It is already shaping up to be one of the most ambitious projects ever under taken in Hollywood, and it is still years from reaching theaters. The plan is massive. Director Ron Howard has a vision to take the 7-novel series of Stephen King’s The Dark Tower, and film three feature films for the big screen, with two seasons of a TV series to air between the first and second, then second and third movies. It will be ambitious, and will heavily rely on the capability of the actors and actresses involved who will be forced to carry the franchise for five years. It will require a commitment from the cast, and confidence in that cast from the crew. According to a report from Deadline, Ron Howard and Universal have the man they want, and the lead role is Javier Bardem’s if he wants it.
If he accepts, Bardem (No Country for Old Men, Biutiful) would play the central character of the series, the gunslinger Roland. While the project could certainly be lucrative and launch the already famous Bardem into super-stardom, it would also be a massive commitment. The project will air over a course of five years, and although the semantics of it are still being worked out, it would likely film all three movies and both seasons of the TV show at the same time—or very closely together in order to keep the franchise moving.
The first movie would begin the series, then lead into a six or seven part mini-series that would likely air the next year. The year after that, the second movie would hit theaters, which would then be followed by what the producers are calling a full season’s worth of TV—either 13 or 22 episodes. A third movie would then conclude the series. The second TV series would be a prequel, which would mean that the actor cast as Roland would be replaced by a younger man to play the role. Bardem—if he accepts—would star in all three films as well as the first TV series. Universal would split the films and television season between its own movie and home entertainment groups.
So the ball is in Bardem’s court, and an offer has reportedly been made. Can Bardem fill the shoes of Roland? Is he what you imagined the gunslinger to look like? Sound off below!
