I love these books to death. I would love to see a movie for each book. It would be hard to make that Stephen King cameo in the books come to life. I think the story would have to be changed towards the end to make a better film.

I actually think that these books could be compressed into 5 or 6 films. A lot of stuff could be cut out. The Waste Lands is a big flash back. Its awesome, but could be cut. Maybe made into some kind of prequel later a la The Hobbit.

Or they could start by adapting the graphic novel that recently came out which is pretty much The Waste Lands. It would be an awesome start to the franchise and it would introduce the characters to an audience.

I know the story gets a little weak at the 5th book, but I still love the story. It just brings all of Stephen King's work together. As a fan, I would love to see a separate film for each book. Potter did it. I would even like to see the last book get split in two since its so long.

I love the last book because it goes so many places. It is very sad but I love it. Look I could go on about these books for hours. And I am a little jealous that someone other than me is making these films. It would have been something I would have liked to do after I kicked off my career as a director.

Just finish that shit Brad.

I definitely think that the last several books are a bit too long and slightly bloated, not nearly as incredible as the first few.

As far as the whole movie thing….meh. I just dont see it, nor do I really want to. Personally Id much rather see someone get film versions of the Talisman and the Black House done, though I think miniseries would be the best thing to do.

And on another "book" topic, I finally read The Road…absolutely incredible, Im so glad I finally got around to reading it. The film adaptation is now my most anticipated movie coming out this year.

I would agree that not Only are these books amazing….Each one of these books could easily a corresponding movie in amongst themselves. I see the problems one would have making each movie all together….especially all seven. As for the Cameo of Stephen King. I would leave it up to Him due to There his stories. I just can't wait to see if the right direction is picked can hold the interest of audiences in Film as it did me in the books. I hope that we could all agree, we've all waited long enough for these books to be completed that we should all have the patience for the Movie to come out well made and fascinating.

Heres to Hoping!~ May it do ya!

I would love to see a set of movies based on the dark tower series. While you are correct that books 5 and 6 were not as good as the first 4 (4,7,and 1 being my favories in that order), if you take it "as a journey and not a series of events you read through to get to the end" then it makes the entire series a masterpice. While Wolves may be too long and Song may be too convoluted, the ending of the seventh novel is the end of a journey which took me 4 months to read, and Steven King 30 years to write. I would genuinely enjoy seeing these books come to life on the screen. Plus, one of the beauties of theater is that you can shorten books and keep the details intact (this would work well for wolves). they could make 5+6 one movie and the 7th book two seperate movies. That way books 5 and 6 would not feel so drawn out. I think the Dark Tower movies are a great idea and i sincerely hope that they are made properly, doing justice to all of King's characters and the story as a whole.

I cannot wait for any film adaptation of the Tower. I loved the way the whole series ended. It had a symetry that I have never ever found in all my years of reading novels. I was slightly turned off by King putting himself in there but on the whole I didn't mind it. For what it's worth I thought Wolves of the Calla was a solid story that stood alone from the rest. The wastelands for my money is the best of the series. I love any sort of post apocolyptic story/movei/tv show ect. and this was absolutely top shelf. Wizard and Glass another awsome story that stands alone in the series

it think to say that the last 3 books are any thing but amazing is pure blasphemy and these peoples opinions do not matter. heres why. while the last few books are dauntint and a little drawn out they are still never the less relevant and nessicary to the story. the only book i ever had something bad to say about was songs of susanah, but thats only due to my particular dislike for the character. the best book by far in the series though is the dark tower followed closely by wizard and glass.

i am also of the opinion that the story should be made into a mini series by an actual king/dt fan.

long day and pleasent nights to you

I want to see this done and I think these are the right guys to do it. However, I do have a few reservations, especially with regards to the "one movie per book" aspect. For one thing, I fear that by doing the first movie as a strict adaptation of "The Gunslinger", it will not produce enough profit or excitement to get the other movies done. Personally, I wasn't hooked on the series until "The Drawing of the Three". In retrospect, after several readings, I do like the first book, but I just never found it as compelling as books 2 and 3. If the project ever got past the first movie to the second, the rest could be huge… but that's a big "if".

Jake would be a logistical nightmare because even if they could do a film a year (personally, I'd expect it take at least 10 years), they would have to either do an enormous amount of early filming for the later movies or else allow the kid to age much more than he does over the course of the books.

To assign one movie per book, they would have to drastically cut some of them and expand on others. The Gunslinger and Song of Susannah are much shorter than the other novels. Wizard and Glass and Wolves of the Calla could probably be condensed to movie-length easily enough and are somewhat self-contained. But how can you fit the epic scope of books 2, 3, and 7 into a single movie each? And do you keep the same breaks? Surely they wouldn't end the third movie in the middle of Blaine's riddling contest?

I would like to see Stephen King show up in his usual cameo bit parts, but written out of the actual story.

My ideal scenario would have been to see this project done as a 3-season series on HBO or Showtime with 12-13 one-hour episodes per season. But obviously the budget for ths would far exceed anything either network would be able to commit to. So, given that it will be done as feature film(s), I think maybe I would start with The Drawing of the Three and either condense the events of The Gunslinger at the beginning or intersperse them as flashbacks throughout, then divide Drawing and Wastelands into 2-3 movies (although not with the given break points from the books.) Incorporate the opening part of Wizard and Glass into the previous movie and the ending into the following one and keep Wizard and Glass as a pure prequel, except for maybe a few cutaway scenes at beginning and end. Then, do a little rewriting and modify the last three films into a different path to arrive at the same end, because I definitely don't want them to mess with the ending(s).

@ravidlaz:

I think you the Wizards Glass

I think making a movie would be a bad idea. There is no way that you could get all of the concepts and subtle ideas that make this series of books great. The movie business would just butcher the books. I will agree that it gets slow for a while, but it diffently picks up. It is one of my favorite book series.

Finish the book for sure. This is one of my favourite sotries of all time. The whole thing is incredible. The drawing of the three was probably my favourite book, it was just fun.
As far as the production of a move or mini series……… what is everyone so worried about? This is Stephen King, I think he knows what he is doing and he surely wouldn't leave his crowning achievment to guess work.
This is one of the greatest stories ever and will also be one of the greatest movies ever. Trust.

@Greg: I finally did finish the books and did enjoy how the final book actually brought it all back around and started to feel much more like how the story started with "The Gunslinger".

However, as for your statement about Stephen King, I have heard him say he isn't too concerned about how the movies based on his films turn out. And why should he? He is getting paid.

Personally I don't think these books could be made into movies. They are too big and I am afraid would cost too much money and be seen as too risky for a studio to make them. I can see them trying for TV, but then they will be made on the cheap. Personally, as Simple Jack said, I would like them to remain as head movies.

@Brad Brevet:
I think they could be successful movies if they are released as summer blockbusters, but well-timed so as not to coincide with other huge movies; if they are majorly hyped with quality, action-packed trailers; and if they have sufficient star talent. King's name plus good marketing plus big stars (Green Mile, 1408) equals box office success.

I think the only way to do justice to this story is to make it into a serial TV show along the lines of Lost or Heroes. I like the idea of starting with the Drawing of the Three and pulling in The Gunslinger story in as flashbacks. It was the second book that really hooked me and I think it would work well to create a viewer following.

I hope however it is brought to the screen that it will be given enough budget to not come across as a hack job. I would want this storyline to gain the same respect and enjoyment that Shawshank Redemption and Stand By Me did.

I was very happy with how King ended the series. I was kind of dreading it. He's wonderful at building characters and totaling immersing the reader in a different world but not always so great at ending his stories. The ending to the The Dark Tower series was perfect.

Any thoughts on who may be cast? I can definitely see Josh Holloway playing Eddie, Clinton Eastwood as Father Callahan, Daniel Craig as Roland (he has that thousand mile stare), Colm Feore as Flagg, and Thandie Newton as Odetta. Not sure who could play Jake. Haley Joel Osment would have been ideal if he was younger. Is there another young actor of his caliber out there?

