Yes
No
Goldsman wrote Batman and Robin. As Leonard wrote on Teddy's polaroid: Don't believe his lies.
Like Counter Culture Shock on Facebook
UNIVERSAL PICTURES AND NBC UNIVERSAL TELEVISION ENTERTAINMENT TO MAKE FILM TRILOGY AND TELEVISION SERIES BASED ON STEPHEN KING’S EPIC SERIES OF NOVELS THE DARK TOWER
Academy Award® Winners Akiva Goldsman, Ron Howard and Brian Grazer Will Produce the Three Films and the TV Series Based on The Dark Tower
UNIVERSAL CITY, CA, September 8, 2010 – Universal Pictures Chairman Adam Fogelson and Co-Chairman Donna Langley—along with Jeff Gaspin, Chairman, NBC Universal Television Entertainment and Angela Bromstad, President, Primetime Entertainment, NBC & Universal Media Studios—today announced that Universal Pictures and NBC Universal Television Entertainment have acquired the rights to produce three films and a television series based on the seven epic novels, short stories and comic books from Stephen King’s The Dark Tower.
Ron Howard will direct the first film and the first season of television, which will be written by Goldsman. Goldsman will produce the film through his Weed Road Pictures with Howard and Grazer for Imagine Entertainment. Howard, Grazer and Goldsman will executive produce the television series for Universal Media Studios. Kerry
Foster will executive produce the first film for Weed Road Pictures along with Todd Hallowell and Erica Huggins for Imagine Entertainment.
“I’ve been waiting for the right team to bring the characters and stories in these books to film and TV viewers around the world,” said King. “Ron, Akiva, Brian along with Universal and NBC have a deep interest and passion for theThe Dark Tower series and I know that will translate into an intriguing series of films and TV shows that respect the origins and the characters in The Dark Tower that fans have come to love.”
The Dark Tower is Stephen King’s opus of seven bestselling novels with, to date, more than 30 million copies sold in 40 countries. The novels incorporate themes from multiple genres including fantasy, science fiction, horror and adventure. After the series was completed, a prequel of comic books based on one of the characters was also published.
“Building a franchise home for The Dark Tower is an exciting opportunity for this studio, and we’re thrilled that Stephen has entrusted us to bring his beloved novels to the big screen,” said Fogelson.
“Stephen King is a brilliant storyteller who creates imaginary worlds that resonate with the broadest audiences across ages and demographics,” said Gaspin. “We are thrilled to partner with our colleagues in the film division and Brian, Ron and Akiva to bring Stephen’s vision to the largest audience possible through this innovative multi-platform collaboration.”
Howard, Grazer and Goldsman are planning for the first film in the trilogy to be immediately followed by a television series that will bridge the second film. After the second film, the television series will pick up allowing viewers to explore the adventures of the protagonist as a young man as a bridge to the third film and beyond.
“We are excited to have found partners at Universal who understand and embrace our approach to King’s remarkable epic,” said Howard. “By using both the scope and scale of theatrical filmmaking and the intimacy of television we hope to more comprehensively do justice to the characters, themes and amazing sequences King has given us in The Dark Tower novels. It might be the challenge of a lifetime but clearly a thrilling one to take on and explore.”
“The worlds of Stephen King’s The Dark Tower series are richly detailed, inter-locking and deeply connected,” said Goldsman. “By telling this story across media platforms and over multiple hours—and with a view to telling it completely—we have our best chance of translating Roland’s quest to reach The Dark Tower onto screen. We are proceeding with tremendous excitement, fidelity to the source material and, quite frankly, no small amount of awe at this opportunity.”
“King has created the most visually enthralling places and characters in The Dark Tower,” said Grazer. “The synergy created across all the media divisions of our partners at NBC Universal to tell this remarkable story is ground-breaking and invigorating. This project will be one of the most exciting and challenging that I will have ever worked on and I am thrilled to be a part of it.”
The Man In Black Fled Across The Desert...
...And The Gunslinger Followed.
“I’m always on the Batman rule, sir.” - Kate Kane / Detective Comics 857
"It is the story, not he who tells it." Except to us collectors who have to put limits somewhere. - jhanic
Remember, Remember, The Fifth of November, The Gunpowder, Treason, and Plot.
