Okay, this makes sense considering the names involved and recent history, but I can tell you adapting Stephen King’s “Dark Tower” series of novels for the film or TV is a big mistake.
The Hollywood Reporter is saying that Stephen King and J.J. Abrams are in talks to bring King’s “Dark Tower” book series to the screen, but it isn’t quite clear which screen that will be, the silver or the small.
King’s “Dark Tower” series spans seven novels, many of which are extraordinarily long, and is not at all suited for any kind of adaptation without losing the core elements of the series. The THR article says that the potential cost might call for a large-scale cinematic treatment, but that would have to be a large commitment, look what happened with Eragon and it isn’t like this is only three books like Lord of the Rings, it’s seven.
Apparently a number of entities have been chasing “Tower” but King is looking for strong filmmaker involvement, which is where Abrams enters the picture. Of course Abrams sounds like a good choice for the material and I think he would do satisfactory with it, but that won’t cut it, the stories are too long and too big. A multi-year television show might scratch the surface, but the costs would be astronomical considering the fantastical nature of the whole thing, and to pinch pennies would ruin it all.
I can’t remember where I read it, but I could have sworn King said he would never allow this material to be adapted into film form for just these reasons, but maybe I am dreaming.
