Stephen King's The Dark Tower

Dave_The_Sheep

I'm just not feeling it from that trailer. I don't expect it to follow the first book verbatim, since it's more a sequel, etc, but it doesn't really feel like the source material at all. A bit matrixy/gunkata with some of the gun play, and as people have said, it feels a bit Hollywoody.

After his role in Westworld, I can't help but feel that Ed Harris might have been a better MiB. That could be just because of the name and the feel in that though.

I'll still go see it but I'm not expecting great things.

GLaDOS

I'm a bit underwhelmed by it. Looks like a standard sci-fi/fantasy action movie.

I expected worse if I'm honest so maybe explains why I thought it looked ok. McConaughey looking younger in the role that I would have thought. Some of the shots of Midworld looked nice.

So no Eddie or Susanna in the films or just not yet? Could see why they'd cut her character, maybe drawing of the three route in the next film ?

Dave_The_Sheep

Deleted User wrote: »

So no Eddie or Susanna in the films or just not yet? Could see why they'd cut her character, maybe drawing of the three route in the next film ?

I'd wonder if it'll actually get a next film.

But it would be interesting to see how they'd deal with her in terms of the casting of Roland.

DvB

The timing of this film in the saga has me confused, It appears to link Jakes re-entry into Rolands world but its also referred to as a sequel... if its a sequel is it meant to be a case of it starting where the last book ends if you read the last bit Stephen King recommends not to?

I was kinda trying to avoid digging too deep but having watched the trailer late last night in a moment of weakness I'm struggling to collate the film to the books.

Mr E

I don't know the source material but the trailer was slick. Looks good to me.

spacecoyote

DvB wrote: »

The timing of this film in the saga has me confused, It appears to link Jakes re-entry into Rolands world but its also referred to as a sequel... if its a sequel is it meant to be a case of it starting where the last book ends if you read the last bit Stephen King recommends not to?

I was kinda trying to avoid digging too deep but having watched the trailer late last night in a moment of weakness I'm struggling to collate the film to the books.

I think that technically it doesn't fit into the continuity of the books at all, but is more of a follow up to the films, kicking off where the books end

Ka is a wheel after all...

Sad Professor

It's an adaptation. But to appease the fans they're justifying the departures from the books by suggesting it's a different cycle of the same events. Similar to how Abrams justified his Star Trek reboot by making it an alternate timeline. Clever way of keeping the fans onboard until release.

Anyway, I think it looks okay. I don't remember much about the first book, which I thought was poor. I agree that it should have been a tv series. But I think the biggest mistake is not doing The Stand first, which would have been a better introduction for Flagg.

Slydice

International Trailer is a little different

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYAfP1mi-T0

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Liam McPoyle

Trailer is pretty much as I expected, I will absolutely go see it but I will keep expectation low, hopefully it will be better than I expect.

As an aside, did anyone catch the It Easter egg in the trailer?

DrWu

Read every King book except The Dark Tower series. Looking forward to seeing one of his films with no reference point. That said, the re-loading thing was really really silly.

DrWu

DrWu wrote: »

Read every King book except The Dark Tower series. Looking forward to seeing one of his films with no reference point. That said, the re-loading thing was really really silly.

Likely the best thing you could have done if you plan on reading them, they reference so much of his other work.

Canis Lupus

Thought the trailer looked awful.

There always the issue when you read a book first that the person cast doesn't look like the character should in your head. Idris neither looks or sounds like Roland for me.

The whole feel of the trailer as well made it about Jake (who looks wrong also) and then it just went all sci fi. Looks like they're trying to make it a tweenie movie almost.

Oh and minor upset, Roland's guns looked almost like toys.

JP Liz V1

I am just not feeling Matthew McConaughey as the man in black from the trailer, I believe there is also a tv show in the pipeline with Javier Bardem

Kur4mA

As a reader of the books, I'm willing to give it a chance because I understand that these trailers are trying to appeal to as wide an audience as possible, but from the trailers it looks ****e to be honest. They're trying to make it some sort of sci-fi action crusade crap. The palette looks all dark, moody and samey and it's just all wrong.

Why is Jake having to convince Roland to save the tower? That's his singular and sole purpose in the books. Why does Roland keep finding new ways to reload his gun? Jesus wept.

will56

I agree that the trailer looks like the movie won't do the books justice. Mcconaughey is who I would have picked for the man in black but more so as Flagg in the stand

The Dark tower was always going to be more suited to a HBO drama instead of a 2hr blockbuster.

The reloading looks stupid, especially catching the bullets in mid air :rolleyes:

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will56

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Agreed, fast reload looks a more realistic than the matrix bullet catch.
Guns need to be bigger too

I'm kind of glad that they aren't straight up adapting the books as their plan for a Dark Tower universe of films and TV shows was ambitious but I really never saw it working as intended. What they seem to have done is retooled much of the book and are offering up a follow up/alternate telling of the tale and I'm ok with that. My expectations are low and I do hope to be surprised by it but if not then I always have the books and graphic novels. Will be interesting to see if they are going to create a King cinematic universe, there's a shot of a certain clown at the 90 second mark in the trailer that hints that they may be trying that. I find cinematic universes to be rather underwhelming, I have no interest in watching writers and filmmakers strive desperately to link various character in order to make money.

Gavinz

DrWu wrote: »

Read every King book except The Dark Tower series. Looking forward to seeing one of his films with no reference point. That said, the re-loading thing was really really silly.

You should read the series!

Liam McPoyle

Just on the reloading bit, while it does look, well, shyte, I reckon it's to illustrate for the audience just how much of a phenom Roland is.

In the books we are treated to a lot of descriptive prose about his gun-slinging ability but that wouldn't be easy to translate into celluloid.

When it comes to modern movies, we live in a world of low attention spans where people want the quick fix and need blinking neon signage to follow what's going on so I can understand why something like that is included.

Book readers are not the ones that will make or break this franchise, its the ones unfamiliar with the cycle.

beans

I imagined the whole 'fanning the gun to re-cock it' trick would have been incorporated into a film for to show-off Roland's quick hands.

It looks fine for what it is. I would love to see a faithful epic screen-production though, perhaps animated. Something LOTR-esque. From the on-line murmuring, a lot of people expect this film to be closer to the source material than it's going to be. They'll be vocal and insufferable come the end of the summer.

Biscuitus

We are getting Jake from Book 3 without setting up is character from book 1.

Why would Roland be going to earth with Jake? and why is Jake convincing him to save the tower? The story is so twisted it doesn't feel like The Dark Tower at all. Roland's relentless journey towards the tower is what makes his character, he is willing to sacrifice everyone and everything. This film looks like a mess, they've turned it into some kind of sic-fi young adult dystopian thats a very loose adaption.

I've been meaning to read the DT series for years now. After watching the trailer yesterday, I decided it had long gone past time for me to start reading these books.

However, in the comments on Reddit I saw several people recommending the reading of some other Stephen King books before diving into the Dark Tower. So, despite intentions to start the DT series last night, I am now about 120 pages into The Stand, for the first time

What a book, so far anyway. Whether it's required reading for the DT series or not, I'm delighted I started it and have found it very hard to put down so far. I will finish it soon enough.

Any of you DT/Stephen King fans be able to tell me whether I should just go onto DT1 after finishing The Stand? Or should I keep reading the other books first which feature characters who show up in DT?

DvB

stankratz wrote: »

Any of you DT/Stephen King fans be able to tell me whether I should just go onto DT1 after finishing The Stand? Or should I keep reading the other books first which feature characters who show up in DT?

Salems lot would be worth a read also before starting into the DT series IMO.

.ak

Looks disappointing. I'm on the third book at the moment, and it doesn't look at all like how I imagined it. The silly sci-fi slow mo and all that.

The only saving grace may be Mathew McConaughey.

faceman

I'm excited. I'm happy to accept that this is a new cycle of the story (similar to The Matrix) given what King has said about penning a finale book to tee this all up.

It will probably be crap given the people behind it but I'm holding out hope for something good.

It won me over at the line about forgetting the face of your father.

beans

stankratz wrote: »

Any of you DT/Stephen King fans be able to tell me whether I should just go onto DT1 after finishing The Stand? Or should I keep reading the other books first which feature characters who show up in DT?

Good call on 'The Stand', it's awesome. I'd read 'Salem's Lot', if you've not already. Maybe 'Insomnia'. And The Mist, which is in the compilation 'Skeleton Key'.

Having said that, 'Lot' is probably the only one that actually gets kinda spoiled by the Dark Tower, should you read DT first. 'Lot' is a good read, you'll fly though it.

kerplun k

I'm so friggen excited for this.

This is my favorite book of all time. I've followed this for so many years during development hell.
Trust me when I say careful planning and much consideration has gone into this film. Westerns don't do well in Hollywood, so the sci-fi trailer makes sense, it has to appeal to a mass audience. I get why we have flashy CGI sequences in the trailer, everything hinges on this film doing well.

I just hope people go see it. This would give the filmmakers so much confidence to venture into the more weird, wonderful and crazy elements of the story.

If this goes well, we'll get to meet the rest of the Ka-tet, a certain train, killer lobsters and so, so much more, not to mention an awesome TV show from book 4 (Wizard and Glass).

I'll be the first to admit it. This isn't the Dark Tower we deserves, but It's the one we have right now.. So we'll watch it. Because it needs to be watched. Because Roland is not our hero. He's a gunslinger. A silent protector of the tower.

Finally I'll get to see Roland on the big screen, and for now, that alone, is enough for me.