Elba's Casting CONFIRMED?!!

[Bproductiv3]

No annoucement from the studio but the rumour seems to becoming more and more of a reality.

‘The Dark Tower’ officially casts Idris Elba as Roland Deschain; January 2017 release date confirmed : Trending News : Lawyer Herald

You have got to be kidding me! What's next? Susanna Asian? Eddie Hispanic? This political correctness has got to end! How about Caitlyn Jenner as Mordred (The most horrifying mutant I can think of)?
King has to find a director that will approach this like Peter Jackson approached the LOTR movies. Stay true to the books! A great series does not need rewriting! Fire the casting director or you are going to have your Opus turned into another Tommy Knockers movie only seen on the Syfy network. This is to great a series to succumb to such a fate. Someone please come to your senses!

 

[Tery]

Well. I love Elba, he was great in "Luther." He's a wonderful actor. But he's not the Gunslinger Uncle Stevie described in the first -- or subsequent -- book. I'm very disappointed.

 

[Jordan]

The last news I saw about whether this movie was a one-off, etc. was a while ago. At the time, Sony and MRC were planning a series of movies with interstitial TV series. Whether that's still the plan, I've no idea.

As to the casting and changes... I posted this in another thread, but figured I'd put it here as well.

If Roland's journey were verbatim (or as close as possible via film) from the books, wouldn't that be like cursing Roland to permanently repeat what we've already read... for all eternity?

 

[mjs9153]

Well, with the die already being cast, there isn't too much point in going through all the stages of grief. We might as well save our ire for the release. Hope for the best, but expect the worst. My own view, and I have no inside information, is that the rights the Studio has to make the film are probably about to expire. Use the option or lose it. Don't expect a huge budget. I don't think they will spend anymore on this picture than they feel they are guaranteed to make back in Box Office. I am merely musing out loud, and not attempting to be negative. It is just a matter of looking at the timeline for the entire process going back to when it first started until now when it suddenly steamrolls to get going.

The problem, as I see it, is that there is no way they can truly appeal to the fans, nor is that really their target audience. This means they are trying simply to cash in on the Fantasy boom that has been going on for some time. The problem is that the target age the material shoots at is all wrong. The books aren't conveniently packaged for a Hollywood shooting, nor is the story. I can pretty much visualize three or four versions of the script based on what has been leaked, which fit a Hollywood pattern, but I don't think they will satisfy a general movie-goer and I know they won't make the book fans happy. I have no doubt that they are going to shoot for PG-13. That alone is going to utterly change the tone, setting, and story.

I just don't see how the subject matter can be repackaged to compete with the Fantasy stuff doing well right now while still holding on to much of anything from the books. To quote Tolkien, "Your quest stands upon the edge of a knife. Stray but a little and it will fail." I just don't see how they can effectively maximize the variables.

Well said..problem with "target audience" is if they did it true to story,there would be no target audience,it would appeal to a large spectrum,just like the LOTR series..I am sure thousands on thousands of people,if not millions,never read Tolkien's books,but the story was so good that when done correctly it appealed to them..think we have the same case here..as you say,no longer any point in crying over spilt milk,I just learned of it recently so that is why I responded several times,guess I am now at the point of resignation..

 

[prufrock21]

Did you read the EW article prufrock? Apart from the classic opening line of The Gunslinger the movie apparently will focus well after The Gunslinger.

It would be a travesty not to do DT 1. It sets up the story beautifully.

 

[Saigrim]

I am now at the point of resignation..

May I hang my head next to you?

Thankee, Sai.

 

[stacy270]

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.

Eh.......you get older......you chill out.......you gain perspective........

 

[AnnaMarie]

Eh.......you get older......you chill out.......you gain perspective........

Weeeeeelllllll! i could suggest other reasons.

But whatever. I may or may not watch if and when it's on a tv station I get. But I definitely am not excited about this project.

 

[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, because you have to work within the framework of a real historical period. KWIM?

Right. I've been thinking about this (I know I shouldn't, but that's me) and I think I've come up with a better example. It took a while, and that alone tells a story all by itself (and not a happy/good one, either), but...
I know you're a fan of TWD, series and graphic novel, so...how would you have felt if, after reading the comics and having a fixed idea of who certain characters were, what they generally looked like, seeing what the author's (authors'?) original intentions had been, etc, the series producers had then cast Morgan as a white bloke?
There, as with Roland, colour makes no serious difference, but it does go against what is 'known' about the character and therefore expected by fans as and when it jumps media.

