The Dark Tower Movie

[Teriw]

Not a lot of Talk going on around here lately and I see no Dark Tower thread. What does everyone think of how it looks for far? I think it looks amazing and am so glad to see Matthew McConaughey cast and I love Idris Elba. Some of the special effects could be better. My main concern was bringing in The Drawing with how they seem to have jumbled up books. It almost looks like Jake is not brought in properly and there's stuff from the wastelands but no Eddie and Susannah. But Nik put my completely as ease with the Reddit AMA.

[jeffingoff]

Not a lot of Talk going on around here lately and I see no Dark Tower thread. What does everyone think of how it looks for far? I think it looks amazing and am so glad to see Matthew McConaughey cast and I love Idris Elba. Some of the special effects could be better. My main concern was bringing in The Drawing with how they seem to have jumbled up books. It almost looks like Jake is not brought in properly and there's stuff from the wastelands but no Eddie and Susannah. But Nik put my completely as ease with the Reddit AMA.

I can't wait for IT to hit theaters in September!!

[Theli]

Was excited by the announcement, as well as the main cast. After seeing the preview I am less excited.

[Martin]

My understanding is that this is an alternate timeline. Ka is a wheel and this view does not show the same spin of the wheel as the original books. I assume that means the characters are similar but not the same. Many events happen but not necessarily in the same sequence.

With that said I am very intrigued with this one and am looking forward to it. Dark Tower loyalist may be disappointed.

[Theli]

My understanding is that this is an alternate timeline. Ka is a wheel and this view does not show the same spin of the wheel as the original books. I assume that means the characters are similar but not the same. Many events happen but not necessarily in the same sequence.

With that said I am very intrigued with this one and am looking forward to it. Dark Tower loyalist may be disappointed.

That's actually a good spin. I can dig.

[TJCams]

I will probably go see it. Don't get to a lot of movies, but told my wife I want to see this one. I have not read any of the Dark Tower books (yet), but it looks pretty good. I got my 2 Funko Pop figures for it.

[Dan Hocker]

I'm a little disappointed that it looks like they are condensing it down to a single movie. Some of my favorite parts of the story happen with characters it looks like they are leaving out.

[jeffingoff]

My understanding is that this is an alternate timeline. Ka is a wheel and this view does not show the same spin of the wheel as the original books. I assume that means the characters are similar but not the same. Many events happen but not necessarily in the same sequence.

With that said I am very intrigued with this one and am looking forward to it. Dark Tower loyalist may be disappointed.

What I heard is that this is a sequel. I'm not going to spoil the books for anyone who may not have read them by explaining how it's a sequel. But based on that enormous hole of a word (sequel) people need to know that the filmmakers have been liberated from staying true to elements of the source material that they don't want to include. They essentially have the names of characters and the basic framework of the overarching plot and that's it. They're going to do whatever they want and I am not on fire to see it. I'm annoyed with the "Force" powers given to the Man in Black. And this Roland isn't as cold and emotionless as the Roland I journeyed with.

[Dan Hocker]

And this Roland isn't as cold and emotionless as the Roland I journeyed with.

I don't know about that. In my opinion there hasn't been enough in the trailers to tell us that.

I honestly don't think it even needs to be a sequel for them to do what you're talking about. They do this sort of thing all the time, to some extent. This time just feels like they are going heavy with it, because they don't want to commit to 7 movies. If I remember correctly the original plan was 2 movies with a mini-series sandwiched in between. Though I believe that has been abandoned now in favor of just one movie. But we will see. Like you though I'm not really excited about it, I'll see it, but I'm not jumping out of my chair to do so.

[Teriw]

I posted this and forgot about it. It's not all condensed into one movie. The first one is merely an introduction to the characters and the world. The Series is already being written and is just waiting on a green light from the movie sales. The second movie will include a variation of the Drawing. The whole Ka-Tet will be brought in, including Oy and the Detta Roland conflicts will not be dropped just altered. I'm extremely excited. Most people who aren't don't seem to understand what it is they're doing or are just pissed about a Black Roland.

[Dan Hocker]

I posted this and forgot about it. It's not all condensed into one movie. The first one is merely an introduction to the characters and the world. The Series is already being written and is just waiting on a green light from the movie sales. The second movie will include a variation of the Drawing. The whole Ka-Tet will be brought in, including Oy and the Detta Roland conflicts will not be dropped just altered. I'm extremely excited. Most people who aren't don't seem to understand what it is they're doing or are just pissed about a Black Roland.

