Billy Crystal-Starring Comedy From Matt Nix & Larry … 
UPDATE: Toronto Lands World Premiere Of Godfrey … 
RATINGS RAT RACE: ‘Dancing With The Stars’ … 
CBS Reups Tony Awards Through 2018 
HBO, FX Lead Critics’ Choice TV Awards — But … 
Hammond On Cannes: A New Day Comes To The Fest As HBO and … 
Cannes: Lionsgate Acquires U.S. On Guillaume Canet’s … 
Cannes: Radius-TWC Buys Keanu Reeves’ Helming Debut … 
Cannes: Fleming Reflects And Finds Talented Trio A Breath … 
Hot Trailer: ‘Man Of Steel’ 
Former Digital Domain CEO & Auditors Sued For Fraud By … 
Fox Acquires ‘Narc’; Zac Efron Attached To Play … 
ABC’s ‘Nashville’ Undergoes Production … 
CBS Wins Season & Ties Sweep In Demo; ABC Tops Adults … 
Mike Lobell Adds Cast To ‘Eisner,’ Plots … 
Sony Shares Rise On Report That It Will Consider … 
Alki David Agrees To End Name Games With Aereo And Barry … 
Next-Gen Xbox One Unveiled With Content Including … 
UPDATE: Apple CEO Challenged For Moving “Crown … 
ESPN Layoffs Could Reach 400 As Part Of Latest Disney Cuts 
Cannes: Weinstein Co Acquires Keanu-Reese Sci-Fi Pic … 
EXCLUSIVE: Javier Bardem is close to sealing his deal with Universal Pictures to play gunslinger Roland Deschain in The Dark Tower, the mammoth adaptation of the Stephen King 7-novel series that’ll span three movies and a limited run TV series in between each film. Director Ron Howard begins production on the first film in September, and he’ll also direct the first TV segment. Akiva Goldsman has scripted the film and the initial TV component. Imagine Entertainment chief Brian Grazer is producing the films with Goldsman and King. Goldsman will produce the TV part through his Weed Road banner.
Bardem, who won the Oscar for his ferocious portrayal of a hit man in No Country For Old Men and who was more recently nominated for Biutiful, is a strong match to play the last living member of a knightly order of gunslingers. Deadline revealed in late January that Bardem had been offered the role of Deschain, who becomes humanity’s last hope to save civilization as he hits the road to find the Dark Tower. Along the way, he encounters characters, good and bad, in a world that has an old West feel.
Bardem’s WME reps are putting the finishing touches on the deal, and they are close enough that Howard has begun meeting with other actors to cast the roles around Bardem. It’s a complex deal, almost unprecedented, because it calls for Bardem to star in the feature film and the TV component. His deal will also include options for two sequels (the TV program that runs between the second and third films will be a prequel). I’m told it will add up to a career-best payday for Bardem. Howard and Goldsman have told me they see the trilogy as their answer to the Peter Jackson-directed adaptation of JRR Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. While Middle Earth had a mystical medieval feel, The Dark Tower vibe is one that Goldsman described as “an alternate Americana, one part post-apocalyptic, one part Sergio Leone.”
Bardem, who just wrapped an untitled next feature for Terrence Malick, is also being courted to play a villain opposite Daniel Craig in the next James Bond film that Sam Mendes is prepping. That film is moving forward again, after MGM emerged from bankruptcy. It’s expected to land at Sony Pictures for distribution.
Todd Hallowell, Imagine’s Erica Huggins and Weed Road’s Kerry Foster will be executive producers of The Dark Tower.
Loading ...
The last time I saw Ron was on MTV and he was “Blaming it on the alcohol” with Jamie Foxx.
Can’t wait for this movie. Don’t let us down Ron. Can’t go wrong with Mr. Bardem.
Bardem is good, but I always picture my mental gunslinger as leaner. Maybe he’ll drop a few. Being married to Ms. Cruz has made him a little too fat and happy.