The Official Statement
UNIVERSAL PICTURES AND NBC UNIVERSAL TELEVISION ENTERTAINMENT TO MAKE FILM TRILOGY AND TELEVISION SERIES BASED ON STEPHEN KING’S EPIC SERIES OF NOVELS THE DARK TOWER
Academy Award® Winners Akiva Goldsman, Ron Howard and Brian Grazer Will Produce the Three Films and the TV Series Based on The Dark Tower
UNIVERSAL CITY, CA, September 8, 2010 – Universal Pictures Chairman Adam Fogelson and Co-Chairman Donna Langley—along with Jeff Gaspin, Chairman, NBC Universal Television Entertainment and Angela Bromstad, President, Primetime Entertainment, NBC & Universal Media Studios—today announced that Universal Pictures and NBC Universal Television Entertainment have acquired the rights to produce three films and a television series based on the seven epic novels, short stories and comic books from Stephen King’s The Dark Tower.
Ron Howard will direct the first film and the first season of television, which will be written by Goldsman. Goldsman will produce the film through his Weed Road Pictures with Howard and Grazer for Imagine Entertainment. Howard, Grazer and Goldsman will executive produce the television series for Universal Media Studios. Kerry
Foster will executive produce the first film for Weed Road Pictures along with Todd Hallowell and Erica Huggins for Imagine Entertainment.
“I’ve been waiting for the right team to bring the characters and stories in these books to film and TV viewers around the world,” said King. “Ron, Akiva, Brian along with Universal and NBC have a deep interest and passion for theThe Dark Tower series and I know that will translate into an intriguing series of films and TV shows that respect the origins and the characters in The Dark Tower that fans have come to love.”
The Dark Tower is Stephen King’s opus of seven bestselling novels with, to date, more than 30 million copies sold in 40 countries. The novels incorporate themes from multiple genres including fantasy, science fiction, horror and adventure. After the series was completed, a prequel of comic books based on one of the characters was also published.
“Building a franchise home for The Dark Tower is an exciting opportunity for this studio, and we’re thrilled that Stephen has entrusted us to bring his beloved novels to the big screen,” said Fogelson.
“Stephen King is a brilliant storyteller who creates imaginary worlds that resonate with the broadest audiences across ages and demographics,” said Gaspin. “We are thrilled to partner with our colleagues in the film division and Brian, Ron and Akiva to bring Stephen’s vision to the largest audience possible through this innovative multi-platform collaboration.”
Howard, Grazer and Goldsman are planning for the first film in the trilogy to be immediately followed by a television series that will bridge the second film. After the second film, the television series will pick up allowing viewers to explore the adventures of the protagonist as a young man as a bridge to the third film and beyond.
“We are excited to have found partners at Universal who understand and embrace our approach to King’s remarkable epic,” said Howard. “By using both the scope and scale of theatrical filmmaking and the intimacy of television we hope to more comprehensively do justice to the characters, themes and amazing sequences King has given us in The Dark Tower novels. It might be the challenge of a lifetime but clearly a thrilling one to take on and explore.”
“The worlds of Stephen King’s The Dark Tower series are richly detailed, inter-locking and deeply connected,” said Goldsman. “By telling this story across media platforms and over multiple hours—and with a view to telling it completely—we have our best chance of translating Roland’s quest to reach The Dark Tower onto screen. We are proceeding with tremendous excitement, fidelity to the source material and, quite frankly, no small amount of awe at this opportunity.”
“King has created the most visually enthralling places and characters in The Dark Tower,” said Grazer. “The synergy created across all the media divisions of our partners at NBC Universal to tell this remarkable story is ground-breaking and invigorating. This project will be one of the most exciting and challenging that I will have ever worked on and I am thrilled to be a part of it.”
The Man In Black Fled Across The Desert...
...And The Gunslinger Followed.
“I’m always on the Batman rule, sir.” - Kate Kane / Detective Comics 857
"It is the story, not he who tells it." Except to us collectors who have to put limits somewhere. - jhanic
Remember, Remember, The Fifth of November, The Gunpowder, Treason, and Plot.
I like the idea, love that we could potentially see lots and lots of DT.
But, if the first movie or season bomb...
Ron Howard's movies are too mainstream for my liking. The Dark Tower books need an off the wall director like Guillermo del Toro.
I do hope Howard won't play it safe, but I'm afraid he will.
sk
I found it interesting that they included rights to the COMIC BOOKS as well as the books and short stories. I mean, the comics do differ somewhat and were written by Peter David/Robin Furth.
The Man In Black Fled Across The Desert...
...And The Gunslinger Followed.
“I’m always on the Batman rule, sir.” - Kate Kane / Detective Comics 857
"It is the story, not he who tells it." Except to us collectors who have to put limits somewhere. - jhanic
Remember, Remember, The Fifth of November, The Gunpowder, Treason, and Plot.
I really hope they leave the comic books out, they're ok but I care for them that much
this is really exciting though, the dark tower on screen is going to do something never done before cinematically
if the worlds gonna end then let's get it over with, i got shit to do
Nope, I'm not involved, but I was told not to share the news by someone that is involved.
