I saw this on The Hollywood Reporter's Heat Vision blog:
Quote:
April 29, 2010
'Dark Tower' by Ron Howard, Brian Grazer and Akiva Goldsman (exclusive)
UPDATED
By Borys Kit and Ace Fernandez
J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot shingle, which has long sought to crack Stephen King’s “The Dark Tower” book series as a television series, no longer has the rights to one of the author’s biggest properties.
Bad Robot has returned the rights back to the best-selling author. Now Ron Howard, Brian Grazer and Akiva Goldsman are teaming up to tackle the fantasy Western.
The three are in discussions on a scenario that would see an adaptation begin as a movie, to be written by Goldsman and directed by Howard, that would lead to a TV series produced by Imagine’s small-screen division.
“Tower” is not set up, nor has any option deal been made, but insiders say Universal, home to Imagine, would be the studio that will release the movie.
That would be a contrast to the vision drawn up by Bad Robot, which had been eyeing their potential series as a reunion with “Lost” exec producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse. Because of the comprehensive nature of the project, the creators wanted to wait until “Lost” was over to give it their attention. When they realized they wouldn't be able to do an adaptation justice, they gave the rights back to King.
King’s magnum opus, “Tower” encompasses not just a narrative about the Man in Black and Roland, the Gunslinger, that spans seven lengthy books (and one short story), but also the entire universe of King’s fiction. Characters from his other novels flit in and out of “Tower” in minor and major ways.
Envisioned when King was still in his teens as his own take on spaghetti Westerns and the world of Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings,” “Tower” has also spawned a series of graphic novels from Marvel Comics, with the latest issue hitting shelves May 19. The property’s expansive nature and direct connection to King’s other works make it one of the biggest, ripest franchise possibilities in entertainment.
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This is way too cool. Although I was disappointed to see Abrams pull out of the project, I completely respect Opie well enough to know how to do this. From the way this reads, it will begin with an initial movie that would lead to a TV series. Then, if it became big enough, they would wrap it up with another movie.
I also read where Stephen King is finishing up another Dark Tower novel, which would be sort of Dark Tower 4.5 (set sometime after the end of Wizard and Glass). This gives the story more flesh and easier to realize for television.
Wow. I'm pumped.