I will definitely see this, i loved the books and i like Elba.

However

I don't think it's going to be much more than a Wanted-style popcorn action flick based on that trailer.

Akiva Goldsman is the guy you bring on when you don't care about being faithful to the book and you just need to get a movie made.

The Client
A Time To Kill
I, Robot
The Da Vinci Code
I Am Legend


With that, I'm confident we'll at least get a competent film... It will just be very cookie-cutter and have no soul.

Unfortunately, this is what he's done since 2010... Seemingly just picking up a paycheck and churning something out:

The Losers
Fair Game
Jonah Hex
Paranormal Activity 2
Paranormal Activity 3
Paranormal Activity 4
Lone Survivor
Winter's Tale
Divergent Series: Insurgent
The 5th Wave
Rings
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
Transformers: The Last Knight

Yeah, Akiva Goldsman is a name that brings up immediate red flags for me. He's pretty much a hack as a writer who's done one or two worthwhile things.

That he wrote this could be a pretty major flaw.

Has nothing to do with ego. It's mainly studio execs giving writers certain marching orders, parameters, etc. Most hired writers don't have the freedom you might expect. That, and what works in a book doesn't always work for the screen, no matter how good it is on the page.

Quote:

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That, and what works in a book doesn't always work for the screen.

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especially not when they're trying to turn it into an action movie for $$$ when that's not the text

this will piss you off, though

http://www.slashfilm.com/stephen-king-confirms-the-dark-tower-movie/

Quote:

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King also revealed that he turned down an offer from longtime collaborator Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile):

"Frank did come to me, and I know Frank from before either one of us had a pot to piss in. Frank said, 'Gee, I'd like to do Dark Tower.' I said, 'Frank, give me a break! You've got The Mist, The Monkey. You've got the prison stories. Stop putting so much on your plate!'"

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I don't love it but I don't hate it either. At first I was miffed Idris Elba was chosen for Roland. He should not be a black man. Somehow I don't mind him after seeing the stills and trailer. I think MM is a poorer choice as Walter than Idris for Roland.

It feels differently than the books for sure, but I will give it a chance.

That said, the original script from the late '90s for I Am Legend is phenomenal. The version that was going to star Schwarzenneger and had Ridley Scott attached to direct. Don't want to detail the thread, so hit me up at theohoff20@gmail.com if anyone wants to read it.

I Am Legend with Will Smith changed the ending because the test audiences didn't like it.

queso1 said:

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With exception of Shawshank, I don't think King has ever had a good ending. I might be forgetting something.

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Ending of 11.22.63 was good

free_mhayden said:

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I Am Legend with Will Smith changed everything about the book.

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fify

Fun fact - and again, not to derail the thread - but I was in the very first test screening, and part of the smaller focus group after who voiced our concerns. We were shown both endings - one where Smith lived (the first one shown as part of the movie) and one where he died (shown to only the smaller focus group of 12 or so people after) - and I let it be known that Smith dying worked so much better. A friend of mine in marketing at WB got me and one of my now-business partners into the test screening on the WB lot. And we were the only people in the smaller focus group after who worked in the industry, and that became apparent very quickly, to the point where the woman in charge would ask the group a question, then look to my buddy and I and ask us the same question directly to see if we agreed (then would look to the suits in the back to make sure they heard everyone's answers). It was pretty funny. But, yeah... half jokingly, I'll go ahead and take credit for that ending being changed.

captkirk said:

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queso1 said:

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With exception of Shawshank, I don't think King has ever had a good ending. I might be forgetting something.

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Ending of 11.22.63 was good

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I think he has had his struggles, most notably The Stand, but I think there are plenty that have good endings. The problem is that they just aren't as crazy strong as his character building.

As for this trailer, as an admitted DT fanboy, I don't like the idea of Roland being talked into the tower. Roland chases the tower. Period. To paraphrase Nathan Arizona, that's his whole damn raison d'etre.

captkirk said:

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queso1 said:

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With exception of Shawshank, I don't think King has ever had a good ending. I might be forgetting something.

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Ending of 11.22.63 was good

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Well I loved the book ending of The Mist but others hated it.

The Stand was very good but again other disagree.

Another good recent one is Mr. Mercedes and the first sequel Finders Keepers was decent, although the finale End of Watch left something to be desired. Although you could say that entire 3rd book is another example of not ending soon enough or clean enough - should have ended with Finders Keepers.

The serial novellas that made up The Green Mile was a solid story and closed ending that worked.

And as mentioned 11.22.63 was very good.

Of course Misery is the best.

And Shawshank well it was a short story anyway not a novel, he tends to have cleaner endings in his short stories.

Zombie Jon Snow said:

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And Shawshank well it was a short story anyway not a novel, he tends to have cleaner endings in his short stories.