@Susan Stevens: I think Freddie Highmore would be a good one to play Jake. I am not sure about Daniel Craig, but I like everyone else you picked.

I am not finished with the series yet, so my comments are limited, bit I think this could be made into a weekly series. Follow the books and when it ends it ends. If it took three years then so be it. Movies would be great, but I think too much would be cut out. It could be like the Sopranos.

These books are the best books i have ever read! I grew up reading Lord of the rings books I even managed through the Silmarilion!

The question that needs to be answered is:

Should it start at the beginning of rolands child hood or

With the words

The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed

??

And on the fact that King stated he didn't care about the films that is a misinterpretation and couldn't be further away from the truth he actually said

“I mean, this is my life’s work (referring to the Dark Tower Series), since the time I was 22 years old. It’s very important to me. Usually, with the other books, I don’t give much of a shit. My attitude is, ‘Go make a movie, and if it’s good, that’s terrific, and if it’s bad, then it will go to the video stores and back shelves of Blockbuster, and I still get royalties on the book.’

which means he actuallyu really cares about these books adaptations which is also apparent in the comic books too as he has final say over the editing.

I feel the only way to do all the books properly would be to do a mini-series on HBO or SHO. If you put these wonderful books (yes all of them) on the big screen then you give up the chance to get to really know the characters. Now if you do it in a "lost" type of show then you have time and anticipation to build up just as if you were to read a few chapters at a time. I will say for me, to see one of my absolute favorite books put on the big screen and have it be sub par would leave me with a bitter view of one of the most inventive characters I have ever read. Do it right and you have an amazing chance to give those who did not read the books the pleasure all of us who did.

Oh for sure the later! When I was done reading Dark Tower I re-read the Gunslinger and it was those words, those wonderful yet simple words, that made me read the whole thing in one sitting!

After seeing Appaloosa I am totally convinced that Viggo Mortensen would be PERFECT as Roland. If you doubt it, go check out the movie. He plays a hired gunslinger in the movie and can do the silent but expressive thing really well. Think about Strider in the Fellowship of the Ring, when the hobbits first meet him. Then when it comes to Wizard and Glass, he can play the romantic type as well…

For me the best possible thing for The Dark Tower would be a big budget TV series, let it run for 7 series!

I've got to know these characters so well through reading the books, if they were to be dumbed down ofr the purpose of sqeezing them into films, I'd be very dissapointed.

I'd love to be able to watch the stories unfold week by week, it would be fantastic. And I reckon, keep the chronology the same, you need the mystery of Susan before you find out who she is. When you go back to rolands childhood, you already feel like you know the characters.

If they dont do it well, I just hope they don't do it at all!

If they're going to do it on TV, it damn well better be HBO. Consider all the bullshit they'd have to do to it to make it fly on a network… it wouldn't be worth it.

As far as seven individual movies, there's no way that's ever going to happen. Three might be too few. Four or five is the golden number, I think.

We must also remember that film is a different medium than literature, and it calls for certain changes in narrative structure. For example, it might make more sense to begin with Roland's backstory from "Wizard and Glass" rather than going back to that story three movies into it… but that's debatable.

why would it be so impossible to make this a mini series with a big budget that you would spend on a movie. That seems to be the trend lately on such premium channels such as hbo and showtime.
1. These books already have a huge following, so you could get and enormous viewing audience with little advertisment.

2. The books are way to big to cram into movies unless you wanted to condense them into two books per movie leaving out an enormous lot of material.

3. A good miniseries done right would be such a great break from reality t.v. which I'm personally sick to death over.

4. The box sets, when they came out, would break record sales.

Please whichever route you choose movie or series, don't butcher it and please please don't stop this project!!!!

@lance: Because that isn't going to happen. There are too many installments and no one wants to put that much money into something that could flop after one episode. It just doesn't make good business sense to spend a lot of money on it. Too risky.

@Brad Brevet: Why the hell would it flop after one episode, its one of the greatest stories of our generation! I'd think that a series thats based on a massively popular series of novels is much less of a risk than an unknown screenplay. It makes great business sense to spend a lot of money on it, other wise it will be rubbish and not even the fans it has now won't want to watch it!

Just think how complex the stories and characters in Lost, Prison Break, 24, etc are, they pulled huge viewing figures and are still selling well all over the world. People would lap this up.

@hol: I am not saying it would, I am saying it could.

Let's say they make it in seven installments, mini-series style. Let's say they spend a TON of money on it as has been suggested. Then let's say no one watches it, at least not enough people to warrant such a production budget on television. Now you have a flop on your hands and you are in the whole mega bucks.

For a comparison, at least Lord of the Rings was only three books, not seven. It's a far larger investment for a production company. As much as The Dark Tower is a favorite of yours and mine the fanbase doesn't compare to the likes of say Narnia, Rings, Potter or I would even say Twilight. It is also a much darker far more niche audience with films that would have to be rated R on the majority.

I am not saying this because I don't want it, I am just being realistic. It would be a HUGE monetary risk.

Do it in CG format like Beowulf. You can get Clint Eastwood to voice Roland (George Guidall would be an option too, he was great in the audio book). The special effects and locations would be much easier to portray, and the actors could look like whoever (Angela Basset as Susanna Dean *please*, I see a lot of people suggest Halle Berry, but she's in everything already for god's sake). Really, the whole Blaine The Mono arc demands cg.

True, I don't think 7 movies in a theater could adequately cover the epic. A tv series would be best.

@Roe: I totally agree…Wizard and Glass would be the best start for film. Marvel did it this way for the graphic novels and it worked out well – introducing an entire new audience to Dark Tower. Roland's character as he approaches manhood (in W&G) might help ease (the new audience) into the much darker gunslinger that he ultimately becomes.

Man I hope they do a TRUE version that can match the Epicness of this Magnum Opus. It would need to be AT LEAST 7 movies…one per novel… and it needs the correct budget… something like Lord of the Rings got.

To understand the last 3 books you ahve to understand that Stephen King has created a 'Universe' of his own to make sense of all the crazy stories, world, creatures, dimensions, spirits and everything. The Dark Tower uses Charters from all kinds of book as he has literally dozens of stories that are reall Dark Tower stories(though you don't have to read them as one…they are also just their own story) such as Balck House, Insomnia and even Classics like Salems Lot and The Stand play roles in the Dark Tower Saga.

The Dark Tower is showing kinda how he created this world and once you finsh the whole saga, you will understand. It is one of the most Epic saga's written since The Lord of the Rings and seriously…when Stephen King passes away he will be such a HUGE Legend…though he already is. I personally loved the Dark Tower and I dunno, he said he felt he HAD to do it that way…it just makes it that much more intriguing to me.

HOnestly though… you don't HAVE to have Stephen King in the story…it just truely brings the whole SK Universe together.

@dub: I would be sooooo pissed if they did it CG style like Beowolf.

I think that if they go the movie route they might need to go "Terontino style" and start at the end… I'll try not to spoil anything for those that haven't quite gotten to the end, but I agree with some that perhaps "The Gunslinger" would make for a rather uninteresting start to what should be at least a 6 feature film series. But if you started at the end then perhaps you would want to know how you get there and the gunslinger chasing a man in black across a desert would make much more sense to those who hadn't read the books. Because while there is a large-ish following of the books it is not nearly large enough for the box office hits the major studios are looking for.

It makes me happy to know that J.J. Abrams is working on this project, even though it sounds to be on his back burner. His shows make me want to cry with the plot twists and what have you, I think the DT would be just his cup of tea and would be sadly disappointed if it were to flop after just one movie.

