Warner Bros. passes on The Dark Tower
This adaptation of Stephen King's seven-book series was originally set up at Universal Pictures. The plan was to produce a trilogy of movies, with two limited-run TV series to air on NBC between each movie. Universal dropped the project last July. We reported last October that HBO is considering taking over the TV production side of the project. Both HBO and Warner Bros. are owned by Time Warner, so it seemed that the studio would be an ideal fit.
Director Ron Howard and producer Brian Grazer will still try to shop the project to other studios, although it isn't known if Russell Crowe will still be available to star. The story centers on Roland Deschain, the last in a line of gunslingers who journeys to The Dark Tower, in a last-ditch effort to save humanity.
The Dark Tower is in development . The film is directed by Ron Howard.
Comments (22)
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CelluloidDreams
....It shows that some things should be left to the page!
9 months agoby @2movieguysFlag
Mka47
@ChiRep-1 My guess is that its not so much bad (seems like they have alot of good people attached), but more the project is a huge undertaking. 7 books turned into three movies and two mini series would take a ton of development
9 months agoby @mka47Flag
Mka47
this could only work if the television portion is on HBO and perhaps AMC. If they go with NBC then I just feel bad for the die hard fans
9 months agoby @mka47Flag
Bawnian©-Dexeus
@XxNickTheFilmCriticXx No problem here. HOB was just the one at the top of my head
9 months agoby @bawnian-dexeusFlag
ChiRep_1
How hard could it be to give this film some footing? Hollywood takes EVERY project, could it have really been that bad?
9 months agoby @ChiRep-1Flag
THE JOKER
This movie is changing so much and falling apart before our eyes
9 months agoby @mcleve02Flag
jasdjqs
Wanted this to happen !! maybe should be on AMC. i would love to see this happen
9 months agoby @jasdjqsFlag
DanJack
Not too sorry to hear this. As decent as the first several books are, Stephen King created one of the worst most anticlimactic endings I have ever read. It's such a phenomenal downer.
9 months agoby @danjackFlag
Nicholaus XX
To clarify about my take on HBO, I kind of like their shows, and they have some interesting concepts and intriguing dialogue, but after watching a couple of episodes of The Wire and nearly every episode for Game of Thrones, those are the characteristics that I found.
9 months agoby @XxNickTheFilmCriticXxFlag
Nicholaus XX
@narrator -- Thanks for the confirmation.
@bawnian-dexeus -- I may be in the minority, but I'd much rather AMC pick it up over HBO. HBO is going to litter the show with pervasive language, random, graphic sex scenes, and corny dialogue. AMC, on the other hand, will make quality their goal.
9 months agoby @XxNickTheFilmCriticXxFlag
the Narrator
@XxNickTheFilmCriticXx I've only read the first of the seven book series recently, but I've always been aware of the entire plot thanks to the internet. Trust me, this series has serious potential, though HBO would likely be the best candidate to stay truthful to the source material without sacrificing the ultimate goal: earning back money..
9 months agoby @narratorFlag
Bawnian©-Dexeus
If another big studio name passes, give it to HBO and the long run will be fruitful
9 months agoby @bawnian-dexeusFlag
slysnide
Never got around to reading that series.
9 months agoby @slysnideFlag
Mutant
Why do you think several Hollywood directors like to film up here to begin with.
9 months agoby @zenderFlag
Mutant
Ron is a big idiot at times, he should have agreed to just make the first three books into films and then later have different directors take over.
When a TV series is being formed one has to rethink of what to do. Numbers play differently for a TV series and it won't work unless it was filmed up here in Canada since a Hollywood film can get more out of the mighty buck.
9 months agoby @zenderFlag
artkid04
too expensive and i think studios feel that no one will have a big interest in something like this
9 months agoby @artkid04Flag
skywise
They would probably be better off doing a series. If HBO is interested in doing the tv side of things, go with it.
@ejk1 Good point. Either do movies or do tv but not both.
9 months agoby @skywiseFlag
gandoff2169
What is killing this project it the small TV series planned to be done in between the movies. That takes story away from those who will watch it in the theater, and if someone dose not have HBO, for example, may miss out on a lot, and will not watch them due to the possible massive story fragments lost to the tv.
9 months agoby @gandoff2169Flag
Nicholaus XX
@narrator -- No, I haven't. Are they any good?
9 months agoby @XxNickTheFilmCriticXxFlag
ejk1
Considering that this is the second studio to pass, perhaps Howard and Grazer should consider scaling back the project a bit. But just a bit.
9 months agoby @ejk1Flag
the Narrator
Potential!? You haven't read the books, @XxNickTheFilmCriticXx?
9 months agoby @narratorFlag
Nicholaus XX
Sounds like it may have potential. Hopefully, it'll get picked up by quality-ridden network/studio.
9 months agoby @XxNickTheFilmCriticXxFlag