[Movie] The Dark Tower series coming to TV?

http://movies.ign.com/articles/764/764210p1.html

Wow, I never expected this. I didn't even know King's appreciation for Lost was so well-known.

Anyway, speculate, what do you think would work better? TV series or set of 7 movies? Who do you think would fit the characters? Do you think the series can make the transition well?

Jam it back in, in the dark.

My friend will be upset to hear that... This has been his dream project for years. Oh well, now he knows how I felt when I found out Paul Anderson was doing Castlevania... Atleast his dream project has a good director

This should rock, though. I'm looking forward to the official announcement.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Matt's reaction to this was "Well... At least it's a good director. I hope he does it well. I can focus on other projects now." It's easy to tell that he's a bit put off though. (Matt is the friend that Sprouticus just mentioned.)

Anyways, having just finished the series a bare few months ago, I'm kinda looking forwards to something like this. Stephen King's website said that they would actually be making the series into comic books, but a TV series would be MUCH better. Seven movies? How much of book 7 would we lose out on? (I'm just remembering how much of the 4th Harry Potter book was lost the limitations put on movie times.) To me, every part of the book series was important to the story. Not even Mordred, who seems to serve no purpose other then to scare the travelers into moving faster, is an important part of the story.

A TV series would be much better suited for it. More time to include everything. I really wonder about the actors though...

And I wonder about the ENDING! Its not an ending most Americans will appreciate (after all, censoring Chocolate War because the bad guy won, and it wasn't a happy ending). Will they end it at King's 'first' ending, or second?

How ya doing, buddy?

Originally Posted by TemariPC31

And I wonder about the ENDING! Its not an ending most Americans will appreciate (after all, censoring Chocolate War because the bad guy won, and it wasn't a happy ending). Will they end it at King's 'first' ending, or second?

Well, the way I see it, it was happy in the sense of potential.

Spoiler:

He did have the horn, after all. And the fact that King wrote in that Roland felt different this time around did a lot to lighten the tone, for me. Frankly, I think ending the series without showing the audience the inside of the tower would draw more hate than seeing the actual ending.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

O FUCK JJ ABRAMS? I am going to shit my pants.

Hopefully, this will come out better than The Stand on other King epics (which he had a hand in making the films).

I am a long time fan of the DT series, and I was REALLY worried about this going into a media format other than the books. I am terrified even now that they will fuck this up royally. I should have more faith.

There was talk of HBO/Showtime doing a mini-series kind of thing for DT: King liked that idea best from what I read a year or more ago.

Has anyone gotten their hands on the comic book? I wanted to look at it, but I have no idea where to look.

How ya doing, buddy?

Have they made the comic books yet? I thought that was a recent development and nothing had come out yet. I also heard that the comics weren't following the actual book, but creating different adventures for Roland and the others.

I am kinda excited though. I want to see others interpretations of the book. There was some crazy amount of symbolism that I figured out at then end, but I cant remember what it was right now. Hmm...

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Originally Posted by TemariPC31

Have they made the comic books yet? I thought that was a recent development and nothing had come out yet. I also heard that the comics weren't following the actual book, but creating different adventures for Roland and the others.

In October of last year, they pushed the comics up to January 07 for release.

I wouldn't be shocked if they're not published yet, though. ;_;

Quote:

I am kinda excited though. I want to see others interpretations of the book. There was some crazy amount of symbolism that I figured out at then end, but I cant remember what it was right now. Hmm...

I wonder what other interpretations will loan to the story! I am excited about it, but at the same time, I kind of want my imagination to rule over how I see the story, you know?

I just wish someone like Peter Jackson would do it ahahaha >_>

FELIPE NO

Abrams? Is he going to lose interest after the first volume and then leave a team of pigeons to finish the rest?

I liked reading the books, so I'll watch the movies for comparison fun time. It'll be amusing to see King's cameo, too. If they want to get real crazy, they could expand that aspect of the story to include the production of these movies. I'm confusing myself trying to figure out how that would work.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Thats a good point. I wonder... In all his other movies (from my recollection, I'm not a huge scary movie fan), he only plays a brief part, like a pizza boy or something.

Spoiler:

But in this case, he'd have a HUGE part to play... as himself.

Which, when that started appearing in the series, I thought was pure genius. Scared the crap out of me too, because as someone who wants to be a writer once she's out of college, Stephen King is fucking intimidating. I have no hopes of being the next King, but jesus christ, the Dark Tower was pure genius... especially because he wrote it over such a long period of time, and could still find crazy ways to link everything.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Spoiler:

Writing yourself in as a character isn't really new, but he did bring it into the eye of pop culture. I guess to what extent you respect that depends on to what extent you buy that "the story just flows through me" stuff.

It was a risky move, certainly, and I suppose it paid off well enough. I didn't end up swearing off of the novels because of it, but it did make me wary of everything he wrote afterwards.

Once you break the fourth wall, it's hard to unbreak it. That's why I personally wonder whether the story will transfer well to TV or film. It might just get a bunch of people irritated and accusing King of narcissism.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

If anyone is interested, Pang provided me with a gift.

It's the first comic book. I don't know if it's been published, and I think this may be an inside copy if it hasn't been published yet - both Pang and I are unsure.

But it's pretty good. It starts with Roland's youth in Gilead, training with Cort.

I find that a LOT of the imagery is exactly what I imagined, and Cort is RIGHT on target.

