The Dark Tower series filmed adaptation

[Lookwhoitis]

This is great, from the Nerdist: WILL DARK TOWER FINALLY GET MADE?

Video is even more incredible because of Jessica Chobot

That girl is awesome! Is she the next Olivia Munn?

[Johnny Alien]

Jackson is a great example. He was a B movie director when he got the LOTR movies. None of those actors were top tier actors at the time. They were known and well regarded for their craft but they weren't A List big budget actors. And that movie ended up doing pretty well I would say.

[Lookwhoitis]

Peter Jackson is one of the most talented directors of his generation. He crafted what may be the best (Pop culture favorite) adaptation to ever be filmed. The most true to its source material. LOTR was a labor of love and a masterpiece.

He is 1 in a 100. An auteur. A visionary. And the property was the second highest selling book of all time. A beloved story.

The Dark Tower series, although perhaps as beloved to us, is nowhere near the level of popularity of LOTR and Tolkien.

Putting the Gunslinger in the hands of a foreign director with little track record is a recipe for disaster. Sony wants a man at the helm that they can control, both creatively and financially. If the film is a flop, the series is done. And that would terribly suck.

What this series needs is a Visionary. A Jackson, A Gilliam, A Lucas, A Spielberg... But the beancounters are unwilling to take a chance on genre nowadays (especially cross-genre combinations). It just doesnt pay. They'd rather produce Drek and get the lemmings in the seats.

[Johnny Alien]

We have very different opinions on this one I think. Putting someone like Gilliam or Speilberg in charge of this is going to get you a movie that is very much "theirs" and not so much King. Kubrick's Shining is a great example of this. Check out Speilbergs take on Kubrick's AI script to see how identifiable his film making is. And that style of film making is just not fit for this (unless you want aliens to show up in there somewhere). The Gunslinger is not an over the top action film and I shudder to think what many top names in Hollywood would do to it. I think many of the people complaining might be doing so because they are unfamiliar with foreign directors and writers. So many of them are making beautiful and moody films that surpass what we do here. And even better they are willing to make things be as sad or depressing as they need to be as opposed to US movies that are locked into forcing a happy ending. I am excited that they are giving the script to not only a huge fan but one that is doing things in film that US directors aren't.

And to further Jackson as a point and address what you said....Jackson was indeed a nobody at the time he got that movie. There were loads of fans complaining about him getting that film. He pitched LOTR as one solo movie not three. His most notable film prior to that was The Frighteners with MJFox and it was a bomb at the theaters. Check out Dead Alive and Bad Taste to see the B movie schlock he was putting out. (Keeping in mind that I love those movies). Better yet see if you can sit through Meet the Feebles. He got LOTR because of his movie Beautiful Creatures which had some horrible CGI but was a great film and the fact that he had started his own digital company and could do the effects for a fraction of what it would cost in Hollywood. He was picked because he was enthusiastic and cheap. The studio was fully ready to halt production on the sequels if the first one bombed. And the gamble won out.

So basically.....Jackson was an unknown foreign director at the time he got that. He was not a big name and the movie did not have huge actors tied to it. And we all know how that turned out.

[DoctorZaius]

I'm not backing off of how good I think that Peter Jackson would be for the series, but I will submit that there needs to be a love of the source material. Abrams is too busy, and it appears that Ron Howard is no longer interested. I submit Alfonso Cuaron, director of Children of Men, Pan's Labyrinth, Gravity, and perhaps the best of the Harry Potter films, Prisoner of Azkaban, as one who could pull it off.

[Johnny Alien]

I 100% agree that POA is the best in the HP movie series. I also love Pans Labyrinth and I agree I think that director would do something wonderful. There was a time I would agree on Jackson but after the trainwreck that was The Hobbit I am no longer sure.

[DoctorZaius]

And some more thoughts on Roland: Richard Armitage (Thorin in The Hobbit films, and MI5), Luke Evans (also in The Hobbit - a little young but make-up works wonders), Andrew Lincoln (Walking Dead, also a little young, but make-up again), Daniel Day Lewis, Gerard Butler, or save us all some time and put Brian Cranston & Aaron Paul together again.

[Lookwhoitis]

Jackson's technical genius was evident in his early "schlock" films. You knew he was going on to bigger and better things. He was an innovator and crafted the best adaptation of beloved source material in most probably the history of film. I can forgive him for the missteps with the Hobbit. The beancounters wanted three films to ensure high profitability. Jackson probably went, "cool i get to film some more stuff!"

Arcel has made a period piece that was favored by members of the Academy. I really should stop commenting before seeing his film, as it kind of makes me feel rude lambasting him without seeing his work, but I feel like he is the wrong guy for the job.

And i feel that if this deal goes forward, the attempt will be a flop.

Hope that I am wrong, and even harder hoping that yet again, it goes back into development hell until a bigger name can be attached. An Abrams, A del Toro, a Jackson or someone of the like

[Lookwhoitis]

I'm not backing off of how good I think that Peter Jackson would be for the series, but I will submit that there needs to be a love of the source material. Abrams is too busy, and it appears that Ron Howard is no longer interested. I submit Alfonso Cuaron, director of Children of Men, Pan's Labyrinth, Gravity, and perhaps the best of the Harry Potter films, Prisoner of Azkaban, as one who could pull it off.

