Elba's Casting CONFIRMED?!!

[skimom2]

Home page and SKMB News have it, too, but here's the link:

The Dark Tower: Idris Elba, Matthew McConaughey cast in Stephen King movie | EW.com

Thank you!

EDIT: That was in interesting article. It does look like they'll be starting in general WasteLands time.

BTW, if you've seen Luther, you'll know that Elba can play a multi layered, mostly-good-but-not-a-saint, ruthless-when-I-have-to-be (Roland) kinda guy very, very well. If they can successfully work out the conflict relationship between him and Susannah, this could work.

 

[César Hernández-Meraz]

And while they're changing things, I hope they remove the

Spoiler

references to [...] Dr. Doom.

I have not yet read "The Dark Tower", but even so...

Spoiler

I have His Majesty Victor von Doom here with me, and he has something to say.

Doom: "Doctor Doom shall not be removed from any place he does not want to be removed from."

That's all. Please proceed with your regular activities.

 

[Out of Order]

OoO, do you have a link to that article? I'm curious!

$5.......................

 

[skimom2]

 

[Mr Nobody]

Hmm...some interesting cast choices, to say the least. As soon as I saw it was to be Elba and McConaughey it was obvious as to who would be playing whom. Let's face it, Elba was never going to be The Man in Black!
The thing is, I like Elba as an actor (though, for me, he will forever be John 'Loofah!' first and foremost), but for Roland? "Yeah, but it's not right, is it? It's not. Right."
Like skimom2, I worry about what it'll do to the character of Odetta and the dynamic between Eddie and Susannah. It could be that Roland's lack of prejudice against whites provokes Odetta even more...but then the character would have to grow in a different way. She'd not just rail against whites but Roland, a black man's, acceptance/tolerance/however you want to put it of them. And Roland really can't be on her side. He's not even of this world, so (probably) won't have suffered or even be aware of the things that Susannah/Odetta has/have.
So for me it's a brave choice, if not necessarily the right one. It's going to be interesting to see what happens and how the writing handles it all, that's for sure.
(I do agree with GNTLGNT too, at least to a point. Maybe if or when they do a remake of The Color Purple the lead role can be played by...oh, I dunno...Scarlett Johansson. I mean, why not? It's just a fictional character and race/colour doesn't matter for them, right? )

 

[skimom2]

(I do agree with GNTLGNT too, at least to a point. Maybe if or when they do a remake of The Color Purple the lead role can be played by...oh, I dunno...Scarlett Johansson. I mean, why not? It's just a fictional character and race/colour doesn't matter for them, right? )

I know you're joking, but that isn't a fair comparison. Race is very important to Celie's character and the primary driver of the story, set in an identifiable time period. Roland's world and character aren't comparable--this is non-historical fantasy, in which Mr. King has set up no racial or ethnic dichotomy (at least Mid-World got that right--lol). Aside from the relationship with Odetta/Detta, there isn't a single event that is any different if Roland is black, white, Asian, or green with pink polka dots. Nothing. Change Celie's race and you change Walker's entire story, because you have to work within the framework of a real historical period. KWIM?

 

[Dana Jean]

I think this is going to be great! I'm really looking forward to how someone else sees this world.

 

[Mr Nobody]

I know you're joking, but that isn't a fair comparison. Race is very important to Celie's character and the primary driver of the story, set in an identifiable time period. Roland's world and character aren't comparable--this is non-historical fantasy, in which Mr. King has set up no racial or ethnic dichotomy (at least Mid-World got that right--lol). Aside from the relationship with Odetta/Detta, there isn't a single event that is any different if Roland is black, white, Asian, or green with pink polka dots. Nothing. Change Celie's race and you change Walker's entire story. KWIM?

I was only half-joking, but I'll accept that the example is a relatively poor one.

 

[DiO'Bolic]

It concerns me a little that Abbey Lee Kershaw from Mad Max: Fury Road was cast to play a ‘major’ role in the film. If the movie mimics the Fury Road flick, I will be highly disappointed.

 

[Robert Gray]

I'm somewhat dumbfounded that they needed to go to South Africa to film. We have more than enough wastelands and deserts in the United States and all of them could use a little influx of cash. I can't imagine they wouldn't have found some tax breaks or breathtaking vistas in our own American Southwest.

 

[Out of Order]

I'm somewhat dumbfounded that they needed to go to South Africa to film. We have more than enough wastelands and deserts in the United States and all of them could use a little influx of cash. I can't imagine they wouldn't have found some tax breaks or breathtaking vistas in our own American Southwest.

Larger, more menacing Lobstrosities in South Africa.............

 

[GNTLGNT]

Larger, more menacing Lobstrosities in South Africa.............

....you want that sh*t, go to Australia or New Zealand......spiders there work out with lobstrosities.....

 

[Out of Order]

....you want that sh*t, go to Australia or New Zealand......spiders there work out with lobstrosities.....

I'm not scared..........Flake'll protect me.......

 

[César Hernández-Meraz]

There are also some deserts in Mexico that have been used for movies. I have no idea about the price, but they are closer, at least. Of course, there may have been concerns about security, both of the people and of information (some zones are dangerous with drug cartels endangering the former, and some people may be too easy to convince to share the production's secrets, endangering the latter).

 

[DiO'Bolic]

I'm somewhat dumbfounded that they needed to go to South Africa to film. We have more than enough wastelands and deserts in the United States and all of them could use a little influx of cash. I can't imagine they wouldn't have found some tax breaks or breathtaking vistas in our own American Southwest.

South Africa has become the new Hollywood. And it’s cheap to film there, so it makes sense if you're looking for the best way to maximize profits. There’s also a 20% rebate for foreign productions shot on location in South Africa, as well as a 22.5% break if they are post-produced in the country.

 

[GNTLGNT]

I'm not scared..........Flake'll protect me.......

...righto!....just keep telling yourself that.....

 

[GNTLGNT]

South Africa has become the new Hollywood. And it’s cheap to film there, so it makes sense if you're looking for the best way to maximize profits. There’s also a 20% rebate for foreign productions shot on location in South Africa, as well as a 22.5% break if they are post-produced in the country.

....and a free goat with every film spool purchased....

 

[DiO'Bolic]

....and a free goat with every film spool purchased....

And the code name to keep the filming somewhat secret will be Billy the kid.

 

[AnnaMarie]

That was way back in the day.

Yes. Back when King felt a movie based off his book should have more in common than just the title. And spoke loud and long about it.

 

[GNTLGNT]

And the code name to keep the filming somewhat secret will be Billy the kid.

...I can see the snack wagons now.....gourmet grubs and larvae......