Finish the book. I agree with you, the last three books are not the best in the series, even compared to the first book, which I NEVER finished reading. I only made it to book II because while working as a proof operator a buddy loaned me the books on audio.

I promise you, even the worst of the series will hold you enthralled by the guy they chose to read the audio books (though sadly he is not on Books I and VII; he suffered a terrible motorcycle accident before VII was released).

The journey is irritating. Books V-VII seems so bloated, not like his short stories and the early Dark Tower books. His writing style didn't change, but I think we can see the books got longer and longer without really adding anything through the length.

I also felt irritated when robots came into the story. Personally, one of the big appeals of the story was reading about a gunslinger from a kind of wild west transported into our world, then vice versa. As many of you know, the books turn into something quite different.

But the ending is one of the best I have ever come across in literature. I won't spoil it, but King is a master at tying all the threads together. You will find yourself jumping right back to the first book to read it all over again.

i think if cut out stephenkings character you cant finsh the series. every book of this series could be an amazing movie by itself. nothing should be left out.

This series is definitely the best fantasy/sci-fi series I've ever read. And to me, it far surpasses Lord of the Rings. These books include every genre of literature + film. It's got fantasy, sci-fi, romance, action, philosophy, comedy, poetry, psychological suspense, and of course horror. I really do hope they can make a film adaptation worthy of the books, and it seems like it's in good hands if the people who are responsible for Lost and Alias are working on this.

I do agree with Brevett though, not all the books were done with equal success. My favorite was definitely The Wastelands. But it's easy to pick a favorite because King seems to change to a different genre with each book. This way he can reach any audience, but it also keeps the atmosphere of the stories somewhat inconsistent. With the first book it was a western, then it moved to a gangster action type, then to hardcore sci-fi, and later fantasy romance.

Making 7 films that really stay faithful to the 7 books might not work out as well as it's imagined. One film would be packed with plot twists and action, while another is going to be dull and dragged out on one event. They definitely need to consolidate the material into less than 7. Plus the amount of time that passes through the whole journey the characters are on isn't as long as 7 years. They have to take into consideration that one of the main characters is a pre-pubescent boy, and if they're going to drag out the films over 7 years, that kid is going to have some obvious physical changes throughout. And in the books, Jake still dies a boy. Having a 7 movie series can also get redundant. A movie trilogy is typically the limit on keeping any series still watchable. Once you get past the third people usually lose their interest. If they make these movies into 3 hr movies like LOTR, then they definitely have enough time to get all the plot content in. I can see squeezing the last 3 books into one movie.

@mia: I think King already envisioned a movie version of his books when he put himself in the book. DT is definitely his masterpiece and legacy as an author. He's put himself in a cameo role in every movie adaptation of his book since the 80s. It's his signature on his work.

@Hugh Deppman:

Frank muller was definitely the best voice actor to work on the audio books

@dub:
Regardless of whether or not it becomes a movie or series, how about making it into an anime? That wouldn't cost too much. I'm not sure how much cg movies cost to make but what about just a normal, badass, anime?

I didn't have time to read the whole thread so sorry if this is a repeat, but I wouldn't object to the movie or movies being a "based on" rather than a completely faithful adaptation…in other words, another "The Shining". To me, Kubrick's version was a rare example of the movie being far more masterfully done than the book, with many parts altered and the ending completely redone in order to fulfill the director's vision. The entire scenario with Stephen King writing himself in, for example, turns out to be quite pointless and doesn't affect the way the series ends anyway…if I were to direct, I would disregard this part.

I would be wary of attempting 7 movies…the series was not on par with Harry Potter or Twilight in the popularity department, and even with an all-star cast a successful 7-movie Stephen King series is probably not in the tarot cards. Success, but not for you Lindeloff and Abrams. I think this would further justify altering/rearranging events in the story to be more economical and feasible in hooking the viewer in.

Perhaps books 1-3 and 5-7 could be divided into 2-4 parts, and depending on their success, book 4 could be made as a prequel. What would be awesome is a prime-time TV series just like Lost, lasting 6-7 seasons. Sure, we know what happens, but perhaps Roland will discover something different…Maybe Lost is some story parallel to Roland's? Perhaps both stories will meet up at their conclusions?

I'm very excited at any prospect of the DT being made into a movie! Here's hoping… ::raises a Coors::

Thought I'd chime in with my two cents. Sorry didn't read the whole thread!

I do agree with what seems to be the general opinion that the last few books were somewhat weaker than the first few, and that ditching the King cameo would be a good idea for a movie adaptation. The 7th book is quite good in my opinion, I'd say the 6th is the worst of the bunch and should be de-emphasized. The 5th one is decent though it's not really on par with the earlier ones. I think the 4th is one of the best, and it would be a shame to chop this one out.

So… when deciding how to split it up, I just hope they weight the books well… maybe a trilogy is possible… 1 and 2 combined, 3 and 4 combined, and then 5,6,7 combined.

Also, it was a real shame how Flagg was so easily dispatched in the story.. honestly, I wouldn't mind if he played a stronger role in the movie.

Look regardless how the movie is made we will not have our say in it, as far as which book is better or which was worse….did it not keep you on your toes all the way from one to seven? They are great and complex, some things can be cut and in hollywood always are cut. Personally making a movei good is something you have to put your faith in. I never thought i would like something like Lord of the Rings, but i went ahead and watched the Fellowship and loved it so it all boils down to personal taste, and the fact is you take a risk with any film, people are either going to like it or they're not. My complete and personal opinion is if you only do Gunslinger as the first movie some people won't go and see the second. It should be combined with the Drawing of the Three.

@Amy: You're right…..it is a matter of personal taste. No matter who is involved with this project or how good it turns out or what format (movie, HBO, etc.) you'll have nay-sayers. This "triumph of literature" should be made into film. Let's face it….King obviously wants to see it happen….otherwise he would have turned down everyone including J.J. Abrams down when the idea was initiated. He considers this his "magnum opus", his "greatest work"……so it will probably happen…..with any push at all (from him). Dark Tower being made into film…..translates into a gazillion new fans getting turned onto Roland & Co. The bottom line is……it is a masterpiece and by making it into film, just expands on the Dark Tower mythos. (like the Marvel Graphic Novel series did and continues to do). Personally, once work evolves from one format to another, I have no problem separating them……you can love the book and hate the movie/s or vive-versa. There is no way that this can be contained as a singular body of work (from book to graphic novels to film, etc.)…..it's out of the bag now and in different (creative) hands moving forward. The singular King vision of the Dark Tower ended when he invited Marvel to the party and gave Peter David, Robin Furth, etc, the go-ahead to expand the world of Roland. With J.J. Abrams and Damon Lindeloff now invited…..it should be one hell of a party.

Adpating a novel to film is quite a difficult task. Causing the mind's eye to reveal itself through even the utmost CGI is utter choas.
I think that each novel should not have it's own movie. Books 1 & 2: Movie #1. Book3: movie #2, Book 4: Movie #3; Book 5 & 6:, Movie #4; Book 7: Movie 5.
Movies from the books? Say True. I say thank ya.

Well I have read alot of good ideas here. Viggo Mortensen can make himself into anyone he chooses or so i have read. Very solid choice for Roland. Maybe Ed Norton for Eddie and well I always pictured susannah as the black chick(Lanei Chapman) from the movie Rat Race (she now does Hardees commercials) pretty sure she's free.
But as much as I want to see the a Fullblown Movie.. i would hate anything less that 8 or nine Movies and that is not happening. A couple of the books are just too big. What are ya gonna leave out the first to make it fit with the second in one movie… Nope not for me… And Doing book seven in ONE MOVIE HAHA
It has to be a HBO/Show/ hell USA and FX do fine work. JUST DONT LET ANYONE FROM THE SCIFI CHANNEL NEAR IT… I LOVE Science fiction HATE the channel though.
Well off to make me a popkin before bed…

May we meet again on the path, before we all meet in the clearing

Thankee Sai

@Susan Stevens:
I think the actor Viggo Mortensen would be best for Roland. That's all I want.

