13 thoughts on “The Dark Tower – Official Trailer

  1. I’ve gathered that this trailer has sparked mixed reactions in the fandom for its alleged faithfulness issues. I’m not qualified to comment on those; I haven’t yet finished the series. I’m working on it, though, and since I want to get an idea of the big picture, I’m also reading some of the connected works–I’m using the “The Essentials, Expanded Version” list found here as my guide. I had already read a few of the books on that list–for example, I read The Stand last summer and ‘Salem’s Lot when I was in my mid or late teens–so I leapfrogged over those when I decided to finally attack the series. I’m getting there: I finished It about a week and a half ago.

    What I’ve been doing is alternating between Tower-related books and other authors/titles, so I hope that I’ll be finished by the time the movie comes out. It’s been touted as a continuation of the series from the last novel, so I want to make sure that I have that all squared away before seeing it. As it stands right now, I’m definitely intrigued.

    The Morricone-inspired music in the trailer is a perfect fit, I think, and it’s a sure way to catch my interest.

  2. I wasn’t overly excited about this (and it’s been ages since I read the first few books), but the trailer looks really good. Plus, any excuse for Idris Elba to be badarse is good enough for me.

  3. @Cora: I’m not a reader of King, and I I have no particular interest in the Dark Tower (though I have read it), but I kinda want to see the movie just to watch Idris Elba.

  4. I usually avoid movies made of books I love, but not this time. The casting is brilliant (and so obvious, once it was announced), and I don’t care that the trailer indicates that it isn’t faithful to the series. I just hope the movie gets the feel right.

  5. Apparently, the filmmakers are saying the stuff that seems inaccurate is due to implications from the end of the books, and is thus not inaccurate at all…

  6. Cheryl S.

    I usually avoid movies made ofbooks I love, but not this time. The casting is brilliant (and so obvious, once it was announced), and I don’t care that the trailer indicates that it isn’t faithful to the series. I just hope the movie gets the feel right.

    For me the trailer already gets the feel terribly wrong.

    Rot13 in case of spoilers
    Gur genvyre qbrf znal guvatf gung znxr ab frafr. Va gur genvyre Wnxr nccrnef gb or gelvat gb gnyx Gur Thafyvatre vagb fnivat gurve jbeyqf naq Gur Qnex Gbjre. Guvf znxrf ab frafr naq tbrf vf cerggl zhpu gur bccbfvgr bs gur obbxf jurer ur’f n fvatyr zvaqrq sbepr jub vf jvyyvat gb fnpevsvpr Wnxr naq nalbar ryfr gb trg gb gur gbjre. Gur Zna va Oynpx unf jung nccrnef gb or n ohapu bs trarevp ybbxvat terl jenccrq urapuzra jvgu fjbeqf V’z thrffvat fb Ebynaq unf fbzrguvat gb fubbg jvgubhg znxvat gur nhqvrapr srry onq. Zl jvsr gubhtug gurl jrer fybj zhgnagf ohg gurl’er nalguvat ohg fybj va gur genvyre naq vg fubjf gurz va xvqanccvat Wnxr va n gbja naq gnpxyvat Ebynaq guebhtu n jvaqbj va bhe jbeyq.

    Gur genvyre znxrf vg frrz yvxr Wnxr fhzzbarq Ebynaq gb bhe jbeyq gb svtug ntnvafg Gur Zna va Oynpx gb qrsraq gur Qnex Gbjre naq gung’f fb sne bss genpx gung V qba’g trg vg ng nyy.

    Jvgu gur fgbel univat n pubfra gjrra jub unf gb svaq n jnl gb fnir gur jbeyq, fxl ornzf, trarevp mbzovr avawn onq thlf, naq fybj zbgvba tha svtugf vg srryf yvxr gurl fubirq gur obbx frevrf vagb n Fhzzre Oybpxohfgre Trarengbe naq guvf vf jung cbccrq bhg.

