Stephen King's epic novel series "The Dark Tower" is a grand work of fiction. I am a King fan and have read all seven books in the series as well as some of the prequel comics. But how can something so big fit onto the screen.
Well - it will have to use two screens.
Deadline Hollywood has reported that Universal Pictures and NBC Universal have landed a deal to bring King’s story to life in a trilogy of movies and also a coinciding TV series.
"The Dark Tower" revolves around gunslinger Roland Deschain, who is humanity’s last hope to save civilization by finding the Dark Tower. The story is an immense one that weaves in characters from King's other works and even events from his own life.
How exactly will a TV series coincide with a trilogy of movies? The details are quite complicated when you first look at them, but they break down fairly simply if you really pay attention:
Things will start off with the first in the movie trilogy which will then bridge into the first season of the TV series. Then the second movie in the trilogy will follow on from where the first season of the series leaves off. After the second movie, the story will bridge back to the series for the second season, which will then return to the big screen for the conclusion of the movie trilogy.
Ron Howard ("Apollo 13","A Beautiful Mind") will direct the first feature film and the entire first season of the TV series while Akiva Goldsman ("I Am Legend") will write the first movie and the first season of the series.
This is a highly ambitious undertaking that will cost a whole lot of dollars. Using the same sets for the films and television series will keep down some costs, but whatever actors sign on to the project will be working nonstop until the franchise is over.
And the studio is hoping for the fact audiences will be able to switch from the big-screen to the small-screen while still staying interested in the story.
I applaud the effort of Universal, Howard and Goldsman because a deal like this shows the high level of commitment dedicated to this gargantuan project.
Stephen King and "Dark Tower" fans, do you feel an undertaking like this will stay true to the essence of the novels or is this a really bad mistake?