I agree he needs to be way leaner.
im proud of javier bardem as a spanish
Im proud of be spanish thanks to someone like Pau Gasol, never for someone like Bardem.
Btw Viggo Mortensen sound like a better choice (sure they read the novels?)
i am just glad the movie is comming, but in this time i thought of sean bean for the gunslinger.
wow…what an incredible undertaking. Good choice in Bardem but I always pictured Clint…
I’m sure Ron will still find some role for his brother in it. Don’t worry.
Actually Clint Howard is a good choice for a hermit Roland meets early on in the first novel.
Clint Howard would also be a pretty good fit for Gasher, a secondary character in The Waste Lands.
Well played sir.
Clint Howard would make a great Sheemie any of the Children of Roderick…
Of course, Clint Eastwood would be perfect – 30 years ago or more. Now he is obviously too old (81). So I think Bardem is a good choice too
Javier Bardem is NOT Roland. Daniel Day Lewis would be great, and Stephen Moyer would be good. Clint Eastwood back in the day of course would be perfect! Roland is supposed to be thin with piercing blue eyes. I hope I can get into it with Javier…
If I could pick any project to be a part of, it’s this one. Great casting choice. Ron will knock it out of the park. Can’t wait.
And why would you think Ron will knock it out of the park? Much as I like the guy his track record has been pretty spotty for the last chunk of his career.
We can only hope he’ll dig deep into his creative reserves to make this the cool epic it deserves to be.
Javier? Yeah, I can get behind him as the GS.
Why is a TV series necessary between films? I don’t get it. And why does anyone think that, just because the film is successful (knock wood) that the TV series will be too? Sounds very risky despite the Stephen King name and remember the last TV series Stephen King did bombed. Surprised someone like Javier Bardem is doing this to be honest. Massive undertaking for someone who doesn’t even live in the U.S. and is supposedly very into his privacy more now so than ever since he and Penelope had a child.
Who knows if even the films will be successful. The books themselves were very popular but they will not be easy to translate into a film. As for the television series, if it uses the graphic novels written by Peter David as source material it could be quite good.
The Universal/NBC press release in which they announced that the adaptation would go ahead specifically mentioned that they had purchased the rights to the seven Dark Tower novels, the Little Sisters of Eluria novella and the Marvel Comics version. Ron Howard has also said that the comics ‘inform’ his vision of Mid-World or something like that. My bet is that they’re going to adapt the original comic arcs (The Long Road Home, Treachery etc) using the same cast and crew as the second TV series (the flashback one), and broadcast them in the months before and after the final film is released. What I’m really wondering is how King’s upcoming Dark Tower ‘interquel’, The Wind Through the Keyhole, fits into this. He says it will be a fairly lengthy book set between volumes 4 and 5.
As William Goldman has said (REPEATEDLY), “No one knows ANYTHING.” ANY speculation on how this deal will play our is…JUST speculation. We can only wait and see before we start casting any judgements.
Sai Basil,
Those who hear the call of the dark tower can not deny it for they are on the path of the beam. If it does ya fine, you would hold your judgements of these story slingers choice, and I say thankyee.
Long days and pleasent nights.
That’s just perfect!
actually Bardem does live in the U.S. and is sharing a house with Penelope so that’s not a problem for them.
There needs to be a TV series too because the Dark Tower story is so massive and intricate that you can’t tell it in 3 two hour films.And the story is so detailed that almost every scenario is vital to the plot, so it’s not a case of picking and choosing what elements you want to use.The way King set up the story, you need practically every piece of Dark Tower literature available to get your story across.
People have been complaining for years about how disjointed the Harry Potter films are because they have to cut out so much.It would be the same, even more drastic to cut so much from the Dark Tower.
The story consists of 7 novels containing a total of 3,914 pages, as well as 60 vital issues of a comic book.The entire Harry Potter series consists of 7 novels containing a total of 3407 pages and they made 8 films out of that and still left out a lot of stuff.
