The Dark Tower series filmed adaptation

[herbertwest]

I would guess that Marvel probably only have the comics rights, not the adaptation rights.
As for the projects, it would require quite a big budget and ambition, and the movie with its low boxoffice pretty much killed the studio interest.

[CyberGhostface]

Marvel doesn't even have the comic rights at this point. They went to Simon & Schuster's graphic novel division.

I don't really see Dune leading to a resurgence in similarly prestigious films either. Maybe a series of half-baked ripoffs like when Harry Potter was successful studios were throwing everything at the wall looking for the next kid fantasy series but even then I don't know if Dune will become that big in the mainstream consciousness.

Anyways at this point I don't see anything happening for a while. A streaming series was probably the best bet and Amazon turned it down. The best case scenario at this point is if if Netflix decides to pursue it AND they have Mike Flanagan (as most of his output seems to be Netflix stuff nowadays) take the helm. Without him you're looking at another Locke & Key situation.

[webstar1000]

I cannot say much more than this…. But there is MASSIVE news regarding the Dark Tower. Be very excited guys!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Johnny Alien]

OK....but you can't just do that. It's cruel.

[Merlin1958]

OK....but you can't just do that. It's cruel.

Really!!! You got that right!!! Spew, Kris!!

BTW, anyone watching the "Foundation" series on Apple? Very loosely based on the books, but still top shelf, SF in story (so far). production and cast IMHO!!

[Johnny Alien]

So there was a fan made audio drama happening and they just announced that it got halted because legal representatives for SK said it was interfering with current negotiations for a filmed version of the Dark Tower. I assume this is directly related to the massive news mentioned above.

[Iwritecode]

So there was a fan made audio drama happening and they just announced that it got halted because legal representatives for SK said it was interfering with current negotiations for a filmed version of the Dark Tower. I assume this is directly related to the massive news mentioned above.

Interesting. I wondered what happened to that. I had posted about it in one of the random musing threads I think. The YT videos still exist but are now marked as "unlisted".


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJnJ_zEkkis&t=1s


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CleUAALFoKA

[herbertwest]

This : https://twitter.com/DarkTowerAudio/status/1456321723155066880/photo/1

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FDXkqNWVcAIb5T3?format=png&name=medium

[webstar1000]

This : https://twitter.com/DarkTowerAudio/status/1456321723155066880/photo/1

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FDXkqNWVcAIb5T3?format=png&name=medium

I CANNOT say more but this is fact. They need to chill..... lol There is SOME BIG FREAKIN NEWS COMINGGGGGGGGGGG.

[MikeDuke]

If they did a proper, theater only adaptation of the series, it would be fantastic. 8 or 9 films. Imagine that.

[Kingfan24]

Any movie they make of the dark tower is going to be a disappointment. King screen adaptations always are. Part II of it was absolute garbage.

[webstar1000]

Any movie they make of the dark tower is going to be a disappointment. King screen adaptations always are. Part II of it was absolute garbage.

harshhhhhhhhhh. lol It wasnt as good but I would not say it was that bad lol

[bdwyer19]

C’mon… It Part 2 was complete trash! I agree with Nick though about the adaptions. Beyond Shawshank, Stand by me, Misery, and The Shining, the rest have been mostly forgettable.

[Brian861]

C’mon… It Part 2 was complete trash! I agree with Nick though about the adaptions. Beyond Shawshank, Stand by me, Misery, and The Shining, the rest have been mostly forgettable.

I'm a fan of The Dead Zone adaptation as well.

[CyberGhostface]

The It movies were fine. Not great but we would all be so lucky if they were considered to be the low quality mark for a Stephen King adaptation. I don’t think we’ll ever see another King adaptation becoming a full-fledged cultural phenomenon like the It films were either.

Anyway there have been a number of good SK adaptations. It just depends on who is doing it. Mike Flanagan took one of King’s worst books and made it into what is easily one of the top King adaptations we’ve had in a while.

[MikeDuke]

Even though I did not read the stories, I liked The Green Mile and 1408.

[Johnny Alien]

If its a series then I can't see how it wouldn't be someone else picking up the Amazon series. Why bother starting all over when they have something good set up with a pilot already filmed.

[Johnny Alien]

When seeing them in the theater I thought part II was a disappointment. I just rewatched them and now feel that part II is the better of the two movies.

