While there is a lot of discussion right now in the S.K. universe about what will happen to the Dark Tower -- T.V. series ? Movies ? -- I am wondering if the books would make a strong set of movies? I have to admit, I have reservations.
Here are my concerns:
1. The books are extremely intricate.
Could anyone except King pull off all the subplots and nuances? Abrams did it with Lost, but he already gave up the project.
Bev Vincent and Robin Furth are both known for their encyclopedic understanding of the books. But could someone from outside the world of S.K. come in and pick up on what's going on here? Not only does the Dark Tower inner-connect with itself, it links with the entire Stephen King universe. So someone dealing with a visual adaptation, will have to be ready to go through the world of the Stand at points and touch on other King works skillfully.
2. The books are uneven.
I'm sorry to say this, but all books are not equal in this series. Even the rewritten Gunslinger is not as strong as The Drawing of the Three.
3. Massive flashbacks
The books do a lot of flashing back. A lot! Would that work on screen? Because this isn't a brief thing, Wizard and Glass acts almost as a prequel.
4. Who would play Stephen King?
Sure, he could play himself, and that would be cool, but Song of Susannah requires a young Stephen King.
5. This is big budget stuff.
Not the first book, but there are several scenes in New York of yester-year, and the cast would be huge.
6. Stephen King movies are often. . . uh, how do I say. . . not as strong an offering as the novels they are based on. Or, more bluntly, I'm afraid Hollywood will screw this up. Think I'm wrong? Watch Needful Things again! Or any number of the Children of the Corn movies.
7. A story this long would require actors to be consistent from beginning to end.
8. What about Wind through the Keyhole? Will it fit into any future projects?
If they're going to do it -- I hope James Earl Jones narrates it!
All that said, I will anxiously await future news -- hopeful something great is in the works.
Am I excited? Absolutely! But, I also know that in the world of Stephen King and Hollywood, it's sometimes not good to get my hopes up.
Movies I am looking forward to:
1. The remake of IT
2. Eyes of the Dragon ?
3. HBO's Under The Dome
4. The dark Tower
5. Pet Semetery remake ?
6. Needful Things remkae. (actually, there is no remake, I'm just hoping. . .)
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
It would not trouble me at all if an adaptation of The Dark Tower pretty much ignored the final three novels and wrote a more appropriate ending, maybe leaving in the really cool parts but leaving out the irritatingly dumb stuff.
ReplyDeleteReading the last three DT books actually turned me off King for a while. I thought his inclusion of himself was masturbatory and wholly unnecessary.
However, I was in my mid-20's at the time. Now that I'm a middle-aged man, they might strike me differently. We'll see, when I get to them.