It’s no secret that New Line Cinema took a huge gamble when it agreed to finance the Lord