Esquire article on why DT is so hard to make

[bobledrew]

The Dark Tower Movies - Stephen King Dark Tower Adaptation

The lede isn't exactly "The dark man fled across the desert..." but here it is:

Stephen King's novels have occasionally made a successful transition to the big screen, but none has experienced as bumpy an adaptation ride as The Dark Towerseries. King's sprawling fantasy-horror-action-Western opus spans seven books written between 1982 and 2004. But that's not all—there's also an eighth book (The Wind Through the Keyhole) that was written in 2012 after the official series was finished, as well as numerous Marvel comics installments that either give graphic-novel treatment to tales told in the books, or present prequel/spin-off stories to accompany the proper narrative. To say it's a huge franchise would be an understatement. And as of this month it's finally set to make it to the multiplex.

 

[prufrock21]

If it were easy anybody could do it. Why isn't Peter Jackson considered?

 

[bobledrew]

Good question. Perhaps he doesn't want to go back into yet another slog (no offence to DT or to LOTR or to The Hobbit).

 

[GNTLGNT]

The Dark Tower Movies - Stephen King Dark Tower Adaptation

The lede isn't exactly "The dark man fled across the desert..." but here it is:

Stephen King's novels have occasionally made a successful transition to the big screen, but none has experienced as bumpy an adaptation ride as The Dark Towerseries. King's sprawling fantasy-horror-action-Western opus spans seven books written between 1982 and 2004. But that's not all—there's also an eighth book (The Wind Through the Keyhole) that was written in 2012 after the official series was finished, as well as numerous Marvel comics installments that either give graphic-novel treatment to tales told in the books, or present prequel/spin-off stories to accompany the proper narrative. To say it's a huge franchise would be an understatement. And as of this month it's finally set to make it to the multiplex.

 

[TheRedQueen]

I knew Russel Crowe had been cast as Roland, but I had no idea he actually expressed interest. He might pull it off, but I still think Daniel Craig is the best choice. He has the eyes and the "don't give a d**" attitude, but can also convincingly pull off someone who is slightly more emotional.

I guess we'll see...I just hope they take the job seriously. Hey, they made a film for every Harry Potter novel, why not these too?

 

[Pucker]

Lost amid the the perplexity of if or how this project can be un dertaken successfully seems to be whether or not the movie-going public has the attention span to sit through it even if it ever does come to life.

It would seem to me that the very range and intricacy of the story -- which is currently defeating the makers -- will eventually defeat the casual viewer, as well. Sad as it is to say, what we love most about the work may turn out to be its undoing.

Which only seems fitting in this best of all possible worlds.

 

[GNTLGNT]

Lost amid the the perplexity of if or how this project can be un dertaken successfully seems to be whether or not the movie-going public has the attention span to sit through it even if it ever does come to life.

It would seem to me that the very range and intricacy of the story -- which is currently defeating the makers -- will eventually defeat the casual viewer, as well. Sad as it is to say, what we love most about the work may turn out to be its undoing.

Which only seems fitting in this best of all possible worlds.

...the truism here is that marathon adaptations like Potter and LOTR did so well, because they were a faithful adaptation of the stories for the most part AND were wildly widely read...more so Tolkien because of years available than Rowling....I'm not downing King's Opus here, just that it hasn't attracted the diverse audience that the others have, and that would prove it's box-office demise vs the money required to make it work for the faithful like us that would demand accuracy-but our numbers wouldn't bring the return on investment, due to the lack-I feel-of the curious, or casual fans....

 

[kingricefan]

...the truism here is that marathon adaptations like Potter and LOTR did so well, because they were a faithful adaptation of the stories for the most part AND were wildly widely read...more so Tolkien because of years available than Rowling....I'm not downing King's Opus here, just that it hasn't attracted the diverse audience that the others have, and that would prove it's box-office demise vs the money required to make it work for the faithful like us that would demand accuracy-but our numbers wouldn't bring the return on investment, due to the lack-I feel-of the curious, or casual fans....

Only having attempted to read The Hobbit (way back in the late '70's) and never getting past the halfway point and never having the urge to read any of the LOTR books, I felt a sense of 'awe' when I sat thru the first film in that franchise and eagerly awaited the next installment. I had no idea what the story was going to be about other than an elementary idea of the 'quest' and I loved each film (The Hobbit movies are another story- I've only seen the first one). The size and scope of the LOTR films captured my interest and made me want to see each of them as they were released. Each film whet my appetite for the next one. I hope that if the Tower story is to be filmed, it will be done with the same love and care that Jackson had with the LOTR films and that that in and of itself will be enough for the general public to want more, More, MORE of the Tower.

 

[GNTLGNT]

Only having attempted to read The Hobbit (way back in the late '70's) and never getting past the halfway point and never having the urge to read any of the LOTR books, I felt a sense of 'awe' when I sat thru the first film in that franchise and eagerly awaited the next installment. I had no idea what the story was going to be about other than an elementary idea of the 'quest' and I loved each film (The Hobbit movies are another story- I've only seen the first one). The size and scope of the LOTR films captured my interest and made me want to see each of them as they were released. Each film whet my appetite for the next one. I hope that if the Tower story is to be filmed, it will be done with the same love and care that Jackson had with the LOTR films and that that in and of itself will be enough for the general public to want more, More, MORE of the Tower.

...that's my hope as well old friend...but I fear that the niche that the Tower occupies is to confining...not everyone has our sense of wonder and imagination....not to mention, love for bougainvillea scented golden retrievers....

 

[kingricefan]

...that's my hope as well old friend...but I fear that the niche that the Tower occupies is to confining...not everyone has our sense of wonder and imagination....not to mention, love for bougainvillea scented golden retrievers....

 

[GNTLGNT]

...hey now, old fat people have feelings too....

 

[kingricefan]

...hey now, old fat people have feelings too....

You is neither of those things, Scott.

 

[Pucker]

I loved those Tolkien stories, and always wished-- as a boy -- that they could be made into passable live-action movies (the animated version was atrocious, in my view). Of course they were, in the fullness of time, but I was too old to appreciate them with the same sense of wonder with which I was able to approach the books. Don't get me wrong. The movies are very good. Purists will always quibble (and they have), but the minor changes Jackson made to that story don't really affect the adventure very much (Glorfindel and ol' Bombadil might disagree, but there you are), and Giant's point about the ubiquity of Tolkien's epic is well taken.

Such ubiquity does not (yet) exist for The Dark Tower, primarily because of its relative youth, but perhaps also because reading itself is not what it once was, with such variety of entertainment literally at people's fingertips in this fine new age. Whatever happens, we may rest assured that not everyone will (can) be satisfied. As I believe I mentioned in my first post, the very nature of the saga is going to make whatever editing must needs be done very tricksy (as our old friend Sméagol might say).

Here's something that occurs to me as I write this:

I read the Lord of the Rings and wished for at least fairly representative films. How cool would it be to see movies viewers of The Dark Tower come full circle and say, "Hey! I wonder what else is in those books?"

 

[blunthead]

...that's my hope as well old friend...but I fear that the niche that the Tower occupies is to confining...not everyone has our sense of wonder and imagination....not to mention, love for bougainvillea scented golden retrievers....

 

[kingricefan]

Heartless!