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Sony Pictures & MRC Taking a Crack at Stephen King's 'Dark Tower'
by Ethan Anderton
April 10, 2015
Source: Deadline
It's been a long road to try to get Stephen King's The Dark Tower novel series to the big screen. Both Universal Pictures and Warner Bros. passed on an ambitious film and television deal that would have brought the western horror and fantasy series to life. Last we heard anything about the project over a year ago, Aaron Paul mentioned he had several meetings to take a role in the film while it was being developed by Ron Howard and Brian Grazer at Imagine Entertainment. Now Deadline reports there's hope for the film again as Sony Pictures and Media Rights Capital have agreed to co-finance the first film in the series.
The first film will be based on the first book in the series, The Gunslinger, which focuses on the relationship between the title gunman, Roland Deschains, and a boy named Jake Chambers who joins the mysterious man on his journey to chase down his adversary known as The Man in Black. The latest draft of the script comes from Akiva Goldsman and Jeff Pinkner, and it reworked the script that was originally part of the deal that was pitched to Universal and Warner Bros. when they turned it out. Goldsman will also produce through his Weed Road production banner and Imagine Entertainment is still on board too, but obviously Ron Howard is no longer directing. But there's still the hope to have films and connected TV series' as well.
Sony and MRC are on the hunt for a director now, hoping to fast track the project and get it in front of cameras as soon as possible. As far as casting is concerned, any rumors we've heard about Russell Crowe, Javier Bardem or anyone else have been thrown out the window for now, and a cast won't be sought until a director is locked down. this has been a project fans have desiring for quite some time, and King himself, who options his books for just one dollar, is just as happy as they are:
"I’m excited that The Dark Tower is finally going to appear on the screen. Those who have traveled with Roland and his friends in their search for the Dark Tower are going to have their long-held hopes fully realized. This is a brilliant and creative approach to my books."
Tom Rothman, the new head of Sony Pictures, is certainly being quite ambitious in his new position, and he adds, "There are few projects out there that compare with the scope, vision, complex characters and fully drawn world that Stephen King has created with The Dark Tower. I am a giant fan. And, as Stephen himself does, we love the direction that Akiva and Jeff have taken. This is a great opportunity for a director to put his or her stamp on a cool global franchise." Rothman had his sight set on building some new franchises at Sony, and this is certainly a good place to start. Are you excited for The Dark Tower?
16 Comments
1
I really enjoyed the first 3-4 books in the series. I always imagined Roland as a Clint Eastwood, circa 1982....I hope they cast him right, because Russell Crowe is too old and fat to play him. Christian Bale maybe? It has to be someone skinny, who's been traveling through the desert forever.
TheOct8pus on Apr 10, 2015
2
I think that is who King envisioned as Roland while he was writing. He had a major "man with no name" vibe going, despite having a name. Skinny but lean, hardened. I Mean really Man with no name is the perfect fit. Some one build a time machine so we can cast 70s era Clint.
Brian Sleider on Apr 10, 2015
3
Yeah. He needs to be made of beef jerky.
TheOct8pus on Apr 10, 2015
4
i truly hope that eastwood jr is cast as roland as he ages and makes the rest of the gunslinger series, it would work really well with how roland is aging. its almost as if the role was written for him, he can "look" like his father when he was younger, yet play a similar character, which would be really eerie for people who watched the man with no name spaghetti westerns. then as the story evolves, and we find out how things are working, we would then see him as himself, instead of his father, we would see the man the son has become, and that works into the story as roland learns the ways of this world and explaining to eddie and others how they have combined. im hopeful, that any actor thats chosen would due justice to the role. *crossing fingers this happens*
lolatthefakesjws on Apr 10, 2015
5
I just looked him up, and I must say you are totally right! Eastwood Jr is the perfect Roland. Good choice from you... And now I would be disappointed if he is not getting the part!
ari smulders on Apr 10, 2015
6
roland IS the man with no name, if one has really read all of the books. it is he who inspired that character...at least in the world of the tower thats how it worked. the "gunslinger: as we know is a noble profession that once was what kept the law in the land of rolands people. knights of superior skill sets. and since the worlds have crossed over for ages.... it is one of the things i found fun about the whole series the way king wove it all together and combined so many things so that sometimes youre not exactly sure if one popular thing music or style came from which world.
lolatthefakesjws on Apr 10, 2015
7
Doesnt the group end up in Salems Lot at some point? Its been so long and I was much younger when I read them, I am not even sure the series was yet complete. Man that would be a lot of reading.
Brian Sleider on Apr 11, 2015
8
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Brian Sleider on Apr 10, 2015
9
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Brian Sleider on Apr 10, 2015
10
I am realy happy with this news because I am big fan of Stephen King, but this needs a great director and needs onley one name as gunslinger :Matthew mcconnaugy... The man in black needs to be mads Mikkelsen or Kevin spacey... But still great news...
ari smulders on Apr 10, 2015
11
matt for eddie. there is no way that MM is roland. no way at all sorry.
lolatthefakesjws on Apr 10, 2015
12
? Why not? He is perfect for it!
ari smulders on Apr 10, 2015
13
"Sony Pictures and Media Rights Capital have agreed to con-finance the first film in the series." Con-finance. Well that's pretty shady of them. ;P
avconsumer2 on Apr 10, 2015
14
Here we go again...
DAVIDPD on Apr 10, 2015
15
id rather they did a pre story treatment of dragons tears. so people are introduced to "that" world before the actual rolands quest for the tower. also it introduces the man in black .... then after people go bananas over that flick you get eastwood jr to play roland and arron paul to play eddie. and any one of many disney/nickelodean or other countries kids actor for jake, and alan rickman as walter.
lolatthefakesjws on Apr 10, 2015
16
I know King based Roland on the Man with No Name, but I don't think Eastwood Jr. has the chops yet. Timothy Olyphant would knock the role of the Gunslinger out of the park!
BRINOR25 on Apr 13, 2015
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