Wanted list:
Ubris
Haha, I can't believe this
I'm so excited, I'm actually crying
So Ron Howard is directing. The man does have a great track record so I am hopeful.
He is 56 years old and has credits that date to when he was a baby. Many remember him as Opie on The Adny Griffith Show or as Richie Cunningham on Happy Days. But he has done a boatload of other stuff. I went to IMDB and the list is enormous. He is listed as Actor, Producer, Director, Writer. He has played roles on TV for quite the eclectic group of shows to include M*A*S*H, Arrested Development, The Simpsons, Bonanza, Dobi Gillis, The Waltons, Laverne & Shirley, Lassie, Gunsmoke, Denice the Menace, and even the Twilight Zone. He has been on Saturday Night Live 8 tgimes over the years.
He is listed with 12 movies In Development to include The Dark Tower and The Strange Adventures of HP Lovecraft. Dark Tower listed for 2012.
He also directed many fine movies, again an ecclectic listing that includes Angels & Demons, The DaVinci Code, Apollo 13, Parenthood, Frost/Nixon, The Cinderella Man, Edtv, Cacoon, The Missing and How the Grinch Stole Christmas (Jim Carey version).
I will remain optimistic and do like the idea of feature films bracketed with TV Series - something different/new that may just be able to stay faithful to the long saga of Rolad the Gunslinger's Quest for the Dark Tower.
DT Spoiler - Enter at your own risk!
Spoiler:
I get goosebumps just thinking of the opening line.
Can we please talk about the scenes we're looking forward to?
Roland stepping through the first door into Eddie.
Shardik.
Plaster man/guardian.
Blaine (The Wastelands)
The climb up The Tower
Oh my god, I need some tranquilizers, I'm going outside my head.
Brice
I said this somewhere else, ( there are a couple of DT film threads active right now ) but I find it interesting that they're including the comic books in the rights. Those were actually written by Peter David/Robin Furth and as some will agree, don't always seem to jive with the Sai King originals.
I guess this whole thing was inevitable. Now, I await the casting news. I do not have any great hopes.
The Man In Black Fled Across The Desert...
...And The Gunslinger Followed.
“I’m always on the Batman rule, sir.” - Kate Kane / Detective Comics 857
"It is the story, not he who tells it." Except to us collectors who have to put limits somewhere. - jhanic
Remember, Remember, The Fifth of November, The Gunpowder, Treason, and Plot.
Just hope that it's as good a production as a Shawshank or Green Mile rather than a The Stand; that was such an awful movie for such a fantastic book. I'm also leery about seeing what's in my head up on screen. You know, how everyone has their own interpretation and idea of how the characters look and act; if they don't get it right, you're gonna hate it.
And how do you think they'll treat the separate books? Could "Gunslinger" stand on it's own as a movie, or is it more likely that they would combine it and Drawing of the Three, with perhaps some Little Sisters of Eluria and parts of the comics thrown in?
So, ideas ... who would be a perfect fit to play:
Flagg
Roland
Eddie
Jake
Susannah/Detta/Mia
Also, I sincerely hope they're smart enough to consult with the people who know the series to get it right, and I'm not talking just Bev Vincent ... I mean the folks here in these forums!!!
Oy (would have to be CG)
Father Callahan
I still think if they want to do the dark tower it needs to be in a tv series because there's NO WAY they'll ever make it good enough to transcend the movie style.
This is my blog/page:
www.facebook.com/thespermwhaleandbowlofpetunias
This is my donation page:
https://www.razoo.com/br/causes/Maje...h-Resorption-1
Oh don't be party-poopers. This is so gonna rock!
My reaction when I saw this thread was O' Discordia! The beams have broken and the tower slowly falls falls falls.
Just wait until they cast Keanu Reeves as Eddie.
The Man In Black Fled Across The Desert...
...And The Gunslinger Followed.
“I’m always on the Batman rule, sir.” - Kate Kane / Detective Comics 857
"It is the story, not he who tells it." Except to us collectors who have to put limits somewhere. - jhanic
Remember, Remember, The Fifth of November, The Gunpowder, Treason, and Plot.
The first theatrical movie HAS to be DT1+2.
Not so sure about that ... maybe they will start with W&G, to establish Roland's place, his training and becoming a Gunslinger. Who knows ... see the problem here?
The Man In Black Fled Across The Desert...
...And The Gunslinger Followed.
“I’m always on the Batman rule, sir.” - Kate Kane / Detective Comics 857
"It is the story, not he who tells it." Except to us collectors who have to put limits somewhere. - jhanic
Remember, Remember, The Fifth of November, The Gunpowder, Treason, and Plot.