Frank Darabont needs to write the screenplay!!!

Honestly, I feel that after robin forth or firth joined the King team,things took a drastic turn. But all in all, I would feel less fortunate to have not finished the series init's entire result. Ex-consand dying grandmothers have written King asking for the end,and he couldn'ttell them. Not on the spoilerfear of ruiningit but just because he didn't know how it would end. That my freinds, says alot about the caliber ofthis story. Goodnight constant readers.

I really think that the dark tower series would be better suited as a television show than a series of movies. True, it would have to be on HBO or something because of the language and the violence. But I think that even trying to tell the stories in 7 movies would be pushing it. The last three movies would have to be 4 hours long to get everything in. But as a tv series they would have years to tell what's happening. As far as Wizard and Glass goes, JJ Abrams has proved with Lost that he can weave flashbacks into a story without letting it take over the main arc. I think that the story from W&G could be told as a series of flashbacks while the story in the other books are going on at the same time. It's worth a thought.

Hi there… I just saw this website and read it because i saw the Dark Tower topic.

I just can say I can't wait to see the first one… and i'll tell the truth, i would really love to see an adaptation for each book, but I know I can get disapointed because people who make movies allways made a bad movie from great books like this one.

By the way I alredy have read all the Dar Tower books, and to be honest… THEY CHANGE MY LIFE. I LOVE STEPHEN KING. HE SHOULD BE A GOOD AND HEAVEN THE DARK TOWER'S WOLRD :D

i would like to see a movie for each book. i think the series was great i finished it several years ago and just keep reading it over and over. i agree that it would be pretty hard to make a good film out of this series but i think with the right people it could be done. you would just need a good director that liked the series as much as the fans do.

I think making DT into a movie is a terrible idea. The only movies that have not been hack jobs are The shawshank redemtion and the green mile. And the green mile didnt even end the way it was supposed too. I have no faith in Hollywood to do it right and im actually very upset that it is even in the works.
IF this has to happen i think it would be best to just do it in 3 or 4 movies. I absolutly think The Gunslinger and The drawing of the three need to be one movie. It will put the story line out there, it will start with all of the main characters it needs to make the next movie too. As much as i LOVE the Wizard and Glass it really isnt going to help the movies. Directors cut everything to pieces as it is and they might as well cut the part that isnt actually necessary to make the story. I agree about it being a prequel. That is an excellent idea. Combine Wolves of Calla and Song of Susanna. They are gonna cut a ton as it is may as well put those together so its a hit movie and Of corse The Dark Tower book needs to be by itself. Its so long and has so much pertinant to the story in it that they need to keep so much of it. There it is…3 movies with a prequel a few years later.
As far as actors go i would say we need a big name for Roland, then just cast the rest as unknown actors. I cant imagine any currently popular actors as any character. Clint eastwood is obviously the right choice as Roland…we will see. But the rest just cant be old names. This is movie project like the lord of the rings, you cant have actors in it that make you think of other movies. It could ruin the amazingnes of the story.
I will protest made for TV until the day I die. Its a horrible idea. Not enough money, not enough freedom. If the Lord of the rings would have been made for TV it would have been terrible too. Although i still say that this movie idea is absolutly terrible and will probably disgrace the whole thing, if it has to be done it has to be done right with people that truly want an amazing movie, not the money it may bring.

I would love to see this made into movies. However I agree that they have to be done right, and with the right actors. I've seen so many of his books ruined by poor production and would hate to see this with the Dark Tower series. I could easily see Viggo Mortensen in the role of Roland Deschain. The fear I have though with the books being turned into movies is that so often I end up disappointed. Green Mile is one exception, and Misery. But most, Meh. They would have to bring in just the right people or it just won't be right.

Ok, first off, introducing Stephen King as a character was not stupid or have anything to do with being egotistical. The meaning behind it, if you understood the backbone of King's work, is quite simple. The Tower series are his life. His life-work. The reasons behind there being a lag between Wizards and Wolves is all explained by him… the character him. The way that they bounce between worlds, have characters from other books, the prim, todash, walk-ins. ALL FOR A REASON. King was trying to convey a message, to confuse and open minds.

EXAMPLE: the way Roland's world was before it moved on…. the machines that the old ones left behind… how east is no longer true east… the destruction of the beams….

Think about it. The way our world was before war… any war, take your pick… how things change…. from bad to worse, from good to better. Our machines… our technology… nuclear warheads…. you know… see where Im going with this?

Maybe it's nothing. Maybe we look too much into things. But King is known to put things into perspective, to add things into his books to make us think… and cringe. I assume you have read or seen NEEDFUL THINGS? GREED AND ENVY! THE STAND? Superflu = AIDS! CUJO? People not taking care of their pets! (lol…. ) Not all of his books equal something else, but there is truth behind a lot of them. If you look for it.

When you get to the end of the last book, and you read past the "ending" you will understand so much more. Who knows by now, you may already have finished it. Maybe even changed your mind. I am not trying to make up your opinion, alter it in any way. I am just trying to express to you WHY the Tower has such a following. Most people I talk to about it, love it. They fall in love with the characters, respect them. I know they are just ink and images of the mind, Im not that dense to think otherwise, but people tend to connect themselves with characters in books. Tend to put themselves into the story to escape from an otherwise boring day.

King is not egotistical, he is probably one of the most humble famous people I have ever read about. He doesnt always do it for the money, he doesnt always do it to please other people. From what I get from any article or book (On Writing for example), he is a down to earth, albeit morbid, individual who has the talent to keep people interested. If you didnt like WOLVES or SUSANNAH, then why did you keep reading? I'll tell you why… there is an ending, sometimes boring to get to, (as in Wastelands for me, or even in the LOTR trilogy) but an ending that may explain so much! I skipped alot of stuff when reading LOTR because Tolkein had a flair for over creating backgrounds and histories. It bored me to death! But I read all the books, saw all the movies, and loved them! Wastelands, to me… had a lot of "wasted" words. It was the most difficult for me to get through. But that's just me. I still tell people, READ the Tower books, trudge through Wastelands, it's worth it.

I actually want to see more of the story. The ending…. why do you think it keeps getting repeated? Because there is something that Roland keeps fucking up. Read the poem "The Childe Roland to the Dark Tower came" and maybe you will understand that more.

Ok, I have written a small novel myself with this and should just quit now. Look for Stephen King: The Dark Tower group on facebook. Come discuss this more with me and other people who just cant get enough!

@Katie:

I very much agree with Viggo as Roland. I think that Sam Elliot would be great as either Roland or Eldred .. the Big Coffin hunter!

@Erika:

I disagree. If Peter Jackson would do it, it would be phenomenal! As much as I would love to see 7 movies, I agree with you that maybe there should be some combining. Gunslinger and Drawing would be great if made into one movie. However, I worry about that a little too. Wolves and Susannah, all though they do seem to have key points that waver from the rest of the story ( at least in some people's opinion) they are important.

@JayVee: I have a lot to say on this subject but I have to start here. It canNOT start with Wizard and Glass. And don't use the comic books as an excuse to start there. The comic books started this way because that was what they were hired to do: provide the background for Roland's character. They aren't telling the whole story of Roland from his trial against Cort to his walk in the field of roses at the base of the tower. They specifically set out to tell the story of Roland from his trial against Cort to his final battle with his original ka-tet, at Jericho Hill.

It has to start with the Gunslinger. It has to start with the visual image that corresponds to this line: "The man in black fled across…"And the Gunslinger would be the best of the movies or shows. Imagine all the action in the book as well as all the moments that would provide depth into Roland's psyche. The destruction of Tull, his test against Cort, being chased through the mountains by mutants. Letting Jake fall.