[Merlin1958]

When seeing them in the theater I thought part II was a disappointment. I just rewatched them and now feel that part II is the better of the two movies.

Yeah, IT was a pretty darn good adaption to film, IMHO. Better than, Kubriks "Shining" IMHO

Can't wait to hear what, Kris is foaming at the mouth to tell us!! LOL LOL

[mae]

https://www.syfy.com/syfy-wire/the-dark-tower-showrunner-on-amazon-series-and-universe

It is always sad to be reminded of the possibilities that never came to be, but The Dark Tower may be one of the more painful reminders. Earlier today, Glen Mazzara, showrunner on Amazon's scrapped Dark Tower TV series, tweeted out a thread of ideas and notes from the failed spin-off series on Twitter that may make you think of just what might have been.

The show would have been spun-off from the 2017 film. Based on the beloved fiction novel series of the same name by Stephen King, and starring Idris Elba as Roland Deschain, it did not perform well at the box office or with critics. Though the Walking Dead producer was slated to be the showrunner for Amazon's spin-off series in 2018, the show was ultimately scrapped.

“2 years ago, I was told #TheDarkTower was not moving forward to series. I had big plans not only for that show but for a whole TDT universe. Ideas from my notes,” Mazzara writes. As the thread continues, he teases various storylines and plots which would expand the universe of The Dark Towers saga and introduce fans –– new and old –– to parts of the TDT mythos that have yet to be in the limelight.

From looking into Father Callahan’s journey between the events of Salem's Lot –– another novel in King’s library of published works –– and The Dark Tower, to exploring the “establishment of the order of the gunslingers,” it is clear there are mountains of content that could have turned into MCU-level storytelling, especially since Mazzara says it had the opportunity to tie into some of King's other works that are based in the same universe.

“The world of The Dark Tower offers many opportunities for us to dramatize stories that may only exist in the written material as a line or two. For example, in The Wind Through the Keyhole, Roland mentions that Tim Stoutheart went on to become a gunslinger,” Mazzara continues in the thread. “The possibilities are endless.”

[webstar1000]

https://www.syfy.com/syfy-wire/the-dark-tower-showrunner-on-amazon-series-and-universe

It is always sad to be reminded of the possibilities that never came to be, but The Dark Tower may be one of the more painful reminders. Earlier today, Glen Mazzara, showrunner on Amazon's scrapped Dark Tower TV series, tweeted out a thread of ideas and notes from the failed spin-off series on Twitter that may make you think of just what might have been.

The show would have been spun-off from the 2017 film. Based on the beloved fiction novel series of the same name by Stephen King, and starring Idris Elba as Roland Deschain, it did not perform well at the box office or with critics. Though the Walking Dead producer was slated to be the showrunner for Amazon's spin-off series in 2018, the show was ultimately scrapped.

“2 years ago, I was told #TheDarkTower was not moving forward to series. I had big plans not only for that show but for a whole TDT universe. Ideas from my notes,” Mazzara writes. As the thread continues, he teases various storylines and plots which would expand the universe of The Dark Towers saga and introduce fans –– new and old –– to parts of the TDT mythos that have yet to be in the limelight.

From looking into Father Callahan’s journey between the events of Salem's Lot –– another novel in King’s library of published works –– and The Dark Tower, to exploring the “establishment of the order of the gunslingers,” it is clear there are mountains of content that could have turned into MCU-level storytelling, especially since Mazzara says it had the opportunity to tie into some of King's other works that are based in the same universe.

“The world of The Dark Tower offers many opportunities for us to dramatize stories that may only exist in the written material as a line or two. For example, in The Wind Through the Keyhole, Roland mentions that Tim Stoutheart went on to become a gunslinger,” Mazzara continues in the thread. “The possibilities are endless.”

I cannot wait till what I know comes to light. OMG.... Lets just say I AM SO HAPPY that Glen is not touching this. Trust me....

[Iwritecode]

https://media.giphy.com/media/tXL4FHPSnVJ0A/giphy.gif

[Johnny Alien]

https://media.giphy.com/media/tXL4FHPSnVJ0A/giphy.gif

+1000

[Johnny Alien]

I never thought I would still be waiting for this news to leak 3 months later. The fact that the casted audio version is moving forward makes me think maybe whatever was going to happen isn't going to happen now.

[herbertwest]

Some directors are very busy ;)

[webstar1000]

I never thought I would still be waiting for this news to leak 3 months later. The fact that the casted audio version is moving forward makes me think maybe whatever was going to happen isn't going to happen now.

