King Works Currently in Production

  • This message board permanently closed on June 30th, 2020 at 4PM EDT and is no longer accepting new members.

Moderator

Ms. Mod
Administrator
Jul 10, 2006
52,243
157,324
Maine
But does the film agent let the producers read the full book before they decide to buy it?

And is an option the same as paying the full money to be allowed to film it?
It's my understanding they can read the book if they show a serious interest. They're not expected to take a blind chance on it. It is certainly possible that potential filmmakers are first given a synopsis and then if it progresses, they are allowed to have the actual manuscript.

An option is the term for someone having the right to make the film, i.e. they have optioned the film rights when a contract has been negotiated and signed by all parties making it a legal agreement.
 

Gerald

Well-Known Member
Sep 8, 2011
2,201
7,168
The Netherlands
It's my understanding they can read the book if they show a serious interest. They're not expected to take a blind chance on it. It is certainly possible that potential filmmakers are first given a synopsis and then if it progresses, they are allowed to have the actual manuscript.

An option is the term for someone having the right to make the film, i.e. they have optioned the film rights when a contract has been negotiated and signed by all parties making it a legal agreement.

Ok, I see. The word 'option' is confusing, because it seems to imply there is only an interest in the book, and the deal hasn't been fully made yet.
But I suppose it's called that, because the film has to be made within a certain time, or otherwise the book will be sold to another producer?

Option (filmmaking) - Wikipedia
 

Moderator

Ms. Mod
Administrator
Jul 10, 2006
52,243
157,324
Maine
Ok, I see. The word 'option' is confusing, because it seems to imply there is only an interest in the book, and the deal hasn't been fully made yet.
But I suppose it's called that, because the film has to be made within a certain time, or otherwise the book will be sold to another producer?

Option (filmmaking) - Wikipedia
That's generally how it's done but the length of time for the option would be part of the contract terms.
 

Gerald

Well-Known Member
Sep 8, 2011
2,201
7,168
The Netherlands
That's generally how it's done but the length of time for the option would be part of the contract terms.

I imagine the length of time would nowadays be shorter. It seems the reason The Talisman still hasn't been made, is that Spielberg bought the rights early on and still has been able to hold on to them until present day.

Steven Spielberg Owns Stephen King’s ‘The Talisman’ and Still Wants to Make a Movie

He keeps promising he's gonna do something with it, but nothing has happened yet.
 

Moderator

Ms. Mod
Administrator
Jul 10, 2006
52,243
157,324
Maine
I imagine the length of time would nowadays be shorter. It seems the reason The Talisman still hasn't been made, is that Spielberg bought the rights early on and still has been able to hold on to them until present day.

Steven Spielberg Owns Stephen King’s ‘The Talisman’ and Still Wants to Make a Movie

He keeps promising he's gonna do something with it, but nothing has happened yet.
I think being Steven Spielberg also had something to do with how that particular contract was written. It's become somewhat of a "I'll believe when I see it" response for me whenever I see a new story about it being produced.
 

Gerald

Well-Known Member
Sep 8, 2011
2,201
7,168
The Netherlands
I think being Steven Spielberg also had something to do with how that particular contract was written. It's become somewhat of a "I'll believe when I see it" response for me whenever I see a new story about it being produced.

Still it seems there has been worked on it according to IMDb trivia: by directors Vadim Perelman and Edward Zwick. who both left. And Mick Garris wrote a script (I assume commissioned by Spielberg) for a four hour mini-series, but it was deemed too expensive.
So they do work on it, but it seems each time something happens that halts it.

The Talisman - Trivia - IMDb

Perhaps now that more films seem to be made because of the success of IT, finally there will be a break in getting it made.
 

Moderator

Ms. Mod
Administrator
Jul 10, 2006
52,243
157,324
Maine
Still it seems there has been worked on it according to IMDb trivia: by directors Vadim Perelman and Edward Zwick. who both left. And Mick Garris wrote a script (I assume commissioned by Spielberg) for a four hour mini-series, but it was deemed too expensive.
So they do work on it, but it seems each time something happens that halts it.

The Talisman - Trivia - IMDb

Perhaps now that more films seem to be made because of the success of IT, finally there will be a break in getting it made.
Exactly. They put out a release that the project is going forward and then something comes up that puts a halt to it. There have been at least 3 times since I've been working here that that has happened. I don't think it's that Spielberg isn't serious about producing it but there are outside factors that have gotten in the way.
 

Gerald

Well-Known Member
Sep 8, 2011
2,201
7,168
The Netherlands
Exactly. They put out a release that the project is going forward and then something comes up that puts a halt to it. There have been at least 3 times since I've been working here that that has happened. I don't think it's that Spielberg isn't serious about producing it but there are outside factors that have gotten in the way.

The recent IT and Dark Tower also had this. Directors coming and going, so it's not unusual. But Spielberg gets so many other films and tv done, that I can't help but feel The Talisman is not a priority for him. Even Spielberg probably can't make every movie he wants to make, but he's still one of the most powerful people in Hollywood.

With IT and Dark Tower it was this constantly struggle over which direction it should take, and over the budget. Directors and writers work on scripts, which all costs time, and then finally the studio decides against their work and a new director comes along.
I think Dark Tower in the end suffered from the budget being too low. It looks like a half successful attempt at something epic. Even if they changed a lot of it, they should still have made it longer and give the characters more depth.
 

