Ron Howard is taking on the challenge of a life time as he begins to adapt Stephen King’s epic, THE DARK TOWER.
Howard has been on the project for over a year, previously announcing that the film won’t just be a trilogy of the, so far, seven book series, but wil also have accompanying TV series to join the films together.
THE DARK TOWER is a story about the archetypal gunslinger, Roland Deschain, on the quest to find the Dark Tower which is said to be the nexus of all the universes. The books, and Marvel comics series, is a rich mixture of magic and the old west with elements of Arthurian legend.
Howard has announced that there are two key names in the running to play the fabled gunslinger, Viggo Mortensen and Javier Bardem. Across the fan sites Viggo is the frontrunner with his huge amount of experience as both the cowboy and swords and sorcery types in APPALOOSA, HIDALGO and the LORD OF THE RINGS. The New York Post has stated though that, the much in demand, Javier is leading the way as the gunslinger. What they know what no else else does is a mystery.
This is not the first time that someone has tried to adapt King’s series with previously JJ Abrams and Damon Lindelof having a go. However the pair abandoned the project under the sheer weight of the undertaking and Lindelof’s idolising of King:
“I’m terrified of screwing it up… I’d do anything to see those movies written by someone else. My guess is they will get made because they’re so incredible. But not by me.”
Whatever the outcome the project it is certainly an interesting one and if pulled off will dominate the big and small screen for the next six years. THE DARK TOWER is aiming for a 2013 release.
