I didn't realize Matthew McConaughey was cast as The Man in Black. So, since it seems like a lot of people here enjoyed the book series, I'm going to go ahead and start this thread. (I'm borrowing the previous recent posts from another thread.)
100% agree with McConnaghey. Completely disagree with Elba, even though I love him dearly as an actor. HE DOESN'T HAVE BLUE EYES.
What the fuck? Elba looks like some kind of steam-punk version of Blade. The worst part is that I know I will pay full price to see this in the theater with Li'l Bandit (he's a fan of the series, too.).
I'll go on record and say they completely fucked up in casting this. McConnaghey, meh…maybe, but Elba flat out doesn't work. Great actor, wrong part. I'll agree with Dixie though, I'll probably pay full price to see it. Fuck.
I vaguely remember reading The Gunslinger way back in high school (early 80's), but never really got beyond that. Sounds like some people around here really like it... is it worth reading?
Dark Tower will be remembered as Stephen King's crown jewel. It is a sprawling masterpiece. And it lives and dies by King's platform: it's about the journey, not the destination. The destination sucked.
I've come to like the destination. It makes sense. Maybe the next time I read it, things will resolve.... TDT is, quite simply, the best work of fiction I've ever read. It's glorious and I HATE that they're making a movie. Imagine if someone suggested making a single Game of Thrones movie. Stupid, right? Same thing here. Oddly enough, the HBO trailers for Westworld feel waaay more like TDT books than anything else I've seen. A desolate western with ultra technology bleeding through and the impending nuclear wasteland doom. If they'd made an HBO series and cast Timothy Olyphant as Roland, I may have come around. As it stands I'm ignoring this movie.
The Dark Tower was great. I think the real drawback, in my opinion, is that King realized how it would end, and then rushed the last few books, especially the final one. I thought Wizard and Glass was amazing. Who would you folks cast other than Idris Elba, if you had your druthers?
Timothy Olyphant is mentioned a lot. Kurt Russell could have done it. Nett, if you read the series now, you would have the joy of not waiting an eternity for the thing to be finished. I read each book as they were published, so for people like me, that's part of the casting problem. I had an image in my head for so long, that it's tough for me break that apart with Elba. For the film only - like for people unfamiliar with the books - he'll probably be fine.
When I first started reading this as a kid in the 80's I always envisioned Clint Eastwood as Roland. I know he too old for it now, but in his prime he was Roland.
Timothy Olyphant is my #1 choice. I could also seek Kurt Russell, although he may be a touch past the age he needs to be. I'm tempted to agree on Keanu, given what an extraordinary badass dude he is. The training he has and the learning...he's so well read on such a broad spectrum. Yet every movie he stars in he's some version of Bill and Ted. His performances never lose that vacant stoner touch. So...I don't know about him. A guy I ADORE is Tom Pelphrey. He played the reformed neo-Nazi Bunker on Banshee. What a performance and he did seething rage so well. I'd vote for him to play Eddie. A modern Pam Greir is how I picture Suzannah. Any twelve year old kid for Jake. That would come down to discovering a new actor.
Have you seen John Wick? He nailed that role, no hint of any Bill and Ted at all... just a quiet, calm, don't-fuck-with-him force of death and destruction. As much as I like Olyphant, he's too angry in all of his roles.
That's why I think Olyphant. He can bring barely contained violence, which Roland needs. I can't watch John Wick. I heard a dog is tortured to death and no way can I sit through that, even for fiction.
Facebook memories reminded me a few days ago that used to think Hugh Laurie would make a good Roland. This was several years ago when they were talking about doing a mini-series and series of films. Back then Christian Bale was the name that came up the most often for Roland. I'm not anti Idris Elba as Roland. It's going to change some of the dynamics between the characters but depending on how it's executed that may not be a bad thing. At any rate, even if it sucks, I'm stoked that they're making a movie out of it. It's one of my favorite book series ever, in fact, I'm getting ready to jump back into a reread of it and all the King books that are connected. It's been too long since I've read them.
The movie is such a wonderful ode to the golden era of action movies: silly plot, ridiculous body count, shadow organizations. But so goddamn slick, exciting, and a main character as cold-blooded Henry Fonda's Frank that you can't stop loving it. Viggo Mortensen for Roland. He owns rigid and intense roles.
There's an interesting "on the set" article in Entertainment Weekly, this issue. Spoiler: Relevant, Book Spoiler The Horn of Eld, that Rowland has near the end of the saga, that offers a journey reset, is already in his possession in the film. So, the film represents a do-over, giving them some license to diverge from the books. Generally, the article makes me more interested to see the film(s), and let the books stand on their own. Also, the budget for the first film is "only" $60 mm. So, it's not going to be an all out effects hooha, counting more on Elba and McConaughey to drive the movie.