Roland only reveals the events that make up the bulk of Wizard to his ka-tet after they pester him for weeks. It takes him that long to get to that emotional state. Because at the heart of that story is once again the idea that he will leave everyone behind in order to get to the Tower. And he is telling that to his friends. Admitting to them that he will leave them if it is a choice between them or the Tower. Or at least he is admitting it would be a difficult decision. The viewer needs to be in that emotional state with him when he tells of Susan's death and the rest of his time in Mejis. The story in Mejis isn't just background info on Roland. It develops the character of Roland. If you just start with this young Roland then you're developing nothing and it's basically useless.

As for if it should be movie or show, I would vote show but I would say either way it will be extremely difficult. Jake will have to be recast at least once. But that wasn't the point of the post. I just wanted to put to rest the idea of starting with Wizard and Glass.

I agree with the post above. The Dark Tower series is about Roland searching for the Dark Tower. Starting with Wizard and Glass would give the wrong image. I also agree in that you have to get to know Roland's character in order to feel any sympathy for him at all. What happened with Susan and at Jericho Hill shape Roland into the person he is, into the person who continuously searches for the Dark Tower.

In all honesty I think if they made the books into a movie or into shows, they would suck. The books are so detailed, the characters are depicted in such a way that no human actor would ever be able to live up to the image the readers have in their minds.

I love these books. I just ate them after I found out about them. Although I must admit that the Wolves of the Calla and Song of Sussanah were pretty bad. The way they were, I wouldn't be surprised if they meshed those two together, or even skipped the two!
Yes, those were bad, but the last book will fully and completely make up for it. 250 pages is just the beginning, just setting the stage. I assure you, the other 870 pages are pure and completely in tune with the Song of Gan.

I have given more thought to who should play Roland…While Viggo makes good sense.. I can't help seeing the looks of Roland in Hugh Laurie(aka House).. And being that he is English and plays an arrogant Amercan, one who have to believe he had the acting ability…
Probably be good for his career as well with House winding down…

Would LOVE to see adapted to a movie but it's EXTREMELY unlike to happen because of the length of the books and character development. I agree with most of the opinions on this web-site that the last three books are too long and not as good as the first four. A good point is in the final book when Roland and Susannah are being chased through the tunnels by some kind of monster in the darkness. Why was that needed in the story?

To the the writer: You shouldn't have spoke negatively on something you haven't finished reading. Until then, everything your wrote is a waste. Get back to me when your done. Then let's discuss everything.

@ImprisonedNtheDarkTower: I have since finished these books and while I thought the seventh book was a massive improvement over "Wolves" and "Susannah" I am still not a fan of the Stephen King thread in the story. No change there.

I also don't think a TV adaptation would do the series justice and a feature film franchise would cost too much money and not be able to develop enough support from the movie-going audience. Just look at what happened to the Narnia series, Disney dumped it and Fox is trying to save it, doesn't bode well considering the Narnia franchise of books has been around much longer and has far more admirers.

Now what was it you would like to discuss?

I'm partly into listening to the audio recordings of the series, having already read them once. I've long been of the opinion that these books would lend themselves well to film; King wrote an amazingly lush and believable world for Roland and his tet to travel in, and it would be a shame to never see it realized onscreen.

However, I do think the first book would be a serious challenge that perhaps should be handled a little bit differently than as a conventional film. As King himself stated, it ran in reverse up to Roland getting to the Waystation in the Mohaine Desert, and I'm not at all certain that could be shown onscreen without quite thoroughly confusing the audience.

Another issue I have with the first novel as a film is a decided lack of chronological plot points up to Roland's first encounter with Jake. There's very little that's actually relevant other than as a way to establish Roland's character, and in a film, it's the actor that does that as much as the plot. For example, describing Roland as a person (how he looks, acts, walks, dresses, talks, etc) may take several pages of the first book, but can be accomplished in mere seconds on film.

That said, the period Roland and Jake spend under the mountain could be used to dream up a few new horrors (and/or maybe a "boss fight" in gamerspeek) and further establish that Roland's world, for all its visual beauty, really isn't all that nice of a place in some cases. Let's be honest- not a lot happens that terribly crucial in those early pages of "The Gunslinger" from a character development standpoint, again, until Roland meets Jake. Shoot- to replace or add to those moments that *are* needed, we could flash back to Mejis for part of a scene. The Mejis story is one of my favorites by far.

As to the other books, the ending of "The Wastelands" might tick some people off, but could well ensure that those same people come back for the next one. It's very important that "Wizard and Glass" in particular is done right, as this will necessitate not only the use of a much younger actor to play !Roland, but also a great deal of tact given the ages of the participants in that story. Their youth may be all well and good in the books- after all, Roland is considered an Apprentice Gunslinger at that point, and not a boy by any stretch as far as everyone in his world is concerned- but American audiences will squirm in their seats if Roland's age at that time in the films matches his age at that point in the books. Right or wrong, we throw people in jail for exactly that over here.

The scene with Jake and the Doorkeeper is one I eagerly anticipate- but showing it as it occurs in the book would earn a quick and decisive NC-17 rating. I think even completely pantomiming the scene in question, without any additional effects for Susannah's character, would do that. Unfortunately, that incident is vitally important as a plot point later on. I'd like to point out here that no popular or successful serious American motion picture I'm aware of has ever been shown under the Nc-17 label. People still consider this "Rated X", which means Pr0n, which means "this theater will not show adult material". Sad situation, but there it is.

As to King appearing in his own film as his own character: no. It *might* *partially* work in the books (I'm still hung on that one), but people would walk out of the theater if they tried it in the films. Rework the plot so the actual "Gan's Navel" *looks like* King, but isn't, and it could work a bit better. You could even establish that in advance by "twinning" other, secondary and tertiary characters in our world, as seen by Jake, Suze, and Eddie to people they meet in Mid/End World prior to "the Writer" ever being a consideration.

Make the piecemeal removal of the tet's members as emotionally brutal as possible. I want the last scene with Oy to rip out my heart, stomp it on the ground, and grind it in the dirt. That scene made me *cry* when I read it. If every audience member isn't silently sobbing after that, "you're doin it rong".

The prospect of films is exciting to me; as a hobbyist 3D animator and modeler, I read the Doorkeeper scene with a mind as to what I would expect it to *look* like, given what I know about the capabilities of 3D animation. If these are done anything close to "right", they'll be well worth the watching.

Crap! I have to stop writing; this is long enough as it is. Just my $.02… or, in this case, my $20.

:D

The whole idea of a dark tower movie (or series of movies) is just too big for us to grasp and agree on. No one is going to be completely happy, that just never happens. You obviously need 99% of the gunslinger, which could run into the drawing of the 3, but would have to be cut off somewhere around the introduction of Eddie. If there are 7 movies, the true fans will see them all. The financing for the later films may come directly from ticket/dvd revenue, because getting a studio to greenlight a seven movie series(with consistent budgets, that doesn't involve teenage wizards) would take an act of God.

@Occulus: @Occulus: I would pay cash money to see the look on an audience's cumulative faces with that ever so wonderful "Blaine the Mono" cliffhanger.

@redeyeconflict:

*riddle contest finally begins*

*interior shot of train with faded-out walls*

*camera climbs out of cabin to show the Wastes*

*train whooshes off with a sonic boom*

*ROLL CREDITS*

ROFL. It's such a totally classic cliffhanger, too. And after all that- the Doorkeeper, Lud, Big Blaine/Little Blaine…

I believe in these books or rather-the Paths of the Beam-that bind all of its readers together. There is no pretention behind anyone here, and its beautiful. I hope that when this massive epic is put on film-and it will, eventually-that the same beauty-of-life falls upon the viewer, as it has the reader. Hardly any LOtR fans seem to use the dialects from the books in posting on message boards, or in my case, occasionally conversation. Whether or not we liked the whole of the stories, we all are bound together, and all are gunslingers, sometimes inside. Roland Deschain is the ultimate superhero, if you could call him that-we all want to be like him-walking our path.
I have porphyria-an allergy to the sun-and when I started this story at 12 years old, I nearly hospitalized due to the neurological and physical effects of my own personal day-long treks through the the mountainous areas in east TN, pretending inside to be looking for lobstrosities in ponds and perhaps a door…when really I was taking a long trip to the video store.
Now at almost 25, say thankya, sometimes I look up off my balcony, smile at the clouds, hoping to see the Beam. And that is what the dark tower means to me.