Oh its happening...

[Merlin1958]

I never thought I would still be waiting for this news to leak 3 months later. The fact that the casted audio version is moving forward makes me think maybe whatever was going to happen isn't going to happen now.

Oh its happening...

Nothing you can reveal as yet, Kris?

[webstar1000]

I never thought I would still be waiting for this news to leak 3 months later. The fact that the casted audio version is moving forward makes me think maybe whatever was going to happen isn't going to happen now.

Oh its happening...

Nothing you can reveal as yet, Kris?

I wish I could Bill buddy... But I gave my word. BUT good news is coming!~

[MikeDuke]

So, we are trying again? I hope if it's on a streaming platform, that they put it on physical media as well. But I would love to see this done.

[Merlin1958]

I never thought I would still be waiting for this news to leak 3 months later. The fact that the casted audio version is moving forward makes me think maybe whatever was going to happen isn't going to happen now.

Oh its happening...

Nothing you can reveal as yet, Kris?

I wish I could Bill buddy... But I gave my word. BUT good news is coming!~

You know, kris you really ought to consider telling a few select folks via PM to insure you don't get scooped by another!! lol lol


Course, solely to help a brother out, I'd be willing to be one of those "Safe Reveals" for you!! lol

[herbertwest]

Does that thread still needs to be sticky btw?

[Bev Vincent]

From Fangoria: 40 Years On The Road To THE DARK TOWER (https://www.fangoria.com/original/40-years-on-the-road-to-the-dark-tower/)

[fernandito]

thanks for sharing Bev!

[mae]

https://www.filmstories.co.uk/news/mike-flanagan-discusses-dream-project-stephen-kings-the-dark-tower/

The mind behind Midnight Mass and a couple of King adaptations has been talking about his dream project: taking on Stephen King’s magnum opus, The Dark Tower.

Whenever Mike Flanagan talks about tackling Stephen King, interest levels rise. As well as giving us some of the best horror television we’ve had in years, Flanagan has already done a sterling job with two King film adaptations: Gerald’s Game and Doctor Sleep. Whilst the former released on Netflix, the latter, a sequel to The Shining, launched in cinemas and despite being well-made, failed to set the box office alight.

That’s something of a shame, because there’s arguably nobody out there better suited to adapting King’s work than Flanagan. Anybody out there who is disappointed by the proposed remake of King’s vampire yarn, Salem’s Lot seemingly falling into development hell, fear not. All you need to do is go and watch Midnight Mass, a King-inspired horror series that is never less than excellent.

Given that the Stephen King adaptation ‘renaissance’ that we’ve enjoyed over the last five years seems to have peaked, we wonder if any studios will be willing to put their hands in their pockets and spend big on adapting the author’s work, and that goes doubly so for his epic fantasy saga, The Dark Tower, especially considering just how badly the 2017 version starring Idris Elba fared.

Nevertheless, that’s the series of novels that Flanagan has his heart set on adapting, something he’s been talking about to IGN whilst promoting his new series, The Midnight Club:

“What it would look like? It would look like the books… It would be a black screen, and the words ‘The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed’ would come up on silence, and you’d hear the wind, and we’d gradually fade up to this Lawrence Of Arabia-esque landscape with a silhouette in the distance just making his way across the hardpan. And we would build it out from there in order to the end.”

Fans of the books will certainly be thrilled by just how faithful Flanagan’s opening sounds, an he goes on to assert how he’d plan to be true to the novels in just about every way possible, something the doomed 2017 version never really attempted to do.

Although we’d take an adaptation of The Dark Tower in whichever format it arrived in, we can’t help thinking that Flanagan’s ongoing relationship with Netflix makes that the most likely avenue for the filmmaker to realise his ambitions. With its flagship title, Stranger Things set to end soon, the streamer is clearly looking for expansive series such as The Sandman to fill the gap and The Dark Tower would be one such possibility


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-3MIvAAgmQ

[CyberGhostface]

He'd be perfect which is why it would never happen. Given that Doctor Sleep flopped (and that was one of the best King films we've had) I don't see a major studio throwing a franchise like this at him. We'd probably get JJ Abrams.

A reminder that Frank Darabont asked King to do Dark Tower and he said no. Thanks, Uncle Steve.

[mae]

He’s got a great relationship with Netflix and they have all the money. Why not buy DT rights from King and give Mike free rein.