I couldn't care one way or another about "Black Roland" I actually think the casting is a good choice. Mostly I would just rather a more direct adaptation, along the lines of what they're doing with IT (which looks really good, but I'll never actually see it, because I enjoy sleeping too much).

[jeffingoff]

I couldn't care one way or another about "Black Roland" I actually think the casting is a good choice. Mostly I would just rather a more direct adaptation, along the lines of what they're doing with IT (which looks really good, but I'll never actually see it, because I enjoy sleeping too much).

I will admit that I was annoyed about the casting initially. I would have been annoyed if they cast Paul Giamatti as Roland because that wasn't how the character looked in my imagination (much the same way that Shelly Duvall was a horrible Wendy). So it's not a race issue. At all. And frankly, if King wants good lead black characters then he needs to write good lead black characters. Most of his black characters are either sidekicks or "magical" assistants. But anyway . . .

I will say I got over the Roland casting decision pretty quickly because Idris looks like a bad ass gunslinger and I know he's a super talented actor. So I felt that he fit Roland in all the very crucial ways (ways that maybe Paul Giamatti couldn't).

THEN I saw the trailers. And I really hated what I saw. I think Mcconaughey's Walter O'Dim is AWFUL. And in the few scenes with Roland and Jake, it looks like Roland is too soft or gentle when he's looking at Jake. I just didn't see Roland behaving that way toward Jake.

Of course these are only snippets of the larger piece and it's one I have been waiting decades to see. So I am much harder on this ilm than I would be on any other. I love King's work and the Dark Tower books are among my very favorites. I will see this movie and I'm hoping that all the Hollywood bullshit is in the trailers because the marketers are trying to capture the widest possible audience. And I will try to have an open mind. And I hope I walk out feeling like I just spent time with my ka tet.

[Dan Hocker]

I will admit that I was annoyed about the casting initially. I would have been annoyed if they cast Paul Giamatti as Roland because that wasn't how the character looked in my imagination (much the same way that Shelly Duvall was a horrible Wendy). So it's not a race issue. At all. And frankly, if King wants good lead black characters then he needs to write good lead black characters. Most of his black characters are either sidekicks or "magical" assistants. But anyway . . .

I will say I got over the Roland casting decision pretty quickly because Idris looks like a bad ass gunslinger and I know he's a super talented actor. So I felt that he fit Roland in all the very crucial ways (ways that maybe Paul Giamatti couldn't).

THEN I saw the trailers. And I really hated what I saw. I think Mcconaughey's Walter O'Dim is AWFUL. And in the few scenes with Roland and Jake, it looks like Roland is too soft or gentle when he's looking at Jake. I just didn't see Roland behaving that way toward Jake.

Of course these are only snippets of the larger piece and it's one I have been waiting decades to see. So I am much harder on this ilm than I would be on any other. I love King's work and the Dark Tower books are among my very favorites. I will see this movie and I'm hoping that all the Hollywood bullshit is in the trailers because the marketers are trying to capture the widest possible audience. And I will try to have an open mind. And I hope I walk out feeling like I just spent time with my ka tet.

Yea the Dark Tower is my favorite SK work, but that's mostly because I like fantasy more than horror. I don't have as much invested in this as others do though as I read the DT series only after it was all out, and really only in the last like 6 years. So I don't have the "time waiting" a lot of fans have. I like Mcconaughey's Walter, I also don't see what you're seeing in the relationship between Roland and Jake. But I get where you're coming from since you do see that. Mostly though, it just doesn't look like what I wanted from the movie.

[jeffingoff]

Mostly though, it just doesn't look like what I wanted from the movie.

I think that's the best way to phrase it. It's all so subjective. And like I said, I want to be won over by the actual film. With my expectations set so low, I might end up loving this adaptation. Because it can only be better than what I'm afraid it will be.

[Dan Hocker]

I think that's the best way to phrase it. It's all so subjective. And like I said, I want to be won over by the actual film. With my expectations set so low, I might end up loving this adaptation. Because it can only be better than what I'm afraid it will be.

Yep. That said I don't think it's going to be bad, I just don't think it's gonna be what I want.