Costs Might Jeopardize Ambitious New Stephen King Project 'The Dark Tower' with Javier Bardem
by Sean Comer
It seems that things all along “The Dark Tower” have headed south almost as quickly as they recently picked up steam.
Yidio recently reported that “No Country For Old Men” Oscar-winner Javier Bardem had signed on to lead the cast of three feature films and a two-season companion TV series bringing to life Stephen King’s epic “The Dark Tower” saga. The saga's first part had been tentatively slated for a 2013 release.
That may not be as outstanding an omen as first believed.
Both Deadline and Hollywood Reporter report that budget concerns could once more delay the project indefinitely. Attached director Ron Howard and Imagine Entertainment deny these claims, but it wouldn’t be the first time that money has become an object at Universal Studios. Similar constraints have kyboshed adaptations of Microsoft/Bungie’s venerable “Halo” video game franchise and a Benecio del Toro-helmed version of H.P. Lovecraft’s “At The Mountains of Madness.”
This could land Universal behind an eight-ball. The studio would pay a $10-million penalty – double what the studio paid for the “Dark Tower” rights – if the project goes into turnaround.
As exciting as a “Dark Tower” adaptation’s possibilities appear, this pet project has seemed doomed almost since Day One. J.J. Abrams announced in 2007 that he and “Lost” co-creators Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse would start the sci-fi Western saga’s production after “Lost” concluded filming its last season. King had reportedly sold Cuse and Lindelof the rights for $19.
By the time the “Lost” finale was approaching in November 2009, the three bowed out, citing burn-out after six seasons filming the ABC stalwart and doubts that the trio had the energy to do the project justice within their present exhausted mindsets.
This does free up Bardem to focus on his villainous turn in the yet-untitled 23rd James Bond film. But it leaves mixed feelings about whether something as unprecedented as this could’ve met expectations.
Previous similar crossover attempts have met with questionable results. Bridges across the three “Matrix” films weren’t entirely successful. While anime-inspired “The Animatrix” shorts are still pretty universally loved, the multi-platform video game installment “Enter The Matrix” was met with almost universally negative reviews. Hardcore “Batman” fans received an “Animatrix”-like animated short anthology called “Batman: Gotham Knight” fairly warmly, as did “Watchmen” fans welcome the “Tales of the Black Freighter” crossover digital comic.
But to the best of my knowledge, nothing on par with what “The Dark Tower” would’ve/still might attempt has ever been done.
Here’s hoping we can one day find out.