[CyberGhostface]

I'm sure they have a good relationship but he's asked multiple times at least to get Midnight Mass a physical release and they've refused so he's not their MVP. They'll let him do his own niche horror series but I don't think they'd give him their equivalent to 'House of the Dragon' or 'Rings of Power'. Like if it came down to him or The Duffer Brothers Netflix would definitely give it to the latter.

On related news the lackluster viewing response to Sandman (which has yet to be renewed) also makes me concerned as to how well DT would do on Netflix. In terms of weird genre-bending stories I would say Sandman is probably the closest thing to DT.

[Johnny Alien]

@webstar1000 needs to give up the goods. Its been too long :smile:

So now that Flanagan is moving to a relationship with Amazon does that make him getting this more likely? Do they still own the rights to the TV series? If so then him moving there right after saying he really wants to do the DT seems like a real positive thing.

[herbertwest]

In august 2021 I saw the unreleased Dark Tower pilot
The director (Glenn Mazzara) told me that Amazon lost the Dark Tower rights.

However, a year or so ago, it seemed that the rights were being negociated.
I was guessing at the time that the rights were bought by Netflix

Given that Mike recently talked about DT being is dream project, and he has been talking about it since two years or so, I wouldnt be surprised if somehow Mike Flanagan's company got the rights and he was bringing it back with him to Amazon

But that would be a big leap of faith from amazon given they spent about 10 million on Mazzara's vision, that never got made.
In the meantime, though, Amazon invested heavily in "Rings of Power" (related to "Lord of the Rings"), "The Wheel of Time", other projects and they even bought MGM for 10 billion.
But on top of that, the competition is also increasing. Apple TV has entered the streaming market, there is also Disney+ and with other budgets there is Paramount+, HBO Max merging with Discovery+, Roku and several other platforms.... so the competition is out there and there is a need / demand from platform to develop licence and appealing content to people...

[Johnny Alien]

Amazon wanted to put all of their money behind Rings of Power and I have a felling that ultimately its not going to work out for them as the show isn't that great. If that fails to get a large enough audience they will be looking for something else. They want their own Game of Thrones.

[Ari_Racing]

https://deadline.com/2022/12/mike-flanagan-amp-trevor-macy-the-dark-tower-series-movies-netflix-exit-midnight-club-canceled-amazon-intrepid-1235191018/

[webstar1000]

FINALLY!!!!!!!! THIS WAS KILLING ME TO KEEP SECRET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[CyberGhostface]

To quote a certain someone, “EEEEEEEEE!!!”

I did not expect this to happen at all.

[fernandito]

BROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO LET'S GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

I'M STOKED!!!! :sharepopcorn:

[fernandito]

...a screen adaptation of Stephen King’s The Dark Tower, which creator Flanagan envisions as a TV series to run for five seasons, followed by two stand-alone features.

This is perfect. Just perfect.

[webstar1000]

@webstar1000 needs to give up the goods. Its been too long :smile:

So now that Flanagan is moving to a relationship with Amazon does that make him getting this more likely? Do they still own the rights to the TV series? If so then him moving there right after saying he really wants to do the DT seems like a real positive thing.

Now ya know:) Sorrry I could not talk about it!

[Johnny Alien]

I knew all of this Flanagan DT talk in interviews and then suddenly moving to Amazon had to mean something. It's in way better hands than the dude from Walking Dead IMO.

[webstar1000]

I knew all of this Flanagan DT talk in interviews and then suddenly moving to Amazon had to mean something. It's in way better hands than the dude from Walking Dead IMO.

Netflix just WOULD NOT commit to his vision. I told him to stay as true to the source as he can. Member when Game of Thrones was SO LOVED? Then it went off source material? I said that to him. He totally agreed!!!

[Merlin1958]

:thumbsup::thumbsup:

[fernandito]

Now ya know:) Sorrry I could not talk about it!
Bro it woulda been killing me to keep that secret too!!

[webstar1000]

Now ya know:) Sorrry I could not talk about it!
Bro it woulda been killing me to keep that secret too!!

over 2 years. Mike is actually my BEST customer. We talk daily. He is one awesome dude...

[CyberGhostface]

I knew all of this Flanagan DT talk in interviews and then suddenly moving to Amazon had to mean something. It's in way better hands than the dude from Walking Dead IMO.

