Fantasy Mike Flanagan's Adaptation of Stephen King's 'The Dark Tower'

[Persona]

Strong suspicion that the editor will be Nathan Gunn. He edited nine episodes during the seasons of TWD that Mazzara was show-runner on. Most recently he edited two episodes of Apple TV's upcoming For All Mankind series. His assistant editor on those two episodes was Isabel Yanes, who is listed as the assistant editor for The Dark Tower pilot.

 

[Man in the Suit]

The WGA Directory says Evan Reilly is on the writing staff. He was Mazzara's #2 on The Walking Dead.

Spoiler: TWD Season 2

 

[Deck Rickard]

Ah... when The Walking Dead was good.

 

[Man in the Suit]

Stephen Hopkins' wiki page says he's directing the pilot. He directed the 24 pilot, Predator 2, A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child, and The Life and Death of Peter Sellers. This is a random name so I'm expecting it to be true.

 

[Persona]

Great catch. Very experienced dude who is well-versed in television and pilots and has had some highlight moments (and some lows) in his career. I love that he did three episodes of Tales from the Crypt but also stuff like 24 and House of Lies. That's the right kind of amalgamation for The Dark Tower.

His filmography is all over the place, very eclectic, but I actually really like a couple of his films, especially The Ghost and the Darkness. I'm excited to see what he does with this pilot.

 

[Persona]

Makes me wonder if Peter Levy will be the DP since he has shot so much of Hopkins' stuff.

 

[Deck Rickard]

Great catch. Very experienced dude who is well-versed in television and pilots and has had some highlight moments (and some lows) in his career. I love that he did three episodes of Tales from the Crypt but also stuff like 24 and House of Lies. That's the right kind of amalgamation for The Dark Tower.

His filmography is all over the place, very eclectic, but I actually really like a couple of his films, especially The Ghost and the Darkness. I'm excited to see what he does with this pilot.

Yeah, The Ghost and the Darkness is a really good one. I could easily see the director of that film doing some good work on The Dark Tower.

 

[Finarfiniel]

It's good that we're getting more little pieces of info here and there, I wonder if they're still filming the pilot? I want to know when we're going to find out if the show has been picked up or not. Knowing that some really good scripts have been produced for the first few episodes is very encouraging, but I don't feel like I can actually get excited until I know whether I'm actually going to be able to see any of this or not.

 

[Persona]

According to IMDB, Simon Wan is Roy DePape, one of the Big Coffin Hunters.

 

[Deck Rickard]

Not familiar with Wan but glad that Depape is in it.

 

[Persona]

Another EastEnder in the show as Shobu Kapoor is Rhea of the Coos!

Love how they are working some diversity in.

 

[Deck Rickard]

Yeah, glad to see that this has a diverse cast. Rhea is one of the most important characters so I’m looking forward to seeing what this actress can do.

 

[Persona]

I recently finished the book series and I think I might have a fairly controversial ranking of them all because I thought the last two books went HARD. I get the meta aspect bugged some people (and yet it's built into the fabric of the story from the very start so I don't really get that) and maybe if I had been waiting for years in anticipation of the conclusion I would have been let down or something (I read them all in the past year or so) but, yeah, the beginning and the ending is where this thing really sung for me. The fatalistic/KA-talistic vibe of the final book and the mood of that whole thing plus its setpieces and ideas... gawd-bomb finale. Ka is a wheel, do ya ken it.

1. Song of Susannah
2. The Dark Tower
3. The Gunslinger
4. The Drawing of the Three
5. The Waste Lands
6. Wolves of the Calla
7. Wizard and Glass

That's not to say I thought Wizard and Glass was bad, I'm just not sure the flashback back-story needed to be 600 pages, say thankya. Looking back at it all in retrospect I think it is VERY smart they are starting the TV series with the back-story, though.

 

[JimThompson]

I recently finished the book series and I think I might have a fairly controversial ranking of them all because I thought the last two books went HARD. I get the meta aspect bugged some people (and yet it's built into the fabric of the story from the very start so I don't really get that) and maybe if I had been waiting for years in anticipation of the conclusion I would have been let down or something (I read them all in the past year or so) but, yeah, the beginning and the ending is where this thing really sung for me. The fatalistic/KA-talistic vibe of the final book and the mood of that whole thing plus its setpieces and ideas... gawd-bomb finale. Ka is a wheel, do ya ken it.

1. Song of Susannah
2. The Dark Tower
3. The Gunslinger
4. The Drawing of the Three
5. The Waste Lands
6. Wolves of the Calla
7. Wizard and Glass

That's not to say I thought Wizard and Glass was bad, I'm just not sure the flashback back-story needed to be 600 pages, say thankya. Looking back at it all in retrospect I think it is VERY smart they are starting the TV series with the back-story, though.

I would flip your first and second picks, but otherwise I agree. You have not forgotten the face of your father.

 

[Finarfiniel]

Thanks for the casting news about Roy DePape and Rhea, I also love how they're really diversifying the cast where they can for this show. These characters are all from different baronies and areas of Mid-World (if I remember correctly, Rhea is actually from the Kingdom of Delain and made a small cameo in The Eyes of the Dragon) so it makes sense that they'd look different to each other.

@Persona, I like your ranking! I've never understood the hate for Song of Susannah, I find it really interesting, especially Susannah's interactions with Mia at Castle Discordia. It's the first time we ever really learn anything about the Crimson King and also more of the mythology behind the Dark Tower, the Beams and the Prim and Todash Space, e.t.c. I love all that stuff. Have you read The Wind Through The Keyhole yet? If not, please do! Another incredibly underrated book, I love the story within a story within a story narrative.

 

[Persona]

I have not read TWTTK yet, I will get on that.

I liked the vibe of Song of Susannah a LOT. It's an intense and audacious book in a lot of ways, it's more lean and focused than the middle books in the series, and as you said it kind of gets to the heart of the mythology, which I found really interesting and valuable.

 

[Persona]

My guess is this is Cuthbert, watch until the end:

 

[Man in the Suit]

 

[:eek:]

‘The Dark Tower’: Amazon Pilot Helmed By ‘24’ and ‘Predator 2’ Director Stephen Hopkins

 

[Man in the Suit]

 

[Persona]

amped. also he dropping hints about revealing something at 9:19 PST tonight.

 

[Persona]

I guess not. Hmm.

 

[Deck Rickard]

Michael Rooker posted this today, which appears to be our first look at Jonas.

 

[Persona]

really dying for some news. I would have assumed they had to have finished shooting the pilot months ago but I dunno. really hope this thing gets greenlit and this pilot doesn't just get locked away in a vault somewhere, never to be seen.

I'd be surprised if Amazon didn't give this at least a 6-8 episode first season order, given the quality of cast and crew involved in the pilot.

 

[Persona]

IMDB now lists Bear McCreary as doing the music.

This pilot has been a low and sloooow cook, I tell you.