Now, I'll say that I expect Idris will knock it out of the park in terms of performance. SK was, IMHO, dead right about his acting ability, and I hope that was actually the only criterion used when it came to making the decision (I doubt SK himself was involved, but if he had been, it's 100% that it would be down to ability to do the job and nothing else).
What concerns me is if something else crept into it, consciously or subconsciously - a reaction to certain recent controversies, for example (yeah, the Oscars, pretty much) - because that's not the path to the real, true equality that all people deserve. IMO.
The bottom line for me is this: excellent actor, decent bloke (by all accounts), wrong role.

 

[Dana Jean]

Like Marsha said, we get to see another journey, another level of the tower. The doors open and there are different people on that beach. The Tower isn't stagnate and I am accepting this as not what was written, but what is coming.

Oh the possibilities!

 

[Out of Order]

Like Marsha said, we get to see another journey, another level of the tower. The doors open and there are different people on that beach. The Tower isn't stagnate and I am accepting this as not what was written, but what is coming.

Oh the possibilities!

I see what you and Ms. Mod are saying, to be sure. But, I think, what has a lot of us upset is that we wanted to see the story that was written down so long ago on the big screen (and we still might see most of it - I don't have access to the script!). If there are to be other stories told on other levels have those told in sequels (or prequels) after the original story has been told. That make sense?

Course having more than one movie made depends on the almighty dollar, but that's another story....

 

[Dana Jean]

Yes,

I see what you and Ms. Mod are saying, to be sure. But, I think, what has a lot of us upset is that we wanted to see the story that was written down so long ago on the big screen (and we still might see most of it - I don't have access to the script!). If there are to be other stories told on other levels have those told in sequels (or prequels) after the original story has been told. That make sense?

Course having more than one movie made depends on the almighty dollar, but that's another story....

I understand.

 

[Dana Jean]

I see what you and Ms. Mod are saying, to be sure. But, I think, what has a lot of us upset is that we wanted to see the story that was written down so long ago on the big screen (and we still might see most of it - I don't have access to the script!). If there are to be other stories told on other levels have those told in sequels (or prequels) after the original story has been told. That make sense?

Course having more than one movie made depends on the almighty dollar, but that's another story....

Thinking further on this, maybe that's why no one wants to touch the Dark Tower as Stephen wrote it. It's just too sacred. But, they can add to it. So, everyone can read the books to get that solid foundation of what Stephen's Opus means (and that will be different for everyone, reading any given book in the series) and once they read the "bible of the tower" they can move onto these further adventures.

 

[Spideyman]

I see what you and Ms. Mod are saying, to be sure. But, I think, what has a lot of us upset is that we wanted to see the story that was written down so long ago on the big screen (and we still might see most of it - I don't have access to the script!). If there are to be other stories told on other levels have those told in sequels (or prequels) after the original story has been told. That make sense?

Course having more than one movie made depends on the almighty dollar, but that's another story....

That is basically my reply to Jordan in the Quote thread.

 

[Out of Order]

That is basically my reply to Jordan in the Quote thread.

 

[Moderator]

I see what you and Ms. Mod are saying, to be sure. But, I think, what has a lot of us upset is that we wanted to see the story that was written down so long ago on the big screen (and we still might see most of it - I don't have access to the script!). If there are to be other stories told on other levels have those told in sequels (or prequels) after the original story has been told. That make sense?

Course having more than one movie made depends on the almighty dollar, but that's another story....

Absolutely--so would I, but accepting that that isn't going to happen with this makes more sense to me than getting upset because the ship has already sailed on this project.

 

[Out of Order]

Thinking further on this, maybe that's why no one wants to touch the Dark Tower as Stephen wrote it. It's just too sacred. But, they can add to it. So, everyone can read the books to get that solid foundation of what Stephen's Opus means (and that will be different for everyone, reading any given book in the series) and once they read the "bible of the tower" they can move onto these further adventures.

You spelled scared wrong......

Sure they can alter it and they will without a doubt. How much is what has some of us worried.

Absolutely--so would I, but accepting that that isn't going to happen with this makes more sense to me than getting upset because the ship has already sailed on this project.

Ship what ship? I don't even have a boarding pass.....

 

[Dana Jean]

You spelled scared wrong......

Sure they can alter it and they will without a doubt. How much is what has some of us worried.



Ship what ship? I don't even have a boarding pass.....

But OoO, it shouldn't, honestly. They aren't altering what is set down in print. they are moving forward. Everything can be different when it comes to the Tower. The story is in print, set for all time. What film makers do now is continue the saga, pay homage to a great adventure.

Have faith young man. All will be well, all manner of things will be well.

 

[Moderator]

You spelled scared wrong......

Sure they can alter it and they will without a doubt. How much is what has some of us worried.



Ship what ship? I don't even have a boarding pass.....

It probably helps that I've had a lot longer to absorb this than most of you and go through the stages of grief to get to the acceptance part.

 

[Spideyman]