10 Casting Decisions The Dark Tower Film Must Get Right

7. Blaine The Mono

What sci-fi/fantasy opus would be complete without a talking, riddle-loving monorail train? Well, most of them if you're being pedantic, but The Dark Tower breaks the rule. Blaine is a sentient, talking monorail train in Mid-World. Or rather, he's more of a "ghost in the machine"; the A.I. that resides in the computers beneath the crumbling city of Lud. As the city is forgotten and decays, Blaine becomes more deranged and dangerous. You might be thinking that Blaine The Mono is one of the characters the adaptation could do without, but actually he plays an important role, working as a symbol for what's wrong with technology, and his story results in Roland see Eddie Dean as a viable and reliable ally. The difficulties of translating this to the screen is that it's nigh-on to make a talking monorail train in any way scary or threatening; most people will see a talking train and be instantly transported back to childhood memories of Thomas The Tank Engine. The film makers might decide it's easier to cut Blaine out, but fans will be hoping they take the risk and that it pays off. In terms of casting it would really be a voice-only role. Ideal Casting: Kevin Michael Richardson The voice actor may not be a household name, but you've probably heard his deep, sonorous voice as Principal Lewis in American Dad! or as Deus Ex Machina in The Matrix Revolutions. Back Up Casting: Frank Muller He did an excellent job reading as Blaine The Mono for the audiobook, so it'd be a solid idea to bring him back.