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The Dark Tower is now an Amazon pilot


Werthead

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Well here we go.

The 2017 movie has been ejected from continuity, they've recast both Roland and the MiB (here in his Marten guise) and they're starting chronologically, adapting the flashback narrative in Wizard and Glass first. Only a pilot greenlight so far, so we're maybe 18 months from seeing this on screen.

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So that's what bryan cogman is doing! We were just assuming he's doing lord of the rings but the timing here seems more apt.

I think it'd make a great tv show. Tricky part will be deciding how long to spend in the past. If they fill in gaps and go all the way to the fall of Gilead that's a show in itself. The dark tower proper could be a spin off

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It's shame the 2017 movie turned out to so poorly; I thought the casting was spot-on. That was the only good thing about it though, so probably for the best to pretend it didn't happen and move on.

I'm not sure if going chronologically like this is the best strategy though, or even to do the Wizard and Glass story at all really. It requires a different cast than the rest of the show and really seems like a better fit for a spin-off show after a success Dark Tower series has wrapped up.

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9 hours ago, Fez said:

It's shame the 2017 movie turned out to so poorly; I thought the casting was spot-on. That was the only good thing about it though, so probably for the best to pretend it didn't happen and move on.

I'm not sure if going chronologically like this is the best strategy though, or even to do the Wizard and Glass story at all really. It requires a different cast than the rest of the show and really seems like a better fit for a spin-off show after a success Dark Tower series has wrapped up.

I agree but like i said previously they could make an entire show charting Roland's early years and everything leading to the dissolution of his first ka-tet. Then do the dark tower proper as a sequel show. When you think about the books it's actually pretty damn clunky where the wizard and the glass appears. That would be awfully frustrating if the tv show ends season 3 on a cliffhanger then gives you a whole season of flashbacks before getting back to main story.

Plus if the actor cast as Roland is good he can age on screen to play older roland. Although the actor would have to love the role to do 10 seasons.

They still need to squeeze the earliest chronological material from "the gunslinger" in too. The tale of how young roland earns the title of gunslinger is a good one and essentially sets him on his path for good and bad.

Roland's past also makes for a much more stable world to craft a tv show around as it's more akin to a fantasy/western. The dark tower proper is a bit mad and constantly evolves/changes location and style (and if honest, quality) and is probably riskier and harder to adapt. It would be easier to do if they gained a loyal following with Roland's earlier adventures.

I just hope this show hasn't put an end to Amazon's option on "east of west" as two genre western shows seem a bit too much for one channel. But then again this is the company planning on airing lotr and wot simultaneously.

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10 hours ago, Darth Richard II said:

I am, not enthused about who has been cast and is showrunning.

Cogman as showrunner is wild speculation on my part. No idea who the actual showrunners are.

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14 hours ago, red snow said:

Cogman as showrunner is wild speculation on my part. No idea who the actual showrunners are.

He signed an "overall" deal with Amazon to produce new content but there still hasn't been any announcement about what their actually getting him to do.

Could be this, could be on LoTR, could be something entirely novel. We just don't know yet.

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16 hours ago, red snow said:

Cogman as showrunner is wild speculation on my part. No idea who the actual showrunners are.

At the moment, it appears that the showrunner will be Glen Mazzara, who was a co-executive producer on The Shield and was showrunner on Seasons 2-4 of The Walking Dead.

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9 hours ago, Werthead said:

At the moment, it appears that the showrunner will be Glen Mazzara, who was a co-executive producer on The Shield and was showrunner on Seasons 2-4 of The Walking Dead.

I've heard the shield is great but I'm trying to remember if "several episodes focusing on subgroups covering the same time period" was already a feature of the walking dead by season 4? Hopefully not otherwise the "dark tower" msy have found the perfect person to encapsulate the sense that ka is an endless cycle retreading the same path and never getting anywhere.

I recall season 2 at least was strong and at least he hasn't been involved with the show throughout.