I thought you meant Darabont for a second but forgot that Glen Mazzara had his own pitch.

Yeah I think he had good intentions but the idea of 3-4 seasons of young Roland before going into the main story wasn't working for me. 5 seasons and two movies for the whole series sounds great.

[Iwritecode]

I just have questions on how it would be split up.

I've always imagined that 1 season would equal 1 book. But book one is so short that they'd need to extend it out somehow.

And I'm not sure what the 2 stand-alone films would be about either.

[Johnny Alien]

I thought you meant Darabont for a second but forgot that Glen Mazzara had his own pitch.

Yeah I meant Mazzara. Walking Dead was pretty great when it started out with Darabont.


I just have questions on how it would be split up.

I've always imagined that 1 season would equal 1 book. But book one is so short that they'd need to extend it out somehow.

And I'm not sure what the 2 stand-alone films would be about either.

I would guess the first two books in one season and the last book split up for the movies. But who knows. I am hopeful they will do it up right.

[Iwritecode]

I remember when this idea was first talked about years ago with Ron Howard (I think) and doing a split of movies and TV show. I couldn't figure it out then either.

[fernandito]

My biggest question is how they'll handle Wizard & Glass. I doubt they'll take a hard stop in the middle of the series run (most likely season 3/4) to tell a continuous origin story with a younger Roland.

Maybe that season will be heavy on flashbacks... or they could pepper younger Roland flashbacks throughout the series. Something similar to what LOST did.

[CyberGhostface]

My biggest question is how they'll handle Wizard & Glass. I doubt they'll take a hard stop in the middle of the series run (most likely season 3/4) to tell a continuous origin story with a younger Roland.

Maybe that season will be heavy on flashbacks... or they could pepper younger Roland flashbacks throughout the series. Something similar to what LOST did.

I was thinking that could be one of the stand-alone movies.

[Tommy]

Casting...:unsure:

[The Library Policeman]

I trust Mike F with this material. I think it will be fantastic.

[The Library Policeman]

Casting...:unsure:


I’m pretty certain Kate Siegel will be in it. :evil:

[Bev Vincent]

Casting...:unsure:


I’m pretty certain Kate Siegel will be in it. :evil:

She could play Roland's mother.

[CyberGhostface]

I trust Mike F with this material. I think it will be fantastic.

Oh I trust him fully too. It was "fans" reactions to the last attempt that made a stink. I doubt it but I wonder if Mike will take any of that mess into consideration.

What’s with the quotation marks? The last film was a dumpster fire.

[webstar1000]

My biggest question is how they'll handle Wizard & Glass. I doubt they'll take a hard stop in the middle of the series run (most likely season 3/4) to tell a continuous origin story with a younger Roland.

Maybe that season will be heavy on flashbacks... or they could pepper younger Roland flashbacks throughout the series. Something similar to what LOST did.

It will be done as a stand alone film special in between seasons. So will Wind Through The Keyhole. I think he mentioned that Book 1 & 2 will be the first season. Book 3 for one. Book 4 and 5 would be a season and 7 COULD be 2 seasons. Thats how it will play out give or take.

[CyberGhostface]

Interesting about the movie ideas.

Idk if the last book needs two seasons, a lot of the fourth section could be condensed.

I am curious about how he will get around legal issues with the crossover elements. The showrunner for the canceled Eyes of the Dragon show said they weren’t allowed to use Flagg’s name as someone else owns his copyright. For DT I guess they can get around that just by using the name Walter or Marten. But the entire Salem’s Lot bit will probably have to be changed.

I wonder if Flanagan will do away with a lot of the ‘expanded universe’ period just to keep things stand-alone.

[Randall Flagg]

As long as they drop the King as King part of DTVII, I'll be happy.

[mae]

As long as they drop the King as King part of DTVII, I'll be happy.

Joe Hill better do it. That was my favorite part of Song of Susannah.

[Iwritecode]

My biggest question is how they'll handle Wizard & Glass. I doubt they'll take a hard stop in the middle of the series run (most likely season 3/4) to tell a continuous origin story with a younger Roland.

Maybe that season will be heavy on flashbacks... or they could pepper younger Roland flashbacks throughout the series. Something similar to what LOST did.

It will be done as a stand alone film special in between seasons. So will Wind Through The Keyhole. I think he mentioned that Book 1 & 2 will be the first season. Book 3 for one. Book 4 and 5 would be a season and 7 COULD be 2 seasons. Thats how it will play out give or take.

