The Dark Tower Moved To Summer 2017

The Dark Tower movie was initially set for release date of February 17, 2017. Today Sony announced the release has been moved to July 28, 2017. The reason for the change in date was "needing deadline extensions on the visual effects, as well as more lead-up to promote the film." Really four months is more then enough time to finish the film...if it had the budget of a typical blockbuster film where most solutions can be resolved with man power. The budget for this movie is "only" $60 million (when compared to average $200M spend for summer tent pole movies) so trying to meet the February deadline would only increase the cost of the film. “It’s a very fiscally responsible budget, and trying to stay in budget to make money and stay profitable means the VFX won’t be finished in time [for February],” one source tells EW, on condition of anonymity. “Now that there’s more time, they’re not paying rush charges to get the effects where they need to be.” Also Sony has made virtually no effort to pre-promote the film by releasing teaser trailers, posters and the like. Now they have the time to design a equally budgeted promotional campaign (for tentpole summer movies the average marketing spend could be over $100M). It will be interesting to see how Sony gets attention on the film during the usual crowded summer release while not spending to much money doing it.

The Dark Tower TV Series Based on Wizard and Glass

For the many years that The Dark Tower was in development hell, one or more TV series was always part of the plan. When The Dark Tower movie finally moved forward with a budget, it was assumed that part of the plan was dropped. It turns out that is not the case. Current plans are to release a 10 to 13 episode limited series that would begin filming in 2017 for release in 2018 with Sony financing the show "depending on how the scripts and story arcs develop." In short, all this really depends on how The Dark Tower performs at the box office. The movie fails then obviously the TV series and any subsequent movies are done. Assuming it goes forward, the series would include Idris Elba (Roland) and Tom Taylor (Jake) who would each reprise their roles from the movie. However, since the stories will be heavily lifted from The Dark Tower IV: Wizard and Glass, their involvement will likely simply be used to set up the flashbacks as the book told a significant chunk of back story about the Gunslinger from his childhood and key moments that influenced his decision to hunt down the Man in Black, Walter O'Dim (aka big bad of the series). Its the same book the Marvel comics stories realized on when first telling the Dark Tower saga. Speaking of, Matthew McConaughey has not signed on to play Walter in the series but that doesn't matter much as the character often changes his entire identity to match his goals and in this case that means being Marten Broadcloak, right hand man to Roland's father and eventual destroyer of his family and kingdom. There is a lot to mine there which hopefully means a fast paced story that will delve deep into the Roland Deschain character.

New Dark Tower Image Teases Mid-World

A new tweeted image provides a look at Jake Chambers (Tom Taylor) who is a boy from our Earth that joins Roland on his Mid-World quest for the Dark Tower. You can find other images of the characters here.

Dark Tower Reveals the Sombra App

It turns out last week's Entertainment Weekly cover has a secret that an app can reveal. Head over to The Sombra Group for the link for the Apple or Android version of the app for a little Augmented Reality on the cover that other tidbits that only die hard Dark Tower fans will currently get. If curious or (like me) can't be bothered, head over to Consequence of Sound for the full details of what the app currently reveals.

Entertainment Weekly Reveals More Details About The Dark Tower

Entertainment Weekly has released a few of the articles that will appear in their new issue that should hit newsstands starting tomorrow. Probably the most important bit is a huge spoiler for those that have not read the book is the movie has been verified as a sequel to the novels. From director Nikolaj Arcel, "The hardcore fans of The Dark Tower series will know that this is actually a sequel to the books in a way. It has a lot of the same elements, a lot of the same characters, but it is a different journey." The reason it can be a sequel is in the novels Roland Deschain in his quest to reach the Dark Tower. It turns out very early in his quest he lost the very thing he needed to complete the quest - the Horn of Eld. The novels ended with him once again in possession of the Horn but starting his quest from the beginning. Assuming the first movie is successful, the hope is the can tell the full story of Roland's final attempt to reach the Tower and save his world. Below are other highlights from the articles linked below. EW Articles: Overview | Changes from Books | Idris Elba | Matthew McConaughey | EW Image Gallery Summary: - A scene set in New York being filmed involved the Taheen who are "demonic, half-human creatures" who disguise themselves with masks that are "given away by a scar-like read seam running down the sides of their necks." - Elba on Roland: "There’s a mystical element to him. He’s about 200 years old. He’s been around for a long time, and has a deep-rooted connection with the [supernatural] nature of the film. Roland’s completely tuned into that. When you meet him, he’s very much a stoic man, doesn’t want to talk. But when you get to know him, he really knows quite a bit about the world and his world’s history. And he very much knows the way The Man in Black works. He’s so clued up on that, which is what frustrates him. Because he can’t catch him." - Stephen King did provide input on the script during various drafts. An example, "I took a pen and cut Roland’s dialogue to the bone. The less he says the better off, and why not? Idris Elba can act with his face. He’s terrific at it. He projects that sense of combined menace and security. [Roland] is the Western hero, the strong, silent type: ‘Yep,’ ‘Nope,’ and ‘Draw.’" - The movie takes bit and pieces from all 8 novels for inspiration, with a focus on the themes of sacrifice, friendship, accepting the past. - Eddie and Susannah are not in the first movie but would be in a sequel along with their pet called Oy - Matthew McConaughey on Walter, the Man in Black: "They wanted to go very human and grounded with this. Obviously there are mythical proportions of good and evil in Walter. But we didn’t want to go overly fantastic. That would drop the humanity. So Walter, for me, is a man who exposes hypocrisies. You know, he’s not literally the Devil, but I sure as hell think about him like the Devil. I think like the Devil would. I [Walter] revere [Roland]. He’s really the only true adversary I have. I expose hypocrisies, and he’s the closest to pure there is. It’s his persistent, resilience to be good and altruistic. He’s very precious to me. I almost don’t want to see him go. My want, my need, my mission is to bring down the Tower. My love, my adoration, my muse, my shadow, is Roland." - Walter is always searching for "Breakers" and in New York there is a young boy called Jake that is strong in "The Shine" which would be very helpful breaking the beams that support the Tower. Since Walter wants Jake, so does Roland. As Elba says "Until he meets Jake, he doesn’t have anything to believe in, really. He’s really pent up and releases his soul through [defending] the boy."