I'd like to see a movie adaption, but not necessarily one per book. IMO, Wolves of the Calla doesn't have enough story for a full movie on it's own.

@tooterfish:

Although I would love to see Hugh Laurie in a long movie… I dont think he could be Roland. He is too famous for his role as HOUSE. We need some new sexy but rough actor. Having an all star cast just wouldnt flow right. I dont know, maybe it's just me.

@Niki Spencer:
tooterfish: I agree that you can't have an actor like Brad Pitt or somebody play Roland because he's just too well known and would detract attention from the actual movie. But you can't have a complete nobody come in like they did with Superman Returns. You want someone just big enough to catch everyone's attention, someone they recognize but maybe can't name. I think Hugh Laurie fits that. Everyone will recognize him but most people can't name the big TV stars. I mean can anyone out there tell me the name of the stars on Heroes, CSI, Mad Men or Life without googling it. I'm sure some of the really big fans of those shows could, but most people wouldn't know that person by name. That's what we want here. If there's a role out there that could be played by a bigger named actor it would be Eddie or Walter. Hugh Laurie has the acting chops, the look and would be perfect for the role in my opinion.

There is another question I haven't seen mentioned above which I would like to pose which is this: Is JJ Abrams the right director for this. MI 3 and Cloverfield were good but neither was great. To me, especially with the Gunslinger, that movie would have to be spectacular. I don't know if JJ has the ability for it. I hope he does, because it would be great to see Roland's destruction of Tull, riddling with the Mono and the de-think-capping of the Wolves all on the big screen. I just worry about Abrams. Hopefully my worries are all misplaced.

The s-shape at the end is the key. They will have to get all of it. Book 1 should be its own movie. Walters visions sent to Roland would make a great ending, and leave those who haven't read the story scratching their heads. The Drawing of Three should also include up to Jake's drawing as well. The Watelands should take us all the way to Topeka. Wizard and Glass as a true prequel. I think Woles could stand on its own. Song of Sue should be combined with the first half or so of The Dark Tower, and then the grand conclusion. Seven movies if it do ya.

I never thought of Hugh Laurie. I like it. Vigo, Hugh Jackman or (don't laugh at this) Patrick Swayzee. Shia LeBeouf would make a great Eddie. Jada Pnkett-Smith as Susan. Billy Zane as Walter. Donald Sutherland as Jonas. Michael Chickliss as Cort. John Goodman as Herk Avery. Clint Eastwood (as an omage) as Father Calahan. Famke Jansen as Mia.
Just afew thoughts.
Also, anyone who hasn't, should listen to these on audio. If it wasn't for Frank Muller, I may have never become a fan. Say thank ya.
Final thoughts…….BIG SCREEN, BIG SCREEN, BIG SCREEN

@ravidlaz: You're mistaking "The Wastelands" for "The Wizard and Glass"

People! Please, there really only is one way to this: and it starts with, "The man in black fled across the desert. And the gunslinger followed." If you try to do it any other way, it will just piss off the hardcore fans (like myself). I personally have read the entire series 4 times, and each time I do, I picture the way I would do it.. if I were making the movie. Picture this:

-SETTING: Desert
-TIME: dusk

At a distance we see a man walking briskly over the crest of dune, he is tall and wears a black robe. We cannot see his face. As he is moving across the desert, we see words fade in at the bottom of the screen: THE MAN IN BLACK FLED ACROSS THE DESERT…

-CUT TO-
Desert, much farther away…

The screen fades in on a sun-bleached human skull, half buried in the sand. A black, dusty boot comes down on the skull; crushing it. As the camera pans up the leg, we see the words, "…AND THE GUNSLINGER FOLLOWED." Cue music (Bad Company by Bad Company). The camera pans up the leg to the gun on his right hip, showing the scrollwork and engraving, also the sandalwood grips. Pan the camera across the waist to show the gun on his left hip. We follow the camera up the gunslinger's back to show the waterskins, and his gear; finally up to the back of his head. As the camera slowly rotates arounf the gunslinger's head, the camera zooms in on his eye.

-CUT TO-
Dusty road, with a beat-up old wooden sign proclaiming: "TULL"…

I could go on like this for a while, I actually have written a screenplay for the first movie. I know EXACTLy how it would work. For those of you who want to change the story and still call yourselves fans? I say boo to you, everything in the story is told for a reason. Don't you see that changing the story was what made a lot of his other films so terrible? Have you ever read "IT" and then seen the movie? It's like night and day!! Keep the progression, keep stephen king as a character, don;t cut out anything that makes the stories what they are…

I'm a fan of most of this series of books but I have a big problem with Wolves of The Calla as it was just a straight rip-off of Seven Samurai (I know King acknowledged its influence but that doesn't excuse it) so I think you could get away with five or six films – just miss Wolves out – nothing much of any importance really happens in it anyway. Could be a great series of films though – if done properly.

@fonziespice:

Wow, I actually got chills thinking of Billy Zane as Walter. Looking at it, you really can't go wrong with that match up, Billy's got that kind of creepy superiority thing that he rocks in a few of his films (Demon Knight definitely comes to mind), and his voice has that right combination of arrogance and power to really bring Walter to life. Very nice choice, my friend.

Come on guys, listen to yourselves! No CG, no big budget movie! Make it an animated tv series on HBO like Spawn. It would be cheaper, look better, and just be better. They could even get the guys who did the comics to work on it. And they can put in everything. You want Clint Eastwood as Roland? You got it! Worried about Jake aging? Cartoon characters dont age unless you want em too! Dear lord, the state of the world these days… Has old fashion animation completely died already?

I devoured all seven books, and actually liked the last three the best. The ending is shocking and had me reeling for days. I don't know if I could stomach the film versions, though, since SO much of this stuff comes to life in the imagination of each of us. Could we all be happy with what a couple of filmmakers put up on the screen? I dunno. But I would love to see a movie version of Black House…
As for the Dark Tower series, it is the most moving writing I've read in years, and I read voraciously. I will never forget these characters and their stories, and am just not sure seeing someone else's visualization of them would help or hurt. We always have the books!

I think the screenplay could be adapted to squeeze all seven novels into 3 or 4 feature films with a running time similiar to the LOTR films. If this thing is born in the form of an HBO series or a cable tv series then you can count me out. "The Langoliers" could've been special but was botched. Thank God "The Mist" was put into good hands people.
The backstory in "W & G" could be severely downsized IMO.

@ckybltz: Is "the Road" new? i have not heard about it yet and i am pretty up to date on my SK books even the new short story collection.
I have almost all the books and movies and i am working on collecting the Graphic novels.
It is just a thing for me…i decided a long time ago if i was going to have a collection it would be complete, and so for it is. I am only missing a few rare books,such as, the one with the original printing for "The Mist". i would appreciate a reply when you get around to it.
Thank you,
Jennifer

If Lindeloff and Abrams end up making the Dark Tower series, they already have the perfect Roland working for them on LOST. Jeff Fahey, who plays Frank Lepidus the chopper/airline pilot. He's got the blue, bombadier's eyes, the gravelly voice, and the whole Clint Eastwood thing going for him. Seriously, the only thing he'd have to do to prepare for the role is smile less.