Moderator

Ms. Mod
Administrator
Jul 10, 2006
52,243
157,324
Maine
The recent IT and Dark Tower also had this. Directors coming and going, so it's not unusual. But Spielberg gets so many other films and tv done, that I can't help but feel The Talisman is not a priority for him. Even Spielberg probably can't make every movie he wants to make, but he's still one of the most powerful people in Hollywood.

With IT and Dark Tower it was this constantly struggle over which direction it should take, and over the budget. Directors and writers work on scripts, which all costs time, and then finally the studio decides against their work and a new director comes along.
I think Dark Tower in the end suffered from the budget being too low. It looks like a half successful attempt at something epic. Even if they changed a lot of it, they should still have made it longer and give the characters more depth.
I think the Dark Tower suffered from the producers not really understanding how emotionally connected to the original work the fans are and that they wanted an adaptation not a re-imagining or continuation of the story. JMO
 

Gerald

Well-Known Member
Sep 8, 2011
2,201
7,168
The Netherlands
I think the Dark Tower suffered from the producers not really understanding how emotionally connected to the original work the fans are and that they wanted an adaptation not a re-imagining or continuation of the story. JMO

But I assume films in general aren't made for fans. They're made for the general public. Even apart from it being something different from the books, it still feels shallow. I'm not sure even how it's meant - some suggest they tried to make it in the vein of Young Adult adaptations by putting Jake central. It didn't perform well at the box office, I think, because a lot of people don't know what it was.

Funnily most who saw it who don't know the books, understood it perfectly and some of those liked it. I felt it just needed more time in Middle Earth, it's such a short section of the film, but I suppose they wanted to keep that for future films. I felt the film was in a constant hurry from action piece to action piece, and didn't take the time to connect you to the material through the characters.
Another mistake I think, is showing the Man in Black so often. You see him as much as you see Roland. Seeing him so often takes a lot of the mystery away.
 

Gerald

Well-Known Member
Sep 8, 2011
2,201
7,168
The Netherlands
I don't think The Dark Tower is absolutely horrible as a film - it's not something that has become laughably bad. I would give it 5/10. It's very mediocre. But it's too bad that after all it went through in terms of people working on it, it ends up as a rather forgettable action movie.
You wish they had fleshed it out more and made it a little longer (around or close to two hours) and it wouldn't feel so insubstantial.
 
  • Like
Reactions: GNTLGNT

Beatbox

Well-Known Member
Apr 19, 2008
140
112
Toronto
I think the Dark Tower suffered from the producers not really understanding how emotionally connected to the original work the fans are and that they wanted an adaptation not a re-imagining or continuation of the story. JMO

Hopefully Amazon will move forward with the planned series which was reported as being a reboot for The Dark Tower.

Any inside info Ms. Mod? :D
 

Gerald

Well-Known Member
Sep 8, 2011
2,201
7,168
The Netherlands
The last news I can find about a tv series is from June. It seems it will focus on Wizard and Glass mostly and parts of The Gunslinger. Glen Mazzara (from the Walking Dead) was mentioned as showrunner, but Nikolaj Arcel, director of the movie, worked on it as well - which seems to indicate they still wanted it connected to the movie.

Amazon's Adaptation of Stephen King's THE DARK TOWER is Still Alive and Well

What worries me is that Amazon was working on a whole slew of fantasyproductions, including a Lord of the Rings series, and also Wheel of Time and Ringworld. Seems a little too good to be true that all those would happen.
 
Last edited:

955i

New Member
Sep 27, 2018
3
6
55
Wow, Josh Boone has his hand in every pie. Let's hope he proves to be a boon for fans wanting faithful and successful King adaptations. Why are they calling King's story "Ayana" Ayna?

These are the books I'm most excited to be adapted, omitting the obvious one:
Lisey's Story
The Talisman
Firestarter
The Long Walk
The Stand

The Long Walk is a way overdue adaptation!!

It could be the next Stand By Me/Shawshank.

I am always gutted that films don't do the novels justice and only a few have hit the mark, Shawshank, Green Mile, Stand by Me spring to mind.

The rest have mainly been trash 'B' movie films not worthy of the writing (although Stephen has appeared in a number of them!!).

I hope the films will be worthy of the books, particularly The Long Walk as it is one of my favourite stories.
 

Moderator

Ms. Mod
Administrator
Jul 10, 2006
52,243
157,324
Maine
The Long Walk is a way overdue adaptation!!

It could be the next Stand By Me/Shawshank.

I am always gutted that films don't do the novels justice and only a few have hit the mark, Shawshank, Green Mile, Stand by Me spring to mind.

The rest have mainly been trash 'B' movie films not worthy of the writing (although Stephen has appeared in a number of them!!).

I hope the films will be worthy of the books, particularly The Long Walk as it is one of my favourite stories.
Welcome to the Board!
 

955i

New Member
Sep 27, 2018
3
6
55
I think being Steven Spielberg also had something to do with how that particular contract was written. It's become somewhat of a "I'll believe when I see it" response for me whenever I see a new story about it being produced.

Wouldn't trust Spielberg with any King script!!

He doesn't have the right vision to make it work.
 
  • Like
Reactions: GNTLGNT

Spideyman

Uber Member
Jul 10, 2006
46,336
195,472
79
Just north of Duma Key
The Long Walk is a way overdue adaptation!!

It could be the next Stand By Me/Shawshank.

I am always gutted that films don't do the novels justice and only a few have hit the mark, Shawshank, Green Mile, Stand by Me spring to mind.

The rest have mainly been trash 'B' movie films not worthy of the writing (although Stephen has appeared in a number of them!!).

I hope the films will be worthy of the books, particularly The Long Walk as it is one of my favourite stories.


Hi and welcome.