All Things:Stephen King(including DarkTower news)

Russell Crowe Eyed To Take Over Role As Roland Deschain In 'The Dark Tower' As Warner Bros. Nears Decision | The Playlist

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While Javier Bardem was long attached to the lead role of Roland Deschain, Deadline now reports that Howard's pal Russell Crowe ("A Beautiful Mind," "Cinderella Man") is now being eyed to take over, as Warner Bros. are nearing a decision on whether or not to move ahead on the project. The concept is to tell King's sprawling tale across three films, with a television series between each movie in order to pack in the full story. Akiva Goldsman is apparently turning in a new script shortly (which we imagine will reflect a leaner budget), with the studio to say yay or nay once they give it a read.

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Originally Posted by adgy-san

Russell Crowe Eyed To Take Over Role As Roland Deschain In 'The Dark Tower' As Warner Bros. Nears Decision | The Playlist

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LOVE this idea. Crowe has to gaunt down some though.

Just to add more to Adgy's link...

THE DARK TOWER May Star Russell Crowe | Collider

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There’s no deal currently inked out, but the studio will be factoring Crowe’s involvement with the picture into their decision on whether or not to greenlight the film at all. Here’s the rub: the yay or nay will come within the next two weeks.

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almost surely dead if it comes up red. They have cut the budget repeatedly and if Bardem or Crowe can't put this over the top it just isn't meant to be. Granted...that might not be a bad thing, but there is something so unique about the whole plan that I want to see it happen just to see if the whole dynamic might actually be challenged.

Either one would be perfect.

In other Stephen King news (and I apologize if this is a re-post and I am just late to the party), Mr. King is writing a sequel to The Shining. Saw last night that he was recently at a show where he read the beginning of the new book to an audience. What I heard sound great.

Yeah, there is even a youtube clip of him reading excerpts so you may want to scroll back a few pages. Don't have the link but a Shining prequel(movie version) has been discussed lately too. Unsure what, if any, involvement King will have with that but I will try to find the story...

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Originally Posted by jerseydevil

Yeah, there is even a youtube clip of him reading excerpts so you may want to scroll back a few pages. Don't have the link but a Shining prequel(movie version) has been discussed lately too. Unsure what, if any, involvement King will have with that but I will try to find the story...

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Said last night (per Collider, I think) that King's involvement in the prequel is nil ...

I am really wondering if I will read the Shining sequel. The original scared the **** out of me. I will have to reread it as well. The sequel sounds downright frightening as well of what he read to the crowd.

Yeah, I am looking forward to it. He's been so good since he 'retired'.

Everytime I see this thread bumped I hope for an update on The Dark Tower so.. yay. I think Russel Crowe would be an excellent choice, he's got that rugged, gritty look and cold blue eyes. Slim him down and he'd be pretty damn close to how I imagine Roland looks.

He does that 'look of loss' stoic thing real good too. Gotta get down to Bale-size though and he's perfect. I still think it's 50/50 if WB goes all in w/this. It's a big chunk of money to commit and at what point do you HAVE to keep going through with the whole magilla? Say the first movie comes out and does good, not spectacular money...WB is really in a bind then. Law of averages says that numbers go down, not up, so early on this could be catastrophic. Anything other than a flop and I have to imagine they are compelled to move forward. Gonna be interesting. Are rabid King fans enough to support a MAJOR franchise? I honestly don't know.

If the call was mine and I valued my job I'd scrap the whole thing. I mean I'd love for it to get made but... man, a mainstream success? I don't see it. Though I would love to be proven wrong.