Cuaron would be a great choice, although del Toro directed Pan's Labyrinth (He would also be a great choice). If johnny alien was suggesting the Mexican New Wave in place of "european sensibility" from an almost unknown danish director I'd be more apt to get behind it.

[Lookwhoitis]

Has anyone here even seen A Royal Affair?

[DoctorZaius]

I'm not backing off of how good I think that Peter Jackson would be for the series, but I will submit that there needs to be a love of the source material. Abrams is too busy, and it appears that Ron Howard is no longer interested. I submit Alfonso Cuaron, director of Children of Men, Pan's Labyrinth, Gravity, and perhaps the best of the Harry Potter films, Prisoner of Azkaban, as one who could pull it off.

Cuaron would be a great choice, although del Toro directed Pan's Labyrinth He would also be a great choice). If johnny alien was suggesting the Mexican New Wave in place of "european sensibility" from an almost unknown danish director I'd be more apt to get behind it.

Oops! Yeah, Alphonso was a producer, not the director. Thanks for correcting me.

[Johnny Alien]

I am not ready to put the whole blame on Jackson re: The Hobbit. I am beginning to think that as much as I like Del Toro that it was actually his original script (that was largely used by Jackson) that was the problem. I can't forgive what was done to that film though. Expanding it was a horrible decision but the way it was expanded was even worse. The barrel scene was horrendous and having the dwarves come into the cave to write Smaug ruined one of Bilbo's shining moments. In fact the whole movie series really did a disservice to the Bilbo character.

[fernandito]

Jackson would have been a great choice pre-Hobbit... right now he's probably just sick and tired of epics though.

I can totally get behind the Mexican New Wave too (no bias lol). The type of Mexican directors that have been circling the Academy constellation lately are of a very high caliber. Cuaron, Del Toro, Iñarritu - all would be more than capable.

I can see both sides of the debate currently taking place. A relatively 'unknown' director would put his personal stamp on the franchise.. but I also recognize the need to have A listers both behind and in front of the camera to draw the crowds in and ensure the series has a fighting chance of moving beyond one film.

It's going to be tricky, that's for sure...

[mae]

Has anyone here even seen A Royal Affair?

It's on Netflix: http://www.netflix.com/title/70232004

[Lookwhoitis]

Johnny alien, just so you know, I share a lot of your positions on the Hobbit. I am not arguing against you just for the sake of doing it. I am just an ardent fan of the source material and a big fan of Jackson and was willing to accept the Hobbit adaptations warts and all.

I remember being yanked out of the suspension of disbelief during that barrel scene, thinking damn I am watching a video game on screen. Perhaps it was the high frame rate, but I remember being taken out of the story.

But, in any case, Peter Jackson or (del Toro for that matter) could have shit in a box and called it the Hobbit and I would have loved it.

[Lookwhoitis]

Has anyone here even seen A Royal Affair?

It's on Netflix: http://www.netflix.com/title/70232004

Damn, I guess I will have to watch it now LOL

[Lookwhoitis]

Perhaps the Dark Tower Series will have multiple directors like Harry Potter.

I wasnt completely sold on Ron Howard, but I was willing to see him try.

[Randall Flagg]

Arnie Hammer for Roland

[Johnny Alien]

Johnny alien, just so you know, I share a lot of your positions on the Hobbit. I am not arguing against you just for the sake of doing it. I am just an ardent fan of the source material and a big fan of Jackson and was willing to accept the Hobbit adaptations warts and all.

I remember being yanked out of the suspension of disbelief during that barrel scene, thinking damn I am watching a video game on screen. Perhaps it was the high frame rate, but I remember being taken out of the story.

But, in any case, Peter Jackson or (del Toro for that matter) could have shit in a box and called it the Hobbit and I would have loved it.

I actually share your love of Jackson. I don't forgive him as much for the Hobbit as you do but I pretty much like almost everything else he has done. Well...maybe not Meet the Feebles...that's a dirty disturbing film.

[Lookwhoitis]

I think Anson Mount from Hell on Wheels would make a good Roland.

[fernandito]

I think Anson Mount from Hell on Wheels would make a good Roland.

I never watched Hell on Wheels, but I just Googled this guy and -- YES. He would make a great Roland.

Also, after watching him give in powerhouse performances in Rectify episode after episode, I'm convinced that Aiden Young would make a fantastic Eddie. He might be a bit old though...

[webstar1000]

A GREAT idea for Roland!!! Anson Mount is great in Hell on Wheels. He would be a great Roland and is relatively unknown and may sign on for the lengthy project!

[wolfehr]

My girlfriend's response when I mentioned support for Aiden Young here...

"He's on rectify!

I love him

He's really so good"

[Roland of Gilead 33]

on IMDB this is saying it's coming on in Jan. of (2017) is that correct? have they announced anything recently? and if they went with an unknown that wouldn't bother me to be honest

[Merlin1958]

on IMDB this is saying it's coming on in Jan. of (2017) is that correct? have they announced anything recently? and if they went with an unknown that wouldn't bother me to be honest

That's the most recent target date announced. We shall see if they are able to hit that date or not. To my knowledge there has yet to be any official casting completed and I think the script is still being re-worked, but Hollywood has a way of making "magic" happen.