Does anyone know why the Dark Tower was not released as a series of films, one for each book or couple of books? It would seem to me to have been artistically and financially better to have done it that way.
Why a single DT Movie?
- Thread starter Otaku
- Start date
-
This message board permanently closed on June 30th, 2020 at 4PM EDT and is no longer accepting new members.
There are plans to do a follow-up TV series but that may depend upon how successful this first release is.
Sounds like the right way to go. Welcome Otaku.
Neesy
#1 fan (Annie Wilkes cousin) 1st cousin Mom's side
I was under the impression the idea was to do a TV series along with further movies if The Dark Tower was financially successfully enough.
The weekend gross in the USA was just over 19 (!) million, so that's actually fitting.
I hope it won't fully depend on the success of the movie whether a tv-series still gets made. Then we might see if it works better that way, or that it's just hard to film anyway. (Saying this with reserve, obviously, as it's not out here yet, and there's of course the possibility the movie does work for me.)
I hope it won't fully depend on the success of the movie whether a tv-series still gets made. Then we might see if it works better that way, or that it's just hard to film anyway. (Saying this with reserve, obviously, as it's not out here yet, and there's of course the possibility the movie does work for me.)
Robert Gray
Well-Known Member
I have every faith there will be a TV series regardless of how this film is doing. The whole trend right now, and successful at that, is long series which creates a steady cash cow and/or meritorious product. In fact, the reception of this film (which isn't too hot) is only likely to increase the odds of a more canon series. What the failure at the Box Office of this film will do, however, is impact who the players will be in the new series. It will affect who will not be getting a part as well. In short, the series will have to be as far from the movie release as possible which will largely rule out Idris and Matthew. There is also the factor of the paycheck they would demand which won't work in a series. Since the series will try to be the opposite of the film, i.e. canon, the actor playing Jake can't make the cut either. He is growing too fast. Likewise, the reception will remove the current Director. It may even be optioned by an entirely new Studio and/or channel like Starz or HBO (or whomever). They point is it will get made, but it will have none of the current players.
I hope you're right, Robert. But the feeling I got from all the years they were working on it, is that somehow they can't figure out how to do it. That's why producer/writer/directors like Abrams or Howard (who's still attached as producer) walk away from it. So finally there is a young director, who's a big fan of the books (by his own admission), who gets the chance to do a big Hollywood film, which he always wanted to do since the film industry in his own country doesn't allow him to do that. And clearly he wasn't fully up to the task and the result is unsatisfactory. So they now will have to change the way they planned to approach the material to follow up from this film (if they had a clear plan lined out for that), because of the poor reception. Thereby the property is sent back to the phase where no one seems to know how to tackle it in the first place. And now added to that is the blight of a 'failed' film it will have to fight too.
Robert Gray
Well-Known Member
You have no reason to worry.
Like the Dark Lord's ring, which has a way of being found... great books have a way of eventually making their way to the screen. There is no stopping it. Game of Thrones, American Gods, and Breaking Bad have shown that there is a market for and prestige in a certain kind of project. Being difficult and strange is no longer a barrier. If anything, this setback will only embolden those who know they can do it. Sadly, we can't get Ed Harris for Roland, as the Westworld franchise has him now. But I think, after seeing Kurt Russel in the Hateful Eight that we have another contender who is the right age, has the blue eyes from hell, and the acting chops to do it. Hey, but what do I know?Right now would definitely be the time for a faithful Dark Tower series (or faithful to the spirit of it at least), as there are so many high quality tv-series. The problem is the development of these projects takes so long. If they choose to ignore this film, when will be the first time they will start it all over with a tv-series? Five years from now, ten years? Longer? What will the tv landscape be like by then? Will this current trend of high quality fantasy tv series still persist or is it a temporary thing?
In my view, it constantly evolves and not always for the better. People tend to get tired of things (even if it's high quality) and then viewing figures drop, finances get pulled back and shows cancelled.
It's hard to imagine though a fantasy series like Game of Thrones would ever exist, when the closest we had to that before were mini-series like Mists of Avalon from TNT, or Dune and Children of Dune from SyFy (still Sci Fi then), which have a similar serious tone, but clearly not the finances of Game of Thrones.
In my view, it constantly evolves and not always for the better. People tend to get tired of things (even if it's high quality) and then viewing figures drop, finances get pulled back and shows cancelled.
It's hard to imagine though a fantasy series like Game of Thrones would ever exist, when the closest we had to that before were mini-series like Mists of Avalon from TNT, or Dune and Children of Dune from SyFy (still Sci Fi then), which have a similar serious tone, but clearly not the finances of Game of Thrones.
Because if the first film crapped the bed at the box office, the studio didn't want to be on the hook for six more films that would also crap the bed at the box office. Basically this film was designed to do two things that seem opposites. It had to provide a decent conclusion to the story (Tower safe, bad guy dead) while also opening the door for additional films if the first were successful enough and audiences cared enough (Tower not safe after all, more bad guys out there, the further adventures of Roland, Jake and eventual friends).
I saw an interview with Elba and what surprised me is that he said he had only read The Gunslinger (half of it before shooting and half of it after). Since the movie takes place after the bookseries, you'd expect him to want to take all of that aboard.
They didn't really release clips of the film, but I saw a short bit someone put on YouTube they had filmed at the cinema. And at least in terms of action it all looks very good to me.
I actually won a ticket for an avant-première tomorrow, but it would be more costly for me to go where that is, than just pay for it at my local cinema.
They didn't really release clips of the film, but I saw a short bit someone put on YouTube they had filmed at the cinema. And at least in terms of action it all looks very good to me.
I actually won a ticket for an avant-première tomorrow, but it would be more costly for me to go where that is, than just pay for it at my local cinema.
Once it becomes a dollar baby option I am dusting off the old super 8.
I definitely also read a lot of very positive reviews on IMDb, also from people who love the books. The idea seems to be: just don't expect it to be the books or a similar experience. And: it's just an introduction. Also the rating remains a 6 and at least doesn't go lower.
I don't know how long it will play, it's in its first week here and doen't have as many showings as more popular films. IT should be along pretty soon, which I think will be more popular. I wonder if they'll overlap and play together for a while: then if one disappoints you could go straight to the other.
I don't know how long it will play, it's in its first week here and doen't have as many showings as more popular films. IT should be along pretty soon, which I think will be more popular. I wonder if they'll overlap and play together for a while: then if one disappoints you could go straight to the other.