That’s why they also need the TV series.And when you think about it, for those who have read The Dark Tower, there is no way they can adequately get that story across in 3 films and 2 short TV seasons.
yeah really they need to do 7 movies, with 5 miniseries of 5-10 episodes in between each movie. and they’d still have to cut out crucial stuff. if this project ever gets finished and and is even mildly respectful of the source material i will be amazed.
i think bardem is a good choice, maybe not my top pick but i’m sure he can do it and they could have done much, much worse. viggo would have been perfect, and i think that timothy olyphant would have been awesome too.
Jesus, what a crybaby. Are you this insufferable in real life too?
“Why is a TV series necessary between films?”
My guess is that it’s because of the sheer volume of the Gunslinger story. The television episodes will (hopefully) serve to fill in the blanks, sort of speak. If that’s the intention, then I’m all for it.
When The Stand was brought to television as a miniseries (and thank god for that–can you imagine the hack job it would have received as a two-hour movie??), I believe I read that King assisted with the merging of two characters into one (Rita Blakemore’s character was absorbed by Nadine Cross’s character) and I thought it worked well.
I’m a purist when it comes to King adaptations yet I firmly believe that the Gunslinger epic deserves all the extra attention (and storyline) that Howard wants to give it. If that results in television eps, then so be it. Overall, the TV eps choice reflects sound judgment on Howard’s part to be able to fully tell the story.
It’s called the almighty dollar. he will accept a role he is all wrong for because of the paycheck attached to it. Simple.
Someone should organize a massive betting pool as to how much of this actually gets made…
I wouldn’t even bet on the first movie being made. Stephen King’s audience is not large enough to support a franchise this big. Whoever greenlights this runaway freight train will be looking for a new job after the first movie bombs.
“Stephen King’s audience is not large enough to support a franchise this big.”
I beg to differ. The Gunslinger series was a second huge fantasy crossover for King. Teenagers to elders have read it. As with The Eyes of the Dragon, King again stepped over into medieval fantasy with the Gunslinger epic. Although he retained a touch of the paranormal and preternatural in both, they remain tales of fantasy as opposed to the base horror of his earlier works.
And come on, the end of the Gunslinger tale was brilliant; he took Karma to an entirely new level.
Oh my. This is bizarre but very interesting I wonder how they going to manage to pull this off i mean a TV series too? Hugh? though this makes it even more intriguing. I can’t wait what happens next.
Howard and Goldsman?
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
please not ron howard
Dream Team. Cloaked in success from the go.
I’ve got reservations about this project (it’s SO big, and even three movies and two tv seasons aren’t close to enough to tell the story). However, Bardem is not one of those reservations: he’s perfect casting, and a great example of why I still have faith in Ron Howard’s instincts.
I agree that Bardem is perfect casting. I hope he inks the deal.
P.S. Nathan Fillion would also float my boat as the Gunslinger. Unfortunately, his persona is more tied to television than film (and he’s more tied to subtle comedy as well). Perhaps Howard will find a spot for him in his Gunslinger epic. IMHO, Fillion would make a fantastic Eddie Dean.
Always pictured Viggo Mortensen as Roland when I read the books..well..the third time around..dont’ know who I pictured the first time !
No, no, no. Eddie needs to be a younger, smaller, and less imposing actor. His gravitas needs to come from the evolution of the strength of his character, not his screen presence.
Eddie should be Aaron Paul from Breaking Bad.
Javier Bardem is a fine actor, but he doesn’t fit the part. Jon Hamm would be better.
I agree, Javier Bardem is ALL WRONG for the role. A better choice would have been Christian Bale (see The Fighter), Viggo Mortensen or Hugh Jackman. Any of those 3 would be a better choice for Roland than a short, portly actor such as Javier. Roland is described as “Long, Tall & Ugly” and the only part Javier matches with that is the Ugly.
@Tracey your choices are so obvious it’s boring and javier IS 6′feet tall he aint short! and he can loose weight (watch his past movies where he plays sick man) so he does fit that “long, tall & ugly” description =P
You know they just need to stop with all those planing of the trilogies before the even first movie hits the screen. I Am Number Four anyone? Remember how they all cast some kid and no one even knew if he can open a movie and then the movie flopped. And they planned with all that Hunger Games trilogy already.