I like this plan although I have to admit I'm still a little leary about jumping back and forth between TV show and movie. I know the MCU has been doing this for some time now but they mostly make it so that you don't really have to watch the TV shows to enjoy the movies. I'm afraid that there will be people that will only watch the movies and not have a clue what's going on.

[CyberGhostface]

I don’t think it will cause that much of a problem. They’re both prequels; one is in effect a ‘jumping on point’ given that the Marvel comics started there and other other is a stand-alone story that has nothing to do with the main cast aside from R.F.

[mae]

https://www.cbr.com/mike-flanagan-dark-tower-series-no-streamer/

Mike Flanagan recently updated fans on the status of his Dark Tower reboot, revealing that the streaming series still hasn't found a home.

Flanagan confirmed that his upcoming adaptation of Stephen King's cross-genre magnum opus isn't currently attached to a studio or distribution platform during a recent episode of the Script Apart podcast. "[My creative partner Trevor Macy and I] have The Dark Tower," he said. "We carved it out from our Netflix deal, knowing we were leaving, and we carved it out from our Amazon deal as well, knowing that they'd already tried to do [a Dark Tower adaptation] and might be reluctant to do it. So, The Dark Tower doesn't have a studio. We don't have a partner on it yet, so I'm developing it myself, which is really a blast."

"And that's my dream project, you know?" Flanagan continued. "I've wanted to do that for so long. If we can get it off the ground, if we can actually get it going, I'm not ruling out Amazon's involvement down the line. Our relationship with them is brand new, so we'll have to see. But, yeah, I work on The Dark Tower in one capacity or another every day." Flanagan announced that he and Macy had acquired the rights to adapt The Dark Tower in December 2022. As part of this announcement, Flanagan revealed that he had already written the script for The Dark Tower's first episode and said that he expected the series to run for five seasons in total.

Flanagan's passion for The Dark Tower is well-known, as the filmmaker spoke openly about his eagerness to adapt King's novels prior to obtaining the rights to do so. Flanagan even outlined how his retelling of The Dark Tower would start, insisting it would faithfully recreate the introduction to the first entry in the series, The Gunslinger. "[My Dark Tower opening] would be a black screen and the words "The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed" would come up [on the screen] in silence, and you'd hear the wind," he said.

The Dark Tower isn't the only beloved property Flanagan has his eye on, either. The filmmaker, best known for creating Netflix shows such as The Haunting of Hill House and Midnight Mass, recently expressed interest in helming a new entry in the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise. Flanagan even has an idea for the proposed project worked out, however, the complicated rights issues surrounding the franchise mean he isn't sure who to pitch it to.

The Dark Tower reboot doesn't yet have a release date.

[St. Troy]

As long as they drop the King as King part of DTVII, I'll be happy.

Joe Hill better do it.

Not a bad idea.

[St. Troy]

Is it the case that Flanagan's DT was never actually assigned to a channel/platform/service?

[herbertwest]

Yes, it wasn't part of his Amazon deal

[ICry4Oy]

So basically, the news is that there's no news?

[Randall Flagg]

Yep

[Ari_Racing]

I interviewed Mike Flanagan a month ago and the video will be up this week. He shared some very interesting news about this project :)
I'll share it here once it's up.

[Ari_Racing]

Here's the link to the interview:

https://youtu.be/T94bBktmNGA


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T94bBktmNGA

[fernandito]

so glad I speak Spanish!

I'll check it out in a bit

[herbertwest]

Sounds cool! I bookmarked it for later :)

[Ari_Racing]

The interview is in English and it starts around 1:30.

[mae]

https://www.cbr.com/dark-tower-series-doctor-sleep-characters-mike-flanagan/

The director of Doctor Sleep, Mike Flanagan, has proclaimed his interest in bringing characters from the Shining sequel into his Dark Tower series.

Flanagan recently addressed his potential Dark Tower reboot with the Script Apart podcast, as reported by Empire. He discussed his interest in bringing characters from his previous King adaptation, Doctor Sleep, into the series, name-dropping figures like Rose the Hat and True Knot. "The thing about the King universe is, it’s all connected," said Flanagan before proclaiming The Dark Tower as the universe’s nexus point. "There’s room in that world for True Knot themselves, there’s room for Rose the Hat."