    Vg’f fnvq gung guvf vf n frdhry naq gnxrf cynpr nsgre gur raq bs gur obbx frevrf juvpu srngherq n erfrg bs gur gvzryvar ubjrire gung znxrf guvf jbefr gb zr orpnhfr vafgrnq bs n onq nqncgngvba guvf vf zrnag gb or gur sbyybj hc gb gur obbxf? Htu.

    Ryon naq ZpPbanhturl nf Gur Thafyvatre naq Gur Zna va Oynpx ybbx terng sbe gurve ebyrf. Qraavf Unlforeg nf Fgrcura Qrfpunva? Gung ybbxrq nznmvat. Jura ur’f cbhevat gur ohyyrgf vagb gur tha? Cresrpg. Ohg gung guebjvat ohyyrg fcrrq ybnqref vagb gur nve naq erybnqvat gurz ol pngpuvat gurz va gur tha jrag sebz ‘Bu pbby!’ gb ‘Jul vf ur whttyvat ohyyrgf yvxr ur’f va gur pvephf?’

    Bs pbhefr V’z znxvat n ybg bs nffhzcgvbaf onfrq ba n genvyre ohg vg ybbxf yvxr ubg fgerrg genfu gb zr. Zl jvsr yvxrq vg gubhtu.

  7. I hate that they cast McConaughey. I wish they had got a good character actor who would have been fine with not being in every scene.

  8. Magewolf

    I hate that they cast McConaughey. I wish they had got a good character actor who would have been fine with not being in every scene

    I don’t think you could get someone who can pull off the evil swagger needed for Flagg better than him

  9. @Matt Y, your wife liked it, hmmm? 😉

    First, I have only read the original book one, not the revision, and I haven’t read it again since book seven came out, at which point I started reading the series for the first time since 1991, so my brain has the version that doesn’t make complete sense. I also haven’t read book eight, fwiw.

    I think The Dark Tower is both the most cinematic (a world that has moved on? All those empty places?) of King’s works and the least amenable to movie making, so I’ve always been resigned to the idea that the things I loved best about The Dark Tower would probably be left behind (the indomitability of Roland, that he persists in a nearly empty world that no longer values what he is and what he does, the inevitable sadness and obsession).

    That this movie picks up after the series’ end and has a teenager as an integral part makes a ton of sense in Stephen King land, because it’s true to a lifetime’s worth of writerly preoccupations. And it was always going to be an action movie, because that’s the filmable bits. So, I’m going to hope for the best and keep from rereading The Dark Tower until after I’ve seen the movie, even though those books have been calling my name for two years now.

  10. @Cheryl

    She said Elba might’ve had something to do with it. But the fandom in my own house is split as she thinks I’m nuts to expect an adaptation of the first book in any way with the town of Tull getting shot down, the boy getting killed twice, the demon sex and it ending with a Tarot card reading.

    I disagree with this but for a little while the first book was my go to escapism during a bad time. Seeing a generic looking action movie trailer for it just frustrates me. Someone else pointed out to me that they need to sell the movie to everyone not just fans of the books, so the trailer is meant to sell movie tickets not re-assure me and that the tone of the movie might be completely different than the trailer.

    Also I hated the revision of the first book and recommend just ignoring it. He changed a part that didn’t need to be in a ‘Greedo shot first’ kind of way and the things added to make it fit the rest of the series stuck out like bad CGI added to an old movie. But again I may hold the first book in an unhealthy reverence due to what it meant to me at the time.

  11. @Matt Y – But again I may hold the first book in an unhealthy reverence due to what it meant to me at the time.

    You may not be the only one (see above about not reading the revision).

    I don’t think you’re nuts, but I think most of The Dark Tower would be impossible to film without significant revisions. In addition to subject matter, part of it is the pacing, with the interior nature of long stretches, and part just the different requirements of movies and books. I hope it’s not Action Movie Plot 7a, because that will be a severe disappointment, but maybe it will be in the nature of a short story set in the same world, where the difference in medium makes the other alterations bearable.

  12. Some analysis of the trailer. It pointed out a couple of Easter Eggs I had missed (Pennywise, the Overlook Hotel).

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