There was a time when there were real Moviestars. They got 15-20 millions per movie and then they sold the movie to audience to $100 millions and more. And know there too many actors. The true Moviestars got old are gone. And now they cast all those unknown c-listers or b-listers in big movies and hoping it to make $300 millions and start franchise. And then their “future superhits” get only some $60-80 millions at the box-office.
This Dark Tower doesn’t look to me that it will be successful. Javier Bardem is a good actor but he is not a box-office star. He can’t drove people to theaters. They will make that expensive movie and then it will underperform like that Green Hornet movie. And also Javier needs to lose weight. A lot of it.
And who was the big box-office star of Lord of the Rings? Ian McKellen? Cate Blanchett? Both great actors, but neither of them any more of a box-office draw then Bardem is now.
It’s about the story, genius. Stephen King has a huge, international fan base that rivals Tolkien’s. A well-made, epic series of films/TV shows based on his definitive literary work could easily be a smash success no matter who stars in it.
The Green Hornet? I Am Number Four? They’re no where near the same league as The Dark Tower in terms of audience recognition and fan interest.
The only question I have is, does Ron Howard really have the chops to pull it off?
Christopher Nolan would knock this out of the park. Ron Howard – blah.
“It’s about the story, genius.”
And the story is a meandering mess, Einstein. By the time King got to the last book, he was throwing everything against the wall hoping anything would stick. He was so desperate for ideas that he even wrote himself into the story as a character, for cripes sake!
I agree with you on the subject of the last books. However, the first four books are literary gold in my opinion. Hollywood loves this kind of dynamic. They’ll get two really good movies, and one and a half really good TV shows before everything turns into the last episode of ‘Lost.’ By then the viewers will be as hooked as us readers were. I KNEW Book VII was not going to live up to my expectations, but it was too late, I’d spent my entire adult life invested in the characters. We live in faster times now, how many sheeple do you know who will fall head over heels with these characters after the first three books are done live action? Shit, I’ll watch the whole thing just to see it all fall into chaos. That’s a rating point right there.
“This Dark Tower doesn’t look to me that it will be successful. Javier Bardem is a good actor but he is not a box-office star. He can’t drove people to theaters.”
Have you read the entire Gunslinger series? Methinks you have not. Bardem perfectly fits with the intensity of Roland Deschain. Although I always saw Roland as whip thin yet substantial, I can easily buy Bardem in the part. Think of his character in No Country for Old Men with the added value of a conscience.
Hopefully they keep it filming in the states. Ron has a track record of screwing the locals and taking his projects to anywhere he can make an extra penny.
This piece says that he has the option for a second and third film. Does that mean that he doesn’t have to do them if he doesn’t like how the first film and the television series work out? Just wondering.
Mr.Howard is a very nice person, at least for movie business standards, but I feel he’s an extremely wrong to direct this material. Maybe he has the clout to get it greenlighted, God bless Imagine, but I believe he should be a producer and find somebody who has the necessary touch for this. Otherwise it will a monumentally bland and disappointing endeavor. I say this with all due respect to Mr.Howard, who is a fine and accomplished comedy director and also does drama well, but this is a huge american gothic epic and he’s simply not the man for this.
Frank Darabont, Guillermo del Toro, Terry Gilliam, Quentin Tarantino and Darren Aronofsky all come to mind as far better fits for the material than Ron Howard.
(And I forgot to mention David Lynch.)
I’ll see this because I love both Stephen King and Ron Howard, but I was really hoping to see Russell Crowe or Christian Bale as Roland.
Bale would be great for the man in black
I love the Dark Tower series. I’ve read all seven books, every issue of the comics released thus far, and most of the other works that tie in directly (I am working on the rest).
Having said that, I am terrified about this adaptation. Most King works fail on screen because it is impossible to translate his narration visually. Basically the very thing that makes him a hugely successful author prevents his work from being translated to film. Generally only his short stories translate well (other than the Green Mile).