The Man In Black Costume Revealed

Due to filming on the streets of New York, we now have the first look at Matthew McConaughey as the Man in Black from the Dark Tower (character also goes by Randall Flagg and Walter O'Dim among other names). Its pretty straightforward with an all black look that is a mix of modern and western. More pics can be found at Lilja's Library and JustJared.

First Look at The Dark Tower's Gunslinger

In a behind the scenes picture, we now have our first look at Idris Elba in his Roland Deschain costume on the set of The Dark Tower that is currently filming. Much like as suggested by the books, he is dressed in the classic cowboy style.

Stephen Kings Reveals New Hook to The Dark Tower

Spoiler warning for the end of The Dark Tower books and the movie. In a single tweet, long time fans of The Dark Tower books suddenly had complete understanding of why it appears the upcoming movie doesn't follow the books and why. From the various casting decisions made, it appears that very little of the first Dark Tower film is going to follow the books in a familiar way. Characters and some situations may echo the books but already its clear that the movie is a kind of "inspired by" take. A take that Stephen King has supported. To start, a little background (spoiler warning). The AV Club summarizes it best "The Dark Tower saga centers around a guy named Roland who is on a quest to reach the eponymous tower and stop a villain called the Crimson King from using it to destroy all of reality. When he gets there, he’s supposed to triumphantly blow the Horn Of Eld, an object that has been passed down through his family for generations. However, when the reader meets Roland in the first book, he has long since lost the horn. Therefore, he’s unable to blow it when he reaches the Dark Tower, so when he tries to finally finish his seven-book adventure by entering the room at the top, he—last warning—gets sucked back into the very beginning of the first book and loses all of his memories. ...Tellingly, though, Roland has the horn when he starts his quest anew, suggesting that his next attempt will really be his last." From this, now this tweet has new meaning:

The Dark Tower is close, now. The Crimson King awaits. Soon Roland will raise the Horn of Eld. And blow. pic.twitter.com/rqGSKM3dWL

— Stephen King (@StephenKing) May 19, 2016

In short, the books are Roland Deschain's first attempt to reach The Dark Tower and save reality. The movie (and hoped for sequels) will be Roland's second and final attempt.

Katheryn Winnick Joins The Dark Tower

Katheryn Winnick (Vikings, Bones) has joined the cast of The Dark Tower. While Variety did not know what role she is playing, AICN is reporting she may be playing a character called "Jill". The name is likely a placeholder considering the character is described as "non-human and is someone who tries to abduct Jake in New York. She's one of The Man In Black's henchpeople and plays a significant role in the story." She would also be appropriate as Alice who in the novels is a barkeep in the town of Tull that Roland Deschain has a kind of "with benefits" relationship but without the friendship or much else. Considering previous castings have indicated that a major set piece will be a town that Roland comes across that is overrun with minions of the The Man in Black, I kind of like my theory more. As someone who has had a long time crush on the actress, this might be the first casting news about The Dark Tower that has got me more excited about the movie.

Fran Kranz Joins The Dark Tower

The Dark Tower cast continues to grow as Fran Kranz (Dollhouse, The Cabin in the Woods) has joined the cast of The Dark Tower. According to THR the Whedon-verse actor "will play Pimli, the right-hand man of the Man in Black." According to the Dark Tower Wiki, Pimli Prentiss was the Wardon/unelected Mayor of Alguil Siento (also called Devar-Toi) that was over-ran by the series big bad (The Crimson King) and his henchman. It can get confusing. To sum Pimli is in charge of a town and reports to the Man in Black character played by Matthew McConaughey. He in turn reports to the bigger bad called The Crimson King (basically Stephen King's version of the Devil) who goal is to destroy all of creation. To destroy all of creation he needs to destroy the Dark Tower. The one to stop the destruction of The Dark Tower is Roland Deschain (Idris Elba).

