Brian Grazer, producer of "The Dark Tower" movies and screen writer Akiva Goldsman, along with Ron Howard, have not given up on their pursuit of The Tower!
THE PLAYLIST caught up with Brian Grazer and learned that there is yet hope for the dark tower. As the Playlist reports, the budget has been "shaved."
Grazer says, “We found a way to cut out $45 million out of the budget without changing the scope and actually giving it a good ending."
The Playlist also quotes him as saying, “In the $140 million draft, the ending wasn’t quite as satisfying. Now, we’ve got $45 million, $50 million out of the way and a really satisfying ending. It’s gonna get made.”So. . . uhhh, the ending is better with the smaller budget? Lost me on that one! Of course, the book ends very much like it starts, so if the movie follows that path -- it certainly cuts down on budget!
The Plalist also notes that "with Javier Bardem still attached in the lead role of Roland Deschain, and with a scaled down budget, financing will likely be much easier to pull together and perhaps we’ll see The Dark Tower kicked back to life sooner than we thought."
I'm beginning to get a bad feeling about this. I'd rather wait for some visionary who can do it justice, and dedicate their lives to it (like Peter Jackson and LOTR), then have these guys screw it up with a half-hearted, half-assed, attempt. Is it just me?
ReplyDeleteIt's not just you. I'm in total agreement! LOTR was awesome, but it was a dedication of life blood. Very frustrating that the news we keep getting goes along the lines, "Hey, another big cut and revision to the story -- but that's really good news." How is a budget cut good news? It's not! --david
ReplyDeleteWell, fellas, all signs indicate that both Howard and Grazer -- who aren't exactly guys who have trouble finding work in Hollywood -- are bound and determined to get the project onto screens, so there doesn't appear to be any lack of passion for the project on their part. I'm not sure there's any evidence of any kind to back up an assertion that they are trying to make a "half-hearted, half-assed" attempt; if anything, the evidence indicates otherwise.
ReplyDeleteThat doesn't mean there isn't a ton of room for it to get screwed up -- there certainly is, and when I hear talk about having found a more satisfying way of ending the story ... well, that concerns me. A LOT. But these guys are pretty good at what they do, all things considered, so I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt until I have a concrete reason not to do so.
Change the ending? What? Nooooo...
ReplyDeleteWell, maybe a leaner budget will keep them focused and more economic, and avoid special effects hurricanes.
ReplyDelete