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Novella

RPM said:

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Zombie Jon Snow said:

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And Shawshank well it was a short story anyway not a novel, he tends to have cleaner endings in his short stories.

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Novella

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yes which is shorter than a novel....about 1/4 actually in that case.

Ending to The Shining was fine as well.

i was about to say

shining had the best full-length novel ending IMO. it was tense.

it's been twenty years plus but i recall being satisfied with eyes of the dragon

This trailer seems okay, but this summer is so full of movies I don't see myself getting to it immediately.

The Eyes of the Dragon is my favorite King novel. It ends fine. I seem to recall that the novel Pet Sematary didn't go with the infamous King deus ex machine ending as well.

At first glance, I was prepared for this to go into pedophile territory (a Silicon Valley reference for those who don't watch)...

Very displeased with the trailer. Looks like it'll be "cool" but will not do a lick of justice to the Dark Tower series. The trailer screams much more generic action flick with some scifi/supernatural shtuff than anything reminiscent of Dark Tower. This movie should be a Western. Or at least, it should appear that way initially. As you learn more about the worlds, it should become confusing. Something similar to the way Legion was done, but maybe not quite as intense as that got at times. I suppose the movie could be surprisingly good, but I doubt the **** out of that.

Zombie Jon Snow said:

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captkirk said:

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queso1 said:

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With exception of Shawshank, I don't think King has ever had a good ending. I might be forgetting something.

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Ending of 11.22.63 was good

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Well I loved the book ending of The Mist but others hated it.

The Stand was very good but again other disagree.

Another good recent one is Mr. Mercedes and the first sequel Finders Keepers was decent, although the finale End of Watch left something to be desired. Although you could say that entire 3rd book is another example of not ending soon enough or clean enough - should have ended with Finders Keepers.

The serial novellas that made up The Green Mile was a solid story and closed ending that worked.

And as mentioned 11.22.63 was very good.

Of course Misery is the best.

And Shawshank well it was a short story anyway not a novel, he tends to have cleaner endings in his short stories.

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FWIW, the Mist was also a short story.

Commala come high.
That trailer makes me cry.

Also, I agree with everyone saying Matty doesn't pull off the Man in Black. He might've played Eddie, but this role is **** for him. Not enouogh range.

Zombie Jon Snow said:

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RPM said:

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Zombie Jon Snow said:

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And Shawshank well it was a short story anyway not a novel, he tends to have cleaner endings in his short stories.

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Novella

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yes which is shorter than a novel....about 1/4 actually in that case.

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but not a short story

So it appears that they are mashing together The Gunslinger and The Drawing of the Three along with bits of the last few books as well.

The tone doesn't feel right at all and the Man in Black should have been an older actor

Damnit. Really wish this could have been done as originally planned (as a series) on HBO or Netflix

Definitely looks mashed together but then just making book 1 as a movie would never have worked.

I also think that Matt could have been a really good Eddie. He doesn't fit MIB. Been years but I don't remember Jake starting out in our world? I thought he was run across along the way by Roland already in Roland's world? Been so long though.

TCTTS said:

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Has nothing to do with ego. It's mainly studio execs giving writers certain marching orders, parameters, etc. Most hired writers don't have the freedom you might expect. That, and what works in a book doesn't always work for the screen, no matter how good it is on the page.

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I get changing things up a bit for it to be more "screen friendly"...what I'm saying though is the whole point/feeling of the movie is changed. It's been a while since I've read the book, but it was suppose to leave you with the sense that the zombies were the new normal, and the lone survivor was now the monster (hence how the end of the book turned into somewhat of a tragedy). It was a role reversal compared to other monster movies...very unique. The movie took a more "The Walking Dead" approach...which just left me very disappointed.
Beating a dead house, don't mean to change the purpose of the thread.

To keep on topic...I've been wanting to read the Dark Tower books. Perhaps now is a good time to get into them?

I find it telling how almost all the posters are Stephen King/Dark Tower fans. Doubt this movie will be a success unless it's unbelievably good and gets insane word of mouth support - which still in a packed summer season can only do so much.

this needs more than the just the fanboys to succeed. I'm hoping this works if only because I reallly want to see Idris Alba in a successful epic series where he's the hero but also because (what little I know) it sounds like a cool concept.

Correct. In the first book he's in mid world.

Of course he is from a version of our world, so I guess where he shows up in the movie depends on where they start the movie.

Then they are already messing this up by seemingly making this movie about Jake when the story is about Roland. Jake wasnt even a major bit character from a dialogue perspective in the books. Eddie and Susannah were more in the mix than Jake, but again, been along time so maybe my memory fails me.

"He who aims with his hand has forgotten the face of his father"

What kind of dumb line is that?