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I would assume that --like the novels-- the story wouldn;t be told chronologically.... the Cuthbert/Susan prequel flashbacks could be --and IMO, should be-- folded into the main story.... but then again, I'm just a dude sitting on my couch  trying to resist the stack of girl scout cookies on my kitchen table..... 

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2 hours ago, Martini Sigil said:

I would assume that --like the novels-- the story wouldn;t be told chronologically.... the Cuthbert/Susan prequel flashbacks could be --and IMO, should be-- folded into the main story.... but then again, I'm just a dude sitting on my couch  trying to resist the stack of girl scout cookies on my kitchen table..... 

Unless they did it as flashbacks while covering their ongoing adventure I can't see how a TV show would be able to get away with spending so much time covering a different setting with different cast for what would be several episodes to a season of material. I realise the way TV is consumed is changing but I'm wary of that. Plus they've said they are covering Roland's early years so I can't see how they aren't going to be telling the story chronologically.

That said I feel "the passage" seems to be trying to adapt its story chronological and I suspect it will result in it never telling the whole story. It's yet to gain a second season and I suspect season 2 might divide TV viewers. 

 

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On 3/21/2019 at 11:51 PM, red snow said:

I agree but like i said previously they could make an entire show charting Roland's early years and everything leading to the dissolution of his first ka-tet. Then do the dark tower proper as a sequel show. When you think about the books it's actually pretty damn clunky where the wizard and the glass appears. That would be awfully frustrating if the tv show ends season 3 on a cliffhanger then gives you a whole season of flashbacks before getting back to main story.

Plus if the actor cast as Roland is good he can age on screen to play older roland. Although the actor would have to love the role to do 10 seasons.

They still need to squeeze the earliest chronological material from "the gunslinger" in too. The tale of how young roland earns the title of gunslinger is a good one and essentially sets him on his path for good and bad.

Roland's past also makes for a much more stable world to craft a tv show around as it's more akin to a fantasy/western. The dark tower proper is a bit mad and constantly evolves/changes location and style (and if honest, quality) and is probably riskier and harder to adapt. It would be easier to do if they gained a loyal following with Roland's earlier adventures.

I just hope this show hasn't put an end to Amazon's option on "east of west" as two genre western shows seem a bit too much for one channel. But then again this is the company planning on airing lotr and wot simultaneously.

Yeah, I'd love to see the Battle of Jericho Hill. 

Wizard & Glass is actually a great choice for a starting point, mainly because it has a story that will be fairly accessible to a general audience. Assuming they just tell the story of Roland's past and don't get into the green palace and such. 

Really glad this project is still alive. Fucking Amazon. I really don't want to buy Prime, but with this, the Expanse, and WOT I am pretty much being forced at gunpoint to buy.

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5 hours ago, Martini Sigil said:

I would assume that --like the novels-- the story wouldn;t be told chronologically.... the Cuthbert/Susan prequel flashbacks could be --and IMO, should be-- folded into the main story.... but then again, I'm just a dude sitting on my couch  trying to resist the stack of girl scout cookies on my kitchen table..... 

What kind of cookies?

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8 hours ago, Martell Spy said:

Yeah, I'd love to see the Battle of Jericho Hill. 

Wizard & Glass is actually a great choice for a starting point, mainly because it has a story that will be fairly accessible to a general audience. Assuming they just tell the story of Roland's past and don't get into the green palace and such. 

Really glad this project is still alive. Fucking Amazon. I really don't want to buy Prime, but with this, the Expanse, and WOT I am pretty much being forced at gunpoint to buy.

They have deep pockets it seems and clearly desperate to have their own "game of thrones" since the mandate Bezos gave them.

There's only conan they appear to have dropped so far. Although very little has been heard regarding "east of west" and "Lazarus" comic adaptations and "the culture" and "snowcrash" series since the initial announcements over a year ago. I guess it took a while to start hearing anything from LOTR so they could be gently simmering in development as opposed to dead. I do get the impression that Netflix seem quicker at getting their shows made to the point where i wonder whether some of Amazon's purchases are more about other streaming networks not getting the shows than Amazon being in a rush to make them.

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