HAHA!! I just did a bit more digging on Jeff Fahey. I had totally forgot that he's already starred in a previous Stephen King adaptation as Jobe from Lawnmower Man. It's just the sort of symmetry you gotta love if you're a fan of the Dark Tower.
4 8 15 16… 19! :-)

The Dark Tower……mmmm… surely one of the most romantic and astonishing stories of our generation.

When i was reading these books, my only thought was of the tower, it enraptured and captivated my mind's eye, the vision, so to speak, haunted me; and i loved it.

As films, these books will surely suffer from hollywood's lack of discipline and (might as well go there) CARE. However, evidently enough Mr. King himself wants it to occur, so it will. Will it be good? I'm not a big fan of lost, and i feel that Abrams does not have enough 'vision' to render this series in its entirety. Will the Dark Tower be a good film or series, the answer is probably no, either way you look at it. Abrams may have a good pop-directing background but i feel that he won't be able to approach DT in that way, not if he wants it to be a success (even mildly) Abrams is too…. new age. This story to me feels like it is aged, and we are adoring members of a society looking back on the journey and reverently recalling the legend just for its place in our history. Personally, i feel that DT medias (film, series) will never live up to the books, never come close to the craftsmanship that Stephen King has used for this epic. I would want someone more artistic to do it, Coppola maybe. These things need to be spot on for DT to be truly represented. My opinion, Abrams, thanks but we're looking at others.

The series encompasses so many differing thoughts and notions, plays with complex and deep threads so expertly that we are all on here typing and arguing about it. the cast will have to be a distinctly good mixture of unnamable members and decently famous ones. If for TV, then use new talent or somewhat newish talent for all but Roland.

This is the crux here, the gunslinger, Roland of Gilead; if not for his character, would any of us care? would we spend the time on here looking and reading other posts? no, the gunslinger, as a character, ties it all in, so trusting the role to a somewhat unproven actor seems a large risk, I believe that Viggo might just be the best of all selections, recently i looked at Clive Owen, of Sin City fame, but i am unsure how well he would perform. The gunslinger MUST be the best, mainly due to his role and the depth and clarity of such. He must be Roland, the hard-ass, Roland the softy, and Roland the anti-hero all at once. The doggedness of his mind and the format of his thinking must also be played just right, or the film/ series will no doubt stink like Rhea of Coos.

but also, it WILL be done, like it or not, agree or disagree. The epic is too prolific in the annals of our time to have not picked up the media interest. The movies, (or so i feel) need to be more operatic than action-esque. While reading the books i always had this vision of the somewhat ethereality of this work, it must not be just spaghetti western style, dramatic/ yes, Action-packed? at parts, but there is a fluid notion of love and romance, fear and grit hard reality that must be put forth, Don't use the pop-culture music even if it is a direct influence, and don't correlate the action to westerns either, this story is a form of sorcery for the mind, we are trapped by the stupid devotion of Roland to his tower, and the Ka-tet that forms around him, but is not including him. There must be an art to these films/ series, one which was approached in LOTR, that may have never been done before in cinema. Otherwise, the majesty and magic of the whole epic journey, the cruxing points of reality and falsality in the story, will never be acheived

Long Days and pleasant nights
there are other worlds than this

Camuss111

and another thing, Roland is old and worn in the books, even in The Gunslinger he is at least 30, you folks are all choosing (in my little world the closer to the book the better) way too handsome and good looking men. Roland must be rough gruff and in Eddie's own words, 'long tall and ugly'

Viggo is still my pick, he has the rough side down and he can be a badass, (watch history of violence)

May your road lead you home

Camuss111

These books are amazing and yes a movie would be cool but they would not do a good job with them and cannot explain or even attempt to recreate the things that happen during the course of the books. Try and film the part which Susannah at the time was Odetta held off the demon by having it screw her as she explained felt like a cold icicle would be hard to do as graphic as Stephen king describes it to you. If u really want an adventure read the books because movies are never the same. If they do come out with a movie series i would see it to see how they did but I don't feel like hearing people think that the movie was ridiculously crazy that it was the best cause compared to the books and way he describes everything to you, it can't be acted out. If god wills it there will be water will see how ka lets things role. And If u ever get the chance Read these 7 books they will change the way you think about everything.

I loved these books. Honestly in a lot of ways book one was dry…. till i read thru all of them and went back and re-read it. As for book 5-7 they were great in their own way. Book 7 was a perfect way to end the series and definately changes the way you look at the series.
If they were going to pick an actor to play Roland he would have to be "Worn". He was old at the beginning of book one and how long was he out after the meeting with the man in black toward the end. His journey was extremely long and arduous. Viggo would be a great choice i think. only problem might be making him young and handsome looking for book 4. If they eventually do make movies.. i just hope they put tons of effort into making it right. (the only thing that matters is the ending)

@jordan: I have to agree,a T.V. series is the only way to go for this work of art, there is no way a movie ,or seven, could grasp every aspect that needs to be captured to fully display how good this story and it's characters are. Personally would not go see the final book in a cinema because crying like a baby in public just isn't my scene.

@Psychomiklos: No question there, should start the exact same way as the book and finish the exact same way.

look if its good its good and if its bad its bad.i would love to see how it turns out. how can n e 1 say not to make the movie b/c they dont think it would b n e good, or for n e other stupid reason they can think of, its about support of a great or the best author, and to see what he thinks would please us as a movie as it did a book.and jj is a great dir, the best for the job if u ask me. iam kind of pissed of at the lack of support, sure it may not be the best, but i will pay to see it, all of them.so to end this before i ramble on and on about my own opinons, i think this is a great idea, and could b one of the best series of movies, or at the least a nother good way to enjoy stephen king in a new day and age

I would love to see The Dark Tower portrayed in 7 movies, but most likely myself and other readers would hate it. They can't acurately put thousands of pages on the big screen. It would be better to make a TV series. Not a mini series, but a full blown tv show. I think there is more then enough story in King's epic tales to make a TV show out of.

honetly, i doubt very seriously that this epic of modern literature will ever be a movie or tv series or anything. it would cost way too much because the only way to make the series great on screen is to not delete a single detail because i would not like it any other way. there would also be way too many risks involved. what if one of the actors died in the middle of production? accidents do happen you know. thats ka. i just don't believe j.j. or anybody else would be the right person to do it and if they did and the movie or tv series was actually good, maybe even great, there's no way in heaven, hell, or earth that it would ever be as good as the novels.

in my opinion i would vote for about 4 movie adaptations. movie 1-books 1&2; movie 2-books 3&4; movie 3-books 5&6; movie 4-book 7. and i think they could manage most if not all of the details in the books. i mean they wouldn't have to spend a lot of time on most of the parts because most of the battles and conversations and shit that seemed long would not take as long on a movie.

i think if the right people were working on the movie and if stephen king feels the same way as the majority of us, the movie would be hugely amazing. and it has to start with the first book exactly like post 72 describes only i would rather somebody with a really awesome deep and raspy voice should say "the man in black fled across…" instead of having the words appear on the screen. the rest of the movie is obvious the way it should go (EXACTLY LIKE THE BOOKS!)

As a set of movies, The Dark Tower could be done. However, it couldn't be done perfectly accurate to the novels and the idea of doing a seven-film series is next to impossible in today's movie market. And of course, I think there is a lot in the books that could be dropped in favor of keeping things engaging for those who haven't yet read the books. Either way, it's quite a gamble because some of the series' most amazing scenes and set pieces call for an R-rating, and the days of the R-rated blockbuster may be at an end…at least for the time-being. Here's a few things they could do to shorten the film series yet still make it good:

1. Combine "The Gunslinger" and "Wizard and Glass." Intercut Roland's journey across the desert with flashbacks.
2. Make Marten, Walter, and Flagg the same person, even I get confused as to who is who sometimes.
3. Get rid of the characters and settings from other King novels, including King himself. Having the characters walk through a Captain Trips-laden Topeka in "Wizard" and bringing in the preacher from "Salems Lot" into "Wolves of the Calla" is great for a die-hard King reader, but would be ultimately confusing and unnecessary for the movie audience.
4. So the film series could go like this:
Movie #1 – Gunslinger/Wizard
Movie #2 – Drawing/Wastelands
Movie #3 – Song/Dark Tower
Simple trilogy, could have the same actors and director, "Lord of the Rings" for the R-rated crowd.

