Brutal Test Screenings And Extensive Reshoots - It Sounds Like THE DARK TOWER May Be A Total Disaster

Brutal Test Screenings And Extensive Reshoots - It Sounds Like THE DARK TOWER May Be A Total Disaster

The long overdue big screen adaptation of The Dark Tower finally hits theaters on Friday after numerous delays but a new report now sheds some light on what sound like major behind the scenes issues...

By JoshWilding - Aug 02, 2017 04:08 AM EST
Filed Under: Sci-Fi
Source: Variety
Adapting The Dark Tower was never going to be an easy task. Everyone from J.J. Abrams to Ron Howard have attempted to adapt the beloved Stephen King series of novels over the years but it's easier said than done when they're so heavily steeped in mythology and are often very convoluted and confusing.

Despite that, they're excellent and have the potential to make a great new franchise on the big screen. Unfortunately, it doesn't sound like the upcoming movie starring Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey will be that. According to Variety, the post-production process has been plagued with problems and while that's been denied by studio bosses, the trade has a good track record with this sort of thing.


Apparently, director Nikolaj Arcel delivered an early cut of the film which alarmed Sony Pictures boss Tom Rothman to such an extent that he considered bringing in a more experienced filmmaker to cut it and spent hours in the editing bay offering his input. Arcel denies that but test screenings last October saw moviegoers rate it poorly after they mostly failed to understand the story's complex mythology.

It probably doesn't help that The Dark Tower is going to serve as a sequel to the novels and it's said that Ron Howard offered the director his advice and co-writer and producer Akiva Goldsman came in to help get the film in shape. Issues between Sony and MRC and the fact Stephen King had a lot of creative input also caused problems and $6 million was spent on reshoots to help clear things up with five minutes of exposition cut and replaced by a new scene which made it less confusing for them. 

Rothman says that he believes the narrative complexity will ultimately sit well with audiences who enjoy shows like Game of Thrones and Westworld but with no sign of reviews, it seems that faith in The Dark Tower from Sony is low. With any luck, it will exceed expectations just like Rogue One: A Star Wars Story - also said to be a mess - did last December. For now, we'll just going to have to wait and see. 

EARTH ABIDES Star Aaron Tveit On Charlie's Devastating Arrival & Facing Off With Alexander Ludwig (Exclusive)
Related:

EARTH ABIDES Star Aaron Tveit On Charlie's Devastating Arrival & Facing Off With Alexander Ludwig (Exclusive)

THE ELECTRIC STATE: Millie Bobby Brown & Chris Pratt Embark On A Post-Apocalyptic Quest In New Trailer
Recommended For You:

THE ELECTRIC STATE: Millie Bobby Brown & Chris Pratt Embark On A Post-Apocalyptic Quest In New Trailer

DISCLAIMER: As a user generated site and platform, ComicBookMovie.com is protected under the DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act) and "Safe Harbor" provisions.

This post was submitted by a user who has agreed to our Terms of Service and Community Guidelines. ComicBookMovie.com will disable users who knowingly commit plagiarism, piracy, trademark or copyright infringement. Please CONTACT US for expeditious removal of copyrighted/trademarked content. CLICK HERE to learn more about our copyright and trademark policies.

Note that ComicBookMovie.com, and/or the user who contributed this post, may earn commissions or revenue through clicks or purchases made through any third-party links contained within the content above.

1 2 3 4 5
LEVITIKUZ
LEVITIKUZ - 8/2/2017, 4:47 AM
Yea I'm sure Tim Rothman & Akiva Goldsman know what makes a good film.

Why not also ask Simon Kinberg, David Goyer, Alex Kurtzman, & Roberto Orci?
nikgrid
nikgrid - 8/2/2017, 5:16 AM
@LEVITIKUZ - "Yea I'm sure Tim Rothman & Akiva Goldsman know what makes a good film."

Hehe.

grif
grif - 8/2/2017, 4:53 AM
it looks ok. but if i was going to see it. the kid being in the movie would be a deal breaker.
BraveNewClunge
BraveNewClunge - 8/2/2017, 4:53 AM
Oh Sony...

#GiveTheRightsToMarvel
DukeMcQueen
DukeMcQueen - 8/2/2017, 4:59 AM
Movies that had re-shoots include:

E.T.
The Avengers
Blade Runner
Superman 2
Rocky
Back to the Future

...not bad company.
1 2 3 4 5
View Recorder