The director delved into specifics from the books, comparing figures from the series to characters from Doctor Sleep. He drew parallels between the vampiric immortals, True Knot, and the emotional vampire Dandelo, who appears in the series’ final novel. He called the character a "cousin of True Knot," thanks to his predatory ability to feed off of people’s emotions, much like how the Doctor Sleep characters feed off of children’s "shine," with the difference being that Dandelo consumes laughter, whereas True Knot works with fear.

King’s literary universe is deeply connected, with his eight-book epic series The Dark Tower acting as the center point for many of the stories. The series features characters from across the King universe, including appearances from figures like Father Callahan, who appeared in Salem’s Lot, as well as the initial antagonist of the books Randall Flagg, who appears in multiple King works, including The Stand and The Eyes of the Dragon.

The Dark Tower series follows the exploits of Roland Deschain, the last Gunslinger in a long line of peacekeepers from his old society of Gilead, which now lays destroyed. He journeys toward the titular Dark Tower, meeting characters like Jake Chambers, Eddie Dean and Susannah, who join him on his quest and become part of his group, known as a ka-tet. The story takes place across a fantastical realm known as Mid-World and Earth itself.

The series was previously turned into a feature-length film starring Idris Elba as Roland and Matthew McConaughey as Flagg. It was directed by Nikolaj Arcel and was received poorly by both the general public and fans of the King series. A pilot for a prequel focusing on a young Roland was produced in 2020, starring actors such as Jerome Flynn, Michael Rooker, Jasper Pääkkönen, and Sam Strike as Roland. However, the series was not picked up.

[Curly]

So another one who is straying away from the original books. That's how you make a failure.

[herbertwest]

It's a little more complicated than that

I'd recommend to listen to the interview that Ari did, it's very interesting :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T94bBktmNGA

[CyberGhostface]

Probably just a hypothetical “wouldn’t it be neat” thing as unless Warner Bros. makes it you’re not going to see Abra or Rose.

[mae]

https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/mike-flanagan-house-of-usher-dark-tower-1235645965/

During a lively Tribeca Festival masterclass discussion on genre filmmaking, director Mike Flanagan spoke with writer Justina Ireland, who was in the writers’ room for Flanagan’s upcoming Netflix series “The Fall of the House of Usher,” about how he was able to continue making the series after on-set disruption.

In April 2022, Variety reported that Frank Langella, the lead of the series, was recast “following an investigation into alleged misconduct on set.” Bruce Greenwood took over the role, which included reshoots since Langella left midway through production.

Ireland asked Flanagan about the difficulty of being a creative who has to be leader on set, alluding to a difficult person on “Usher” and mentioning that the audience could Google the behind-the-scenes drama if they weren’t in the know.

Flanagan answered the question without naming specific people or incidents, saying: “The management of production is something there is no real training for. Being the adult in the room is a bummer, but I learned early on if I wanted a career I had to balance creativity to people, responsibility to the story and the people you are working with. You swim or drown together.”

The director did clarify that, “The production of ‘Usher’ was rough, but not the roughest I’ve had” — an honor he bestowed to his first series, “The Haunting of Hill House.”

Flanagan also spoke about his dream project, a series adaptation of the Stephen King series “The Dark Tower,” which he first announced in December. He confirmed that he owns the rights to the project.

“We’re on strike but I’m very optimistic,” he said. “We have great partners and I think it’s going to happen.”

Flanagan’s next film project is “The Life of Chuck,” another King adaptation starring Tom Hiddleston and Mark Hamill. His previous two features — 2017’s “Gerald’s Game” and 2019’s “Doctor Sleep” — were also based on King’s work.

[St. Troy]

I had no idea (or perhaps no recollection) Flanagan was doing The Fall of the House of Usher - great news.

[mae]

https://www.escapistmagazine.com/mike-flanagan-says-his-the-dark-tower-adaptation-is-priority-1-after-the-strikes-are-over/


Midnight Mass and The Haunting of Hill House director Mike Flanagan says his adaptation of The Dark Tower is in great shape. The horror filmmaker offered an update on the project while speaking with Fangoria. As the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes rage on, Flanagan says he couldn’t feel better about the project as it stands. In fact, the director is ready to make his adaptation of Stephen King’s iconic book series as soon as he can.

“I feel really good about where we are,” Flanagan said. “Oddly, where we are at the moment is completely frozen, because of the strike, but we had a wonderful spring with it and we’re making enormous progress on it. And I have every reason to believe that on the other side of the strike, it’s gonna be priority #1.”

