Ron Howard To Turn Stephen King’s Dark Tower Into a Trilogy
By Krystal Clark
According to Deadline, Ron Howard plans on doing the semi-impossible by adaptating Stephen King’s fantasy series, The Dark Tower. The director along with his producing partner Brian Grazer, Akiva Goldsman, and Universal Pictures are in the middle of a deal that will turn the 7 books into a theatrical trilogy and a possible TV series.
The Dark Tower novels are described as “King’s answer to JRR Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings.” The film will be directed by Howard and the screenplay will be written by Goldsman. Along with the three movies, the studio is trying to throw in a television package that will feature a small screen adaptation of the series.
“King’s books follow a wandering Gunslinger named Roland, the last of his kind, as he wanders across dimensions and other worlds on an endless quest to find the Dark Tower, a fabled building said to be a nexus between worlds.”
If adapted properly, this could very well be a huge fantasy franchise for everyone involved. Their biggest obstacle will be determining what they will or won’t take from the books. You can’t logically compress 7 novels into 3 films without it looking like sh*t. They have to cut the fat so it doesn’t appear weighed down or too sporadic. That’s one of the problems people had with Watchmen. Certain parts were covered extensively, while others were glanced over or merely mentioned. We don’t want that to happen here.
Do you think Howard can do a successful adaptation of The Dark Tower?
Additional Source: Cinemablend
Saturday, May 1, 2010 5:43AM
That freak, Ron Howard.. no! He's a no talent hack. Please send Opie off into the dark tower and find someone with talent.
Saturday, May 1, 2010 7:12PM
Dark Tower isn't that interesting of a read, I hate to break it to everyone. I would be interested if the trilogy followed the format where in the first movie Roland is old and gathers a band of dimensional outcasts, the second he trains said outcasts with heavy flashbacks to his youth before he was the last gunslinger and how he came to be the last gunslinger, and then the third movie he finds the Dark Tower.
I didn't know Ron Howard was so unpopular, I thought his directing in Apollo 13 was well done.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010 9:06PM
you have forgotten the face of your father.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010 7:00PM
If i were not afraid this comment would be removed if i did not make it "appropriate" then I would use slightly different speach, only a fool could say that the series is not a good read, and that fool either has not read it themselves, or does not have the brain capacity to understand what a good read is after several thousand pages of broken reading, in which they absorb nothing of the magnifcient brilliance that is Mr.King's master peice.
Saturday, May 22, 2010 10:40PM
You are a moron.
Monday, May 24, 2010 5:32AM
Forget Hugh Jackman, Jeffery Dean Morgan would be perfect as Roland. And Gary Oldman would be a really good Walter/Marten/Flagg in my opinion
Wednesday, June 2, 2010 9:54PM
I heard the news today and almost cried! Now that I read this I am angered. Ron Howard is a no talent hack! If he makes the Dark Tower into three movies most fans will refuse to ever see it, me included.
J.J. Abrams, Carlton Cuse and Damion Lindleoft had the rights to this and decided against making it out of fear of ruining the books. They are the true fans, and if anyone were to make this EPIC saga it would be them!
Ron Howard better not touch these books. They are books I would rather never hit the silver screen. Howard has done nothing since Apollo 13 and he had a rock star cast in their prime. Look how he made The Da Vinci Code and Angles and Demons un-entertaining. This is not ka!
Saturday, July 10, 2010 5:52AM
What's the big deal. I read the books too and I loved them. If someone wants to make a movie out of the books, i would be more than happy and interested to see it. AFTER I've seen the movie, I am gonna decide whether I've liked it or not. If I did, I would watch them over and over again and if not, I won't watch it again and hope, someone does a better job next time. I would just love to see somebody (anybody! finally) try to bring that wonderful story to life …….
Tuesday, July 20, 2010 6:32PM
I'm more upset by Akiva Goldsman's involvement, considering the lengthy list of terrible movies he's been involved with.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010 9:09AM
worse or better, ron howard is an excellent director. check out Apollo 13 or especially Backdraft. i know people would throw some of his later work in my face but he was trying something different.
he is, without a doubt, a filmmaker who LOVES film. that's exactly the kind of guy you want helming a project that capitalizes on so many genres. i'm confident he'll be able to blend them into something wonderful and safely transport our tet through their most perilous doorway yet: adaptation.
he also has the kind of clout necessary to get this thing done on the kind of budget it deserves.
honestly, i'm more worried about anyone portraying Roland right.
Thursday, September 9, 2010 1:02PM
[...] in April we learned that the Stephen King book series The Dark Tower was being turned into a feature film trilogy. Oscar winner Ron Howard was named as the director of choice, and [...]
Friday, September 10, 2010 11:45AM
I Agree with the earlier post, and am just glad to have the chance to see the books as a movie. As far as no talent hacks go, I pretty much like most Ron Howard Movies and since they didnt ask your opinion or mine, and your not going to see them. that just leaves an empty seat so I won't have to wait in line as long