seasons for eight books. It could probably be done in four or five seasons.
I think you’re right. I think that’s the best way to move forward with this–premium cable TV. Especially now, when CGI and special effects have come far enough to create an actual environment (thinking Discordia, Devar-Toi, Lud, Waste Lands)that’s real enough for us to stay focused on the story. Fifteen, even ten years ago, we might just have laughed it off, even on HBO. Now, though? Yeah, I’m up for it. (Despite my many reasons why it’s a terrible idea…)And as far as I’m concerned, they could take as many seasons as they want to. I’d watch every last little side story.
The Eyes of the Dragon have nothing to do with the DT series. The only similarity is that there is a mad king in the EOTD named Roland. Just saying, so you can cross that one of the list of potential spin-offs!
What about Flagg?
Yes, Flagg indeed! Also, Roland talks about a time when he ran into Thomas and Dennis during their quest to find Flagg. A small crossover story, to be sure, but what an awesome movie it would make!
Yes Flagg…surprised you had to point that out :|
In a perfect world they would treat this like how Marvel treated The Avengers. Make The Talisman (PLEASE GOD!), From a Buick 8, etc first, and then The Dark Tower series. Haha, it’s ridiculous but that’s what i want!
YES! How can we make this happen?!?!?
I’m not sure this is even filmable in any marketable way. By the time they’re in the Emerald City or meeting Stephen King as Stephen King…the series just gets stranger and stranger and I honestly don’t think it has mass market appeal in the end. Especially not over so many movies.
Yeah, I hear you. It’s an absolute doozy to adapt, it seems. Honestly, if I was one of the higher ups, I would have day-dreamed about making this project into a film and then simply let it go. Maybe I just don’t have the shutzpah, but I think the only form of its greatness is in its novels. That being said, I would love to be proven wrong!
But the thing is, if they got it rght….it would be the greatest movie/series EVER…if they got it wrong…we’ll read the books again and trash it all over the internet…
I have a bit of a problem with Ron Howard as a director. He is too meh. As the lead, give it to Javier. He is amazing in anything. Crow is ordinary
Agree about Howard. I hate to say it–he looks like just about the nicest guy in the world and I really have enjoyed his films–but I think he’s perfectly wrong for this project. AND, I’ll be real honest with you, I don’t think Javier is right, either. I love Bardem in just about everything I have EVER seen him in, but as Roland Deschain? No. No. I can’t see it. Now, talk to me about Viggo Mortensen and we might come to some sort of agreement there.
if cloud atlas was adapted (really complicated movie )
why not the dark tower
Yeeeeeaaaaahhhhhhh… Truuuuuuuue… But–and I say this knowing full well that I may get tarred, feathered, and painfully strung up by David Mitchell’s posse of fans–I think the saga of The Dark Tower is a bit more complex. And a LOT lengthier. I’m not calling it better! I’m just saying that if adapting Cloud Atlas was hard, this is going to be downright RIGID.
I think there is a lot of potential and, happily, a bunch of BS in the story already available to be cut out (aka the meta BS). Honestly, though, I think MRC won’t gamble on this. We’d need a good director with his own voice, different than Howard’s. They got the guy who wrote Batman & Robin to adapt it, for fkkk’s sake.
I hope this becomes a film series, a tv series would be to long and dry out. Why doesnt the Mr King make these films who cares about Ron. Mr king should do the films that would be epic.
Really? I say animate it. It can solve many of these problems as long as it could be made to look like the graphic novels ( in which case I think that would be really kick-ass! ).
I think Andrew Lincoln from the walking dead would make a perfect Roland Deschain! I thought that the moment I watched the first walking dead episode…
An HBO series would be the right fit. Another idea is a series of animated movies similar to what they did with the Dark Knight Returns.
I think they should make one movie first, just to test the waters. The movie should be centered around Wizard and Glass. It’s an amazing story that was told in just one book! If the public reacts to it well it wouldn’t be difficult to treat it as a “prequel” of sorts. From the epic battle with Cort to an ol’ western standoff with a couple of six shooters and a sling shot. Wizard and Glass, in my humble opinion, seems perfect for the big screen.
Of all the searching on all these websites for news of the movie, your comment is probably the smartest I’ve read. None of the fans even thought of it, because we all look at it in order of the cycle. I like this idea a lot. Would there possibly be a followup about the fall of Gillead and Jericho hill? Or would that be the end of the movie. Hell, it could be in a tv series for all i care. animated or live i’d watch it
I agree with this. I can see the series as an HBO or Showtime series (along the lines of Game of Thrones, Walking Dead, etc.), or even a series of movies, but the backstory, particularly Wizard and Glass, I always thought was problematic. It’s a great story on its own and provides a lot of important detail to the series, but narratively it really breaks up the story line in an awkward way. Reorganizing it as a prequel would be a good way to manage it.
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Whenever I think of a Dark Tower movie, I think of the scene where Jake almost gets eaten by the house that’s like, a gatekeeper or something, and, although that was pretty awesome, I can’t help but think how bad that would translate to the big screen. And that sums up, to me, the whole project: how can you make it not corny?
I’ve always thought Timothy Olpyanth (deadwood,justified) would be my choice for Roland. I think The gunslinger,most of wizard and glass, and wolves of the calla would be easy to do without much c.g.i. If they went chronologically by the time Roland fought Court the masses would be hooked.
I believe that with some of the garbage made these days by film studios i.e. anything with channing tatum as the lead actor, this would be a no brainer. Any studio who decides to make this will put out the greatest story ever told on film, and like you said have a gold mine on their hands. As far as directors go, you would want someone with vision, such as Peter Jackson or Ang Lee. The casting is obviously an important part, but I believe that any of the forementioned actors and actresses would delve into the role and make them their own. At first people would be upset that their own selection wasnt chosen, but as the story was told, the characters actor would grow on them. Just think of how many great roles had other actors in mind, but ultimately could never be imagined now after the actors who were chosen made the character come to life on the screen. This series would be an amazing thing for movie goers to look forward to every year. PLEASE make these movies happen!!!!!!!
I think that HBO should make this a series. They have excellent quality control and would likely cast it well. If you’ve seen the comics, I think that’s the right way to approach episodically as far as taking on this daunting task.
Three words – Game of Thrones
It can be done.
Purely from an appearance aspect, Jim Cavaziel looks like he fits the mould for Roland in my opinion. He’d need to be ‘aged’ a bit first though
I’ve been waiting on these series for years.. Especially tv-series would be awesome. But unfortunately it will most likely take forever until released..
I would wait forever for it to be released (although I am 58 and would like to have enough left upstairs to be able to enjoy it). Great idea of starting with Wizard and Glass story line.. although what sucks you into the series is the complexity of Roland and his Ka-tet, but if done right Rhea et al would make for a very entertaining film… Will it be made.. that is up to Ka
my comment never went up from last night, so let’s try the condensed version. make it animated. film/tv isn’t the right medium for this story. somebody else mentioned it probably coming out corny as a movie and i agree. the comics were beautiful and a unique style of animation would lend tremendously to the story. movie/tv for DT would be like hammering a square peg into a round hole (or is it the other way around?), things would inevitably get trimmed off and i fear it would be the little things about the books that make them so special. animate it. but if they go with live action, my two cents… a thinned out, weather-beaten Hugh Jackman would be my Roland pick. He’s the only one I see capturing ol’ long, tall and ugly.