Dark Tower update

Too often lately finding these updates seem to report that such and such project has come into money problems and they're shelved or something like that. I read these updates with that hesitation only to be pleasantly surprised that the project is moving along.

The Gunslinger by trev-solo

On the other hand the other project that my mind equals to the scope of the Dark Tower is the Game of Thrones series and that is about to debut just a few days! If that turns out as good as the 14 minute preview then Dark Tower is very do-able.

What there is to report is who has been casted as Roland- Javier Bardem. While I'm not too familiar with his work, I am relieved that it will not be Christian Bale. There is the co-writer/producer from Heroes and Battlestar Galactica- anyone attached to BSG is welcome for this project, in my opinion.

It also appears that there will be a film as well as a series. I'm not exactly sure how that will work. But Ron Howard is to direct the film and perhaps some of the series- maybe the whole first series (which implies that there are already more than one to come!).

Tangent- I want to take a moment and talk about the sculpture of the Gunslinger by trev-solo. He put together a rotating image if you'd like to see more dimensions of it here. I can't believe how good this is. By his own description, the creator feels this no longer represents Roland as he created it after reading Drawing of the Three. He said it was one of his first realistic sculpts. Perhaps its because trev chose to use Lance Henriksen as the model (who I didn't cast as Roland when I was in the books- but perhaps I should've) and maybe its because it just looks so darn cool, but I do really like that piece of work.

Now back to the Dark Tower series- here is the article updating the project...

'Heroes' Veteran For TV Series

Posted 4/13/11 4:20 pm ET by Terri Schwartz in Commentary, News, TV

There are plenty of reasons to be excited for Ron Howard'splanned "The Dark Tower" adaptation, and now here's another one to add to the pile. "Heroes," "Battlestar Galactica" and "Falling Skies" writer/producer Mark Verheiden has been tapped to co-write and produce the planned NBC TV series segment of "Dark Tower" along with producer Akiva Goldsman.

First, here's what we know. Javier Bardem has been chosen from a pool of hopefuls to play the Gunslinger, with names like Naomi Harris rumored for other roles. Ron Howard will be directing the initial "Dark Tower" film and the first season of the television series, with the director of the later movies and seasons to be determined at a later date. Goldsman will write both the first film and the series, and now Deadline has the news that Verheiden is co-writing the series, with Stephen King and Brian Grazer along as producers as well. Sounds like a solid enough plan to us!

But who is Verheiden? What makes him a smart choice for "The Dark Tower"?

Verheiden is someone who's been around for a while, dabbling in episodes of the "Timecop" TV series and "The Strip," as well as contributing to "Smallville" as a writer and producer in the show's early years. He left the series in 2004 to work on "Battlestar Galactica," and then moved on to "Heroes" in 2009 before currently landing on "Falling Skies."

It's quite the filmography, and it helps that he has quite the history as a comic book writer, too, well known for his work on "The American," the "Aliens" and "Predator" comics series and issues of "The Phantom," "Stalkers" and "Evil Dead."

Despite his accomplishments, we can't ignore his work as the writer of "Black Market" (widely regarded by fans as the worst episode in "BSG's" acclaimed run) and the later seasons of "Heroes," which few would describe as the pinnacle of television writing. Setting those blemishes aside, we're intrigued by the possibilities Verheiden brings to the table. "The Dark Tower" is a series that has spanned across all forms of media -- from the novels to comics to video games to now films and a TV series -- so all of Verheiden's previous work certainly lends credence to his ability to lift Howard and Goldsman's project to greatness.

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