I’ve finished reading The Gunslinger and am about a quarter ways into The Drawing of the Three. One of the great things about reading through The Dark Tower series this go around is reflecting on how certain aspects of the novels will translate into the movies. Out of nowhere, I’ve been inclined to write about some of my thoughts and speculate about certain aspects of the production. These are things that many of us Dark Tower fans are wondering and I’m sure that Ron Howard and his crew are in the midst of working on as we wait.
One of the first and most important questions that came to mind is how will The Dark Tower films be rated? The way the books read, there is no doubt that they should be R-rated. This will, however, keep the Dark Tower out of the mainstream and prevent the series from making the money it could with a PG-13 rating. I, as a fan of the novels, want to see the films be as true to the books as possible, but I am also a realist, aware that this will be a business decision. I personally think that the best compromise has to do with the fact that we are living in the age of Blu-ray. Perhaps release the films in theaters to a broad based audience with a PG-13 rating while satisfying the die-hard fans with a true to form, unedited version on Blu-ray.
As of now, we know that Javier Bardem has been offered the part as The Gunslinger, but what about the supporting cast? For Jake, I can see some young, unknown actor getting the big break of his life. The question is will this actor end up like Jake Lloyd (Anakin Skywalker from Phantom Menace), or will his film career blossom like it did for Haley Joel Osment after “The Sixth Sense”? The advantage the actor playing Jake will have, is that he will be there throughout the whole Dark Tower series, whereas Jake Lloyd only got to star in one movie.
I’ve read about the actors that were rumored to play Roland before Javier Bardem was offered the part and the one that comes to my mind as the most interesting was Viggo Mortensen. However, my interest in Mortensen is not for the role as The Gunslinger, but the man in black. He fits the narrative well; “In a way the face that the hood had hidden was an uneasy disappointment. It was handsome and regular, with none of the marks and twists that indicate a man who has been trough awesome times and has been privy to great secrets”. I can see Viggo Mortensen as Marten and I can see him as Walter O’dim as he seduces Allie in the town of Tull. To me, it just looks right.
As for Eddie Dean and Susannah (Odetta Holmes, Detta Walker), I have no unearthly idea who would be good for those parts. I’ll have to reflect on that a little more and offer my speculation after I read further.
My final thought of this post has to do with one of my favorite horrors from the whole Dark Tower series, the monstrous lobsters (the lobstrosities) “Dum-a-Chum? Dad-a-Cham? Dod-a-Chock?”. Since I’m just past the beginning of The Drawing of the Three, these creatures are fresh on my mind. I can’t wait the see these buggers on the big screen tear into our hero and then assume “The Honor Stance” before getting rushed by a wave. Hopefully, the guy who draws the lobstrosities up has a sick and twisted imagination.
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