Thats right Gunslinger fans, Roland will finally make his big..and small screen debut. Deadline reveal that Ron Howard and Universal are bringing together a movie trilogy and tv series based on the characters exploits in The Dark Tower saga..
Universal Pictures and NBC Universal Television Entertainment have closed a deal to turn Stephen King’s mammoth novel series The Dark Tower into a feature film trilogy and a network TV series, both of which will be creatively steered by the Oscar-winning team behind A Beautiful Mind and The Da Vinci Code.
Ron Howard has committed to direct the initial feature film, as well as the first season of the TV series that will follow in close proximity. Akiva Goldsman will write the film, and the first season of the TV series. Howard’s Imagine Entertainment partner Brian Grazer will produce, with Goldsman and the author.
Apparently the plan is to start with the first film in the trilogy and link the following films with a season of Tv episodes between them. The trilogy being shot so close together is reminiscent of another beloved fantasy novel's adaptation at the hands of Peter Jackson. Speaking to Deadline, director Ron Howard acknowledges and welcomes the
LOTR comparison...
“What Peter did was a feat, cinematic history. The approach we’re taking also stands on its own, but it’s driven by the material. I love both, and like what’s going on in TV. With this story, if you dedicated to one medium or another, there’s the horrible risk of cheating material. The scope and scale call for a big screen budget. But if you committed only to films, you’d deny the audience the intimacy and nuance of some of these characters and a lot of cool twists and turns that make for jaw-dropping, compelling television. We’ve put some real time and deep thought into this, and a lot of conversations and analysis from a business standpoint, to get people to believe in this and take this leap with us. I hope audiences respond to it in a way that compels us to keep going after the first year or two of work. It’s fresh territory for me, as a filmmaker.” Big news for fans of these great books. But is Howard the right guy for this job? At the very least you can't help but admire his, and Universal's scope. Nothing like this has ever been attempted and by realizing that the story needs to be told over 3 movies and 3 tv seasons they have sold me on their passion do do this right. If only
Preacher could get teh same treatment!
For more on this as well as quotes from producer Akiva Goldsman, click the link below.
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