Flanagan continues to tease what his take on The Dark Tower would look like, saying there are “some really exciting actors circling on it.” He adds that the team behind the project has “some potentially groundbreaking approaches to the filmmaking of it” that he can’t share yet. In other words, any fears Flanagan had regarding the making of the project are mostly non-existent now.

“We’re in a healthy place,” Flanagan added. “We are of course in solidarity with the WGA and SAG, and once those immediate needs are taken care of and everyone’s back to work, I think that’s when we’re gonna immediately deploy. But it’s going very well.”

Flanagan shouldn’t be the only one eased by the news that the project is in tip-top shape. Fans have longed for a proper adaptation of The Dark Tower series for a long time, especially after the Nikolaj Arcel-directed 2017 adaptation starring Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey failed to live up to expectations. Now, with Flanagan’s confidence and his strong track record backing things even further, fans of King’s work might actually have another adaptation to look forward to.

[Iwritecode]

https://www.escapistmagazine.com/mike-flanagan-says-his-the-dark-tower-adaptation-is-priority-1-after-the-strikes-are-over/


Midnight Mass and The Haunting of Hill House director Mike Flanagan says his adaptation of The Dark Tower is in great shape. The horror filmmaker offered an update on the project while speaking with Fangoria. As the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes rage on, Flanagan says he couldn’t feel better about the project as it stands. In fact, the director is ready to make his adaptation of Stephen King’s iconic book series as soon as he can.

“I feel really good about where we are,” Flanagan said. “Oddly, where we are at the moment is completely frozen, because of the strike, but we had a wonderful spring with it and we’re making enormous progress on it. And I have every reason to believe that on the other side of the strike, it’s gonna be priority #1.”

Flanagan continues to tease what his take on The Dark Tower would look like, saying there are “some really exciting actors circling on it.” He adds that the team behind the project has “some potentially groundbreaking approaches to the filmmaking of it” that he can’t share yet. In other words, any fears Flanagan had regarding the making of the project are mostly non-existent now.

“We’re in a healthy place,” Flanagan added. “We are of course in solidarity with the WGA and SAG, and once those immediate needs are taken care of and everyone’s back to work, I think that’s when we’re gonna immediately deploy. But it’s going very well.”

Flanagan shouldn’t be the only one eased by the news that the project is in tip-top shape. Fans have longed for a proper adaptation of The Dark Tower series for a long time, especially after the Nikolaj Arcel-directed 2017 adaptation starring Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey failed to live up to expectations. Now, with Flanagan’s confidence and his strong track record backing things even further, fans of King’s work might actually have another adaptation to look forward to.


https://media.tenor.com/nWEgYRXWxnoAAAAC/cant-wait-excited.gif

[mae]

https://www.thepopverse.com/the-dark-tower-stephen-king-mike-flanagan-kate-siegel-eccc-2024

Mike Flanagan is continuing his long-standing relationship with Stephen King with his upcoming Dark Tower adaptation — a project that’s been in the works for years by this point, after the relative failure of the 2017 movie version starring Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey. While there’s no hard news as yet about where (or when) the new television series will land, Flanagan had a tidbit of information for fans at Emerald City Comic Con 2024 — and Kate Siegel had a little bit of a tease of her own to drop, as well.

Flanagan was asked if there was one particular scene in the beloved fantasy series that he can’t wait to bring to the screen, and he shared that he was. Warning the audience that he was working very, very hard to avoid spoilers, he said, “Very late in the story, there’s a scene that takes place in a forest where a character is being buried. And there’s a eulogy being given that made me cry the first time that I read it.” So much so, in fact, that he talked about his copy of the book being tear-stained because of the scene. “That one speech just kills me, and I can’t wait for that.”

We’re also very aware about spoilers, but if you’re not, you can read the eulogy right here. We’re not responsible for your screens becoming tear-stained, I hasten to add.

Siegel, meanwhile, was asked if there was a particular role in The Dark Tower that she could see herself playing, and the answer was… well, “more than one.”

“I would like to play lots and lots and lots of different people in the Tower,” the woman who was Theo Crain told the crowd. “I would like to be the voice of the train [Blaine the Mono], I’d like to be Shardik the Bear! Lots of people.”

I’d say that someone should tell the people responsible for the adaptation that Siegel’s up for it — but I think they might know already.