Still, I am excited for this project. It has Star Wars/Harry Potter potential, but will be hindered by the REQUIRED R-rating. There has to be blood, gore, violence, and filthy language, or else it WILL NOT be The Dark Tower (when your first book is The Gunslinger, you expect some violence). Shooting for PG-13 will strip the series of its very essence and destroy everything before it is built. Sure it may be toned down a little for TV, but there is no way it makes a network without destroying its essence. HBO or Showtime would be ideal, but FX or Spike could work.
That said, I’m wondering if Anthony Hopkins will reprise Ted Brautigan during that part of the story…
I doubt they’ll stick strictly to the other King characters introduced in the final books – most of them don’t have films of their own, or have films that aren’t widely known. Seriously, how many people in the audience have a clue who Ted Brautigan, Ralph Roberts and Dinky Earnshaw are? If I were Ron Howard, I’d be replacing these characters with more famous cinematic King creations, like Jack Torrance, Annie Wilkes and Carrie White. And of course, we can’t forget the guys from The Shawshank Redemption – they serve the Beam as well and deserve a cameo at least.
“Still, I am excited for this project. It has Star Wars/Harry Potter potential …”
Absolutely.
This comment almost wins the internet… It should be ‘thankee’, if i am not mistaken…
Definitely excited about this one.
TV prequel will undoubtedly be book 4 Wizard and Glass (which is essentially a flashback), not based on the graphic novel.
glad that Bardem is just about signed and Roland is in place though surprised Bardem is willing to sign given that he would like those who also get cast will be part of the dark tower for a long time for both the movie and the tv series. but at least Roland now has a voice for the big screen. can not wait to see how Bardem pulls off Roland
Thankee sai!
Even if they leave out a large portion of the third book (which would be great! That book kinda sucked) and all the meta shit they would still need 7 movies.
Is everyone taking crazy pills?!? In what universe would Javier Bardem make a good Roland?? Everyone agrees Roland is a younger Clint Eastwood and Bardem couldn’t be more different than that! Roland has piercing blue eyes, I cant’ wait to see the CGI they have to use to get Bardem’s eyes that bright. I love Bardem but this is TERRIBLE casting. Someone with a face like Hugh Jackman’s is better suited, with sharp and pointed features. Even Viggo Mortensen would have been better. This is all making me very nervous. How is Stephen King okay with this??
Give a me break Susan
Bardem has the range which offsets blue eyes.
“Even Viggo Mortensen would have been better.”
Okay. I can get behind that casting. However, wouldn’t that be just a replay of Strider?
The eyes are just the tip of the iceberg. I love Bardem, he’s a fantastic actor. But that doesn’t detract from the fact that he does not at all resemble the written description of Roland nor any illustration of him, either. Roland is described and illustrated as tall and lanky, lean and gaunt… that’s just not Bardem.
@Susan I can’t believe you are tripping over eye color? Really!?!?! Hugh Jackman doesn’t even have blue eyes either genius! jackman & bardem both have the same eye color light brown (better suited for contact blue eyes) but still eye color shouldn’t be a big deal brown eyes are expressive too.
“tall and lanky, lean and gaunt… that’s just not Bardem.” ugh have you not seen ‘buitiful’ or ‘Before Night Falls’ or ‘The Sea Inside’ he plays a tall and lanky, lean and gaunt person all the time it’s soo Bardem.
I have to say I think this might work as multiple movies and tv series but I thought the more interesting route would have been to have 7 movies, 1 for each book and have 6 different directors handle each them (the director of the first would come back for the last). This would fit format of the books since each book has a different style to it except for the last one which goes back to the style of the first. My guess is that J.J. Abrams team was planning something like that a few years ago and couldn’t make it happen which is how Imagine ended up getting it. After what Ron Howard did with Dan Brown’s books I’m not expecting the Harry Potter movie treatment for The Dark Tower which is what the series deserves.