Jackie Earle Haley Joins The Dark Tower

A new cast member should be reporting to The Dark Tower set soon as Jackie Earle Haley (Watchmen, RoboCop) has signed on. Deadline reports "Haley will play Sayre, a menacing humanoid who is the vampire leader and kowtows to no one." His role in the books was fairly minor but I guess in this adaption the role becomes more significant.

The Dark Tower Begins Production

After a rather long series of starts and stops, The Dark Tower movie has reached the major milestone of starting principle photography in South Africa this week. Exact details on how the movie will handle adapting the series remains under wraps. All we currently know about the major roles is Idris Elba is Roland the Gunslinger, Matthew McConaughey plays the man in black while Nikolaj Arcel is the director. The movie is aiming for a February 17, 2017 release date.

The Dark Tower Casts Jake Chambers

A new actor has joined Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey in The Dark Tower. Newcomer Tom Taylor has been cast as Jake Chambers. Jake is one of the core characters of the series, first introduced in the first novel of The Dark Tower series and plays an important part in the character evolution of Roland Deschain (Elba). If Tom Taylor does not seem familiar it is likely due to only have a few roles on TV in the last year or so.

The Dark Tower Bumped to February

Just a little over a week ago it was revealed that The Dark Tower was greenlit, has a core cast, will take place in the present and was being released on January 13, 2017. Most of that remains true but Sony has further tweaked their schedule and now the movie is set for release on February 17, 2017. Only a change of a month. Considering how well Deadpool did in the same time frame, as long as the movie itself (and its marketing) is solid, there is little reason to think The Dark Tower cannot do as well.

King Confirms Dark Tower Casting, Production Start and Release Date

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Dark Tower author Stephen King and director/co-writer Nikolaj Arcel confirmed some information about the first movie. The pair verified that Idris Elba has been cast as the Gunslinger Roland Deschain and Matthew McConaughey as the man in black (who has numerous names). They also verified that the plan is to start filming in late April to hit an January 13, 2017 release date.

“The thing is, it’s been a looong trip from the books to the film,” King says, putting it right in context: “When you think about it, I started these stories as a senior in college, sitting in a little sh-tty cabin beside the river in Maine, and finally this thing is actually in pre-production now.” He laughs. “I’m delighted, and I’m a little bit surprised.” “What Stephen King does best is mixing the everyday, or what you might call the mundane, with the fantastical,” says Arcel. “In my view, [The Dark Tower] novels are a mix between sci-fi and fantasy and modern times. That exact mix is so Stephen King.” King says the movie will open with the first line from the first book. “It should start that way,” he says. “I’ve been pretty insistent about that.” “[The movie] starts in media res, in the middle of the story instead of at the beginning, which may upset some of the fans a little bit, but they’ll get behind it, because it is the story,” King says. Arcel declined to specify which books his movie focus on, but he did offer this clue: “A lot of it takes place in our day, in the modern world.”

The Dark Tower is a bit hard to describe briefly but the gist is the Tower is connected to all of King's creations over the decades but by extension it connects to the multiverse and all of creation. In short, the Tower falls, everything ends. The Man in Black wants to end it all, Roland seeks to stop him while also trying to use the Tower to save his world (which is suggested to be a future post-nuclear annihilated Earth) that is dying. In his quest to reach the tower Roland is joined by three (Eddie from the 70s, Susannah from the 60s, and Jake from the 80s) to create his "ka-tet" (a group that is both best friends and family at the same time, formed by destiny). it would take little effort story wise to update the characters to circa 2016 which is about the only aspect of the story that fits the "in the modern world" tease from the director since the Dark Tower series is ultimately a classic western with technology and the supernatural woven in here and there. It will interesting what new direction they are planning. While I am a fan of The Dark Tower, each book represents the decade it was written starting in 1978 until completed in 2006 but more backstory added via Marvel comics over the last 10 years. A faithful translation would be slog to watch and unlikely to succeed but the core story with the core characters that drops a lot of side story and irrelevant sub-plots that ultimately didn't go anywhere could make for a great series of movies. It sounds like the plan is not to take the "Harry Potter" route of faithful adaptation of each book, one movie at a time but instead treat it as one really long story, focusing on certain key points within that timeline. As always time will tell.

The Dark Tower Casts Role of Tirana

It seems the movie adaptation of The Dark Tower is very very slowly moving forward. Deadline is reporting that Abbey Lee (Mad Max: Fury Road) has been cast in the role of Tirana. The character is described as "she’s sexy and dangerous, she has fake human skin and cold snake-like eyes. She doesn’t come in until the seventh volume, apparently, but she’s going to be starring in the first film." I read the seventh book and I don't recall the character. Based on looking at various Dark Tower sites, she apparently an incredibly minor character described as "A low woman in the Dixie Pig." The use of the name could be to clear any legal problems (yep the names of characters in movies and TV have to clear legal hurdles cause people will sue claiming "that is me"). My theory is the name is a fake-out and she was really cast in the role of Susan Delgado who was the first girlfriend of teenage Roland Deschain (the lead character of the Dark Tower) but only suggesting that because there really isn't a character (or a combination of characters) that fit the description above in the books that I can recall.