But they've obviously warped the story a little. Apparently, everyone has a falcon to train of their own. =/

(Sorry to be off topic on this mention)

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Originally Posted by Sassafrass

If anyone is interested, Pang provided me with a gift.

It's the first comic book. I don't know if it's been published, and I think this may be an inside copy if it hasn't been published yet - both Pang and I are unsure.

But it's pretty good. It starts with Roland's youth in Gilead, training with Cort.

I find that a LOT of the imagery is exactly what I imagined, and Cort is RIGHT on target.

But they've obviously warped the story a little. Apparently, everyone has a falcon to train of their own. =/

(Sorry to be off topic on this mention)

Nay, that very issue was released last week with much fanfare including a midnight release. The issue is among a monthly 7 part miniseries with more to come after that which should put the series at around 30 issues or so.

I've never really had the chance to finish the first DT book but the comic has me curious and interested enough to give it another shot. Heck it'd also make for a nice filler among the releases of the comic.

How ya doing, buddy?

Originally Posted by Simo

Nay, that very issue was released last week with much fanfare including a midnight release. The issue is among a monthly 7 part miniseries with more to come after that which should put the series at around 30 issues or so.

Do you know if it will be based off the books? I am hearing that it won't be, but even the lingo in this comic is right on target, alongside plotline (albeit spliced).

Quote:

I've never really had the chance to finish the first DT book but the comic has me curious and interested enough to give it another shot. Heck it'd also make for a nice filler among the releases of the comic.

I hate to say it, but the last book was one of the worst in my opinion. I really didn't like Wizard & Glass, though - which says a lot. For some, it seems to be their favorite. I just wanted to move on with the story King left us with.

But yea, Book 7 is choppy and has an ill plotline. It's quick and its to-the-point, which is kind of sad. I enjoyed hearing in detail about lobstrocities and all the other things. DT7 seemed a little too into itself, I dunno.

But it's DEFINITELY worth reading if you've read through Song of Susannah.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Originally Posted by Sassafrass

Do you know if it will be based off the books? I am hearing that it won't be, but even the lingo in this comic is right on target, alongside plotline (albeit spliced).

The comic is mainly dealing with Roland's history leading up to Book 1: The Gunslinger. So naturally some of the material will come from The Wizard And Glass and some from The Gunslinger but they'll also incorporate stuff that may of been alluded to in the books but never told.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

I'm gonna bump this thread after seeing this: Stephen King Ventures into Comic Books

I wasn't aware that the first comic book had been published already (I had read your post, Sass, but it must have gone right over my head), so this was a huge thing to me. The article says that the comic books are meant to fill in parts of Roland's life that aren't totally gone into during the books. It also says

Quote:

King calls it his life's work — it took him nearly 20 years to complete the series, the final book was published in 2004. But unlike myriad other King stories, it's never been made into a film or TV show.

So is it not being made into a TV series now?

I have to admit, as juvenile as it sounds, I'm feeling jealous at the release of the comic books. The Dark Tower is such an amazing series, but it's probably one of his least known works... I would have never known King wrote something like that if my boyfriend hadnt introduced me to it. Pretty much everyone I talk to doesn't know the book series exists. The comic books coming out almost make it feel like a jewel I've always enjoyed admiring in private is being revealed to the public.

Of course, that may make for better Dark Tower conversations later in time.

FELIPE NO

Well, the way I see it, it was happy in the sense of potential.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Originally Posted by TemariPC31

I'm gonna bump this thread after seeing this: Stephen King Ventures into Comic Books

I wasn't aware that the first comic book had been published already (I had read your post, Sass, but it must have gone right over my head), so this was a huge thing to me. The article says that the comic books are meant to fill in parts of Roland's life that aren't totally gone into during the books. It also says

So is it not being made into a TV series now?

Details are still a little vague at the moment but what basically happened is that JJ Abrams and Damon Lindelof (the folks behind LOST) expressed interest in bringing The Dark Tower to the big or small screen. King, who has been protective of this work being adapted, decided to let them give it a shot and sold the option rights to adapt the series for only $19.

According to King though at the recent NY Comic Con it looks like Abrams and Lindelof want to turn the DT series into a series of full featured films as opposed to a TV series but that's all we know to this point.

Quote:

I have to admit, as juvenile as it sounds, I'm feeling jealous at the release of the comic books. The Dark Tower is such an amazing series, but it's probably one of his least known works... I would have never known King wrote something like that if my boyfriend hadnt introduced me to it. Pretty much everyone I talk to doesn't know the book series exists. The comic books coming out almost make it feel like a jewel I've always enjoyed admiring in private is being revealed to the public.

Of course, that may make for better Dark Tower conversations later in time.

I've always tried to read the first book but then I get to a point where I lose interest and as such I've had The Gunslinger sitting in my bookcase untouched for the last 4 years. However because of the comic I've now begun re-reading the first book, now 3/4 of the way through, so that's one positive aspect of the comic for me.

FYI but Book 2 of the comic was released last week for those interested. Also each of the issues have some bonus content along with extra stories such as Book 2 featuring the creation of Maerlyn's Rainbow.

How ya doing, buddy?

Oh wow. My mom would have loved this, she loved King's dark tower series. I think it would work as a series. And then give it to a network that seriously need it because it would most def. boost ratings

There's nowhere I can't reach.