Stephen King got into accident in June in 2009 which would have been between The Dark Tower 4 and 5. Here's a description from the Wikipedia….

Car accident and thoughts of retirement

In the summer of 1999, King had finished the memoir section of On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, but had abandoned the book for nearly eighteen months, unsure of how or whether to proceed.

On June 19, at about 4:30 p.m., he was reading a book and walking on the shoulder of Route 5, in Center Lovell, Maine. Driver Bryan Smith, distracted by an unrestrained dog moving in the back of his minivan,[9] struck King, who landed in a depression in the ground about 14 feet from the pavement of Route 5.[4] According to Oxford County Sheriff deputy Matt Baker, King was struck from behind and some witnesses said the driver was not speeding or reckless.[10] King's website, however, says King was walking facing traffic.

King was conscious enough to give the deputy phone numbers to contact his family but was in considerable pain. The author was first transported to Northern Cumberland Hospital, in Bridgton, and then flown by helicopter to Central Maine Medical Center, in Lewiston. His injuries—a collapsed right lung, multiple fractures of his right leg, scalp laceration and a broken hip—kept him at CMMC until July 9, almost three weeks.

Earlier that year, King had finished most of From a Buick 8, a novel in which a character dies after getting struck by a car. Of the similarities, King says that he tries "not to make too much of it."

After five operations in ten days and physical therapy, King resumed work on On Writing in July, though his hip was still shattered and he could only sit for about forty minutes before the pain became intolerable.

King's lawyer and two others purchased Smith's van for $1,500, reportedly to prevent it from appearing on eBay. The van was later crushed at a junkyard after King had severely beaten it with a baseball bat. King later mentioned during an interview with Fresh Air's Terry Gross that he wanted to completely destroy the vehicle himself with a sledgehammer.[11]

A fictionalized account of the accident was written into the last novel of the "Dark Tower" series. Parts of the conversation between Smith and King, as he awaited medical attention, were used in the book, as well as an accurate description of the injuries sustained.

Two years later, King suffered severe pneumonia as a direct result of his lung being punctured in the accident. During this time, Tabitha King was inspired to redesign his studio. King visited the space while his books and belongings were packed away. What he saw was an image of what his studio would look like if he died, providing a seed for his novel Lisey's Story.

In 2002, King announced he would stop writing, apparently motivated in part by frustration with his injuries, which had made sitting uncomfortable and reduced his stamina. He has since resumed writing, but states on his website that:

"I'm writing but I'm writing at a much slower pace than previously and I think that if I come up with something really, really good, I would be perfectly willing to publish it because that still feels like the final act of the creative process, publishing it so people can read it and you can get feedback and people can talk about it with each other and with you, the writer, but the force of my invention has slowed down a lot over the years and that's as it should be."[12]

That was the Description from the Wikipedia. Most of it is true, but not all of it. Stephen King received moderate brain damage from the accident and has never recovered. That's why on the "19" of june 1999 he never was quite the same again and therefor the Dark Tower series was never really finished.

Well i must say that you must not not not make it in a movie. I want a complete series. As in a movie no director on the face of the earth can do it justice. I loved all the books, hated none of them, and whoever says that the last three books were…. whatever….well then God help you! The Last books are the cream of the whole series, Rolands final stand! God what kind people are here on Earth!

The series is way too long to be translated into film. It needs to be a miniseries. My favorite installment is definitely the Waste Lands. I never really like Wizard and Glass or that Stephen King was a character in the series. Oh well, still my favorite series.

Wow this is a big thread. So I didn't read the whole thing. I had a thought the other day about this:

**************SPOILER ALERT********************

I warned you…so here goes.

With the way the last book ended there could easily be changes. They could pick up where the last book left off. Roland is getting another chance at the tower and this time something's changed; he has Eld's Horn with him. This opens the possibility of changing a few story arcs that would otherwise prove extremely difficult to film. I know I may be speaking blasphemy but I would rather them try this than attempting to film a story that in many ways can't be filmed. I love these stories and I think it would be nice to see Roland finally end his journey. The adaptation could never equal the books so why not pick up where they left off and give Roland some closure. It would also tie in more with the poem…just putting that out there.

Brad Brevet, interesting review you gave. I agree, Book 3 (Wastelands) was excellent and is probably my favorite out of the 7, but to bash the last 3?! I loved them and they are all a close 2nd to my enjoyment of Wastelands. Stephen King inserting himself into the story was brilliant I thought, and still think so. I thought it worked very well, added to the plot beautifully and unexpected, and I especially loved the explanation of how the Crimson King was giving him nightmares to try stopping him from finishing the series.

Anyway, I'm crazy excited about the news that J.J. Abrams and his team have bought the rights. I am concerned but still hyped about the possibilities of seeing this wonderful story brought to life on screen. I would love to see it as a tv series, like Battlestar Gallatica was so superbly done. Mostly, I hope they get the casting right. But you never know, when Heath Ledger was announced to have landed the Joker role in Dark Knight, I remember everyone including myself saying WTF!! However he was amazing, so in the hands of the right script and director this could be very cool. Fingers crossed!

I grew up reading this great story and bought every one as they were completed. If a bunch of movies are made it would be best to start out and end from the "The man in black fled accross the desert and the gunslinger followed." But like in Tarrentino's pulp fiction movie it should thoughtfully skip around a bunch in a well thought out way so it keeps you wanting more of the story while bringing new parts and completing others. Also for star power Viggo Mortensen should be cast as older Roland and Orlando Bloom as the younger Roland and Sam Elliot or James Brolin as his dad. Cort should be played by Jesse Ventura. Russel Crowe should absolutely be the man in black walteror Marten because not only can he be an asshole in real life (no offence love his acting) but he has a natural brit well austrailian accent.

I began reading these books a few years ago, and finished all seven in about two months. The story is absolutely amazing, and King's blending of all his books into one story is incredible. But, as much as it pains me to say so, I don't think a seven movie epic is the way to go for the Dark Tower. In my miniscule opinon, the best way to go would be a mini-series, a-la The Stand. Though the Dark Tower mini-series would need six or seven epsiodes of roughly 1 1/2 to 2 hours. I think a cool way to approach Rolands Mejis flashback, would be to have the first few chapters of "Wizard and Glass" take place at the end of the third episode. This would set the fourth episode up to start in the flashback, and end with the confrontation at the Emerald Palace.

Oh, I forgot to mention. Hugh Laurie (House) would make an EXCELLENT Roland. He has the haggard appearance and the blue eyes. As well as the barely detectable dry humor.

I love these books. I have read all seven and think they're all great. I am so happy that they're making it into movies. I've been waiting for it since I started reading the series a few years ago.
I honestly wish Clint Eastwood wasn't too old, because he'd be the oerfect Roland, considering the character Roland was based off him.

Im all for a movie series….but 7 is a big ask. If they were worldwide bestsellers than yes…go for 7, but they are not….I think they should for 4 movies
Part I Gunslinger and the drawing of three….(drawing of the three is so damned exciting…gun fights and races against time)
Part II wastlands and Wizard(aching love story, and crazy train)
Part III Wolves and Sussanah(back to the actiion!!)
Part IV The Dark Tower( I agree, get rid of King as himself story line)
I agree that the first one has to be a hit for the others to get made.
But it would have enough action and character development to please both critics and audeinces alike….Christian Bale certainly has the star power to get asses on seats!!