The Dark Tower Movies has its first cast member!!

[Shoultz101]

Well Gologtron, i don't know about you but im a huge Dark Tower nerd so I thought id would start a topic to see if I could get a discussion going.

Recently on Stephen Kings website, The Dark Tower films and series have been the main topic along with the graphic novel that has been out for some time. Its been a quite a trip over the last few years as a film version of the popular novels looked very far away. JJ Abrams played around with the offer a bit but because he was wrapping up Lost and had a few film projects in the works (Super 8 , Star Trek) he decided that taking up the mantle of directing the epic was too much for him at the moment. Sad Panda indeed.

Now director Ron Howard has taken the offer to do three movies and two season of a mini series. Also a few days ago it was announced that Javier Bardem accepted the role as the Gunslinger Roland Deschain.


Great actor but Roland!??

As far as casting, what are some of your thoughts about Bardem playing Roland and what other actors would you like to see cast as some of the other major characters.


Here are the characters and some of my picks on who Id like to see cast:


Roland's Ka Tet:


Eddie Dean - Garrett Hedlund  (Tron Legacy, Four Brothers, Troy) or James McAvoy (Wanted, Starter for Ten)

Susannah Dean/Odetta Walker - Zoe Saldana (The Losers, Star trek)

Jake  Chambers - Nathan Gamble


Roland's original Ka Tet:


Young Roland Deschain: Nicholas Hoult (Clash of the Titans, XMen: First Class) was my first choice but now that Bardem is playing the older Roland they look nothing alike. Maybe Ethan Peck?

Cuthbert Allgood: Anton Yelchin (Hearts in Atlantis, Star Trek) was the best I could come up with. Hes a bit old for the character but he looks young enough to pull it off.

Alan Johns:

Jamie De Curry:


Allies of the Ka-tet


Susan Delgado: AnnasSophia Robb (Bridge to Terabithia)

Sheemie Ruiz:

Ted Brautigan:  Anthony Hopkins (well he played Ted already in Hearts in Atlantis and did a great job)

Dinky Earnshaw: Michael Flores (played Dinky in Everything's Eventual)

Pere Donald Callahan: Clint Eastwood   Haha long shot but he so would fit the part.


Antagonists:


The Man in Black Walter O Dim:  Hugo Weaving or Gary Oldman

John Farson: Christopher Eccleston (G.I Joe, Gone in Sixty Seconds)

The Crimson King: Christopher Lee

Eldred Jonas: Willem Dafoe

Roy Depape:

Clay Reynolds:  Timothy Olaphant

Mia:  Helena Bonham Carter (Fight Club, Alice in Wonderland)  or Angela Bettis (May, Dexter) both can play beautiful but sad, damaged and delusional characters very well.

Mordred Deschain:

[knifethrowguy]

I've been waiting for this moment since i picked up the book. I will be busy cumming until the movie hits theaters.

[Shoultz101]

I've been waiting for this moment since i picked up the book. I will be busy cumming until the movie hits theaters.

Hahaha!! Yes my level of excitement is near climax as well. It's going to be a sticky existence up until these are released.

[Cory Jacobs]

Not mine... sigh... Bardem as Roland? TURRRIBLE PICK! I like the idea of splitting things up between movies and tv, and I don't HATE Ron Howard, but I feel like all this is leading us to is a VERY WATERED DOWN VERSION OF THE DARK TOWER...

[Shoultz101]

That's is my fear as well.  The miniseries will be handled through NBC/Universal, meaning it could potentially turn up on any of the corporation’s networks, including NBC itself.......NOOOOOOOOO!!! Showtime, yes! Stars, yes!!! NBC?  >_<

On the bright side, "Heroes," "Battlestar Galactica" and "Falling Skies" writer/producer Mark Verheiden has been tapped to co-write and produce the planned NBC TV series segment of "Dark Tower" along with producer Akiva Goldsman.

Ron Howard will be directing the initial "Dark Tower" film and the first season of the television series, with the director of the later movies and seasons to be determined at a later date. Goldsman will write both the first film and the series, and now Deadline has the news that Verheiden is co-writing the series, with Stephen King and Brian Grazer along as producers as well.

Its still up in the air but the writers behind it are looking good. Howards very good at keeping his films exactly as they have been written hence one of the reasons why King likes him.

I guess it all depends on who is cast. I think Bardum can pull it off but as far as looks hes looks nothing like Roland.

[knifethrowguy]

Not mine... sigh... Bardem as Roland? TURRRIBLE PICK! I like the idea of splitting things up between movies and tv, and I don't HATE Ron Howard, but I feel like all this is leading us to is a VERY WATERED DOWN VERSION OF THE DARK TOWER...

You sir are FUCKing high! Did you even read them?!?

[knifethrowguy]

Bardem can pull off roland, his build is a little bigger and he is more latin than hick but as an actor i think he's good for the role and anyone else would just throw it off. As for the rest of the cast, i kind of would rather see oldman as the man in black over weaving just because weaving is doesn't have enough of that "devil may care" attitude. I would also have gone with something between karl urban and Julian McMahon. Urban is playing black hat in priest and that almost embodies the man in black minus the vampire shit they got going on.

[Scott Meaney]

Cory's probably right that this is going to be a watered down version, but really, how the hell can it NOT be?  All Stephen King media has to tie into this for it to be perfect.  Still, I'm pretty pumped for this. 

In terms of tie-ins with other media, The Mist movie had some pretty blatant tower references in it.  Tom Jane was painting Roland in the opening scene.  Hell, the Mist itself was a thinny.  I forget but weren't some of the monsters even some of Roland's lobster buddies?

[Shoultz101]

Correct. All the creatures from The Mist were supposed to be inhabitants of the Prim that came through a Thinny opened up by testing at the military base. The same thing happened at the thinny in box canyon in Wizard and Glass. Roland lures a ton of Farson riders into it where the creatures from the Prim consume them.

They are also coming out with a movie version of "The Talisman" and its sequel "Black House" about a young man whose a breaker being hunted by Lowmen.

Anthony Hopkins plays Ted Brautigan in Hearts in Atlantis who is also a breaker who got away from the camp in Thunderclap, crossed thresholds and was hiding in the 1960s. I hope they can get Hopkins to play the same character again.

I also agree that even though Bardem doesn't look the part I'm sure hell do a good Roland. King described the Inner Baronies and Mejis as being like a south western culture. The citizens of the Mejis wore serapes and sombreros. Roland's love was named Susan Delgado. Have faith Tower fans.

[Scott Meaney]

Anthony Hopkins plays Ted Brautigan in Hearts in Atlantis who is also a breaker who got away from the camp in Thunderclap, crossed thresholds and was hiding in the 1960s. I hope they can get Hopkins to play the same character again.

That would be so awesome.  You have to stop saying this stuff, because we're definitely not going to get it.  Also, didn't the movie version of Hearts end up making the Low Men into like CIA guys or something?

[Shoultz101]

He never specified who they were. Just that they wore expensive coats and drove flashy, loud cars. Pretty much the MO for Lowmen. Also it would be strange if the CIA was trying to locate you by posting Lost Pet posters on telephone poles. lol  

Our dog Brautigan is LOST, if found please call....

[Mr. Hawkins]

So let's pretend for a moment that I have no fucking clue what any of you are talking about. I saw a mention of a graphic novel. Is it comprehensive enough to get a good understanding before this movie comes out?

[Shoultz101]

The graphic novel only covers what happens in Dark Tower IV:Wizard and Glass and what will be in the upcoming book Wind Through the Key Hole. Its about Roland's youth, how he becomes a gunslinger and his original ka tet. Its still worth reading even if you haven't read the novels because it basically supports itself as its own story, a story that is very good.  

All the stuff the older Roland goes through with his new ka tet are told in the novels and will be the main focus of the movies.
Also Jae Lees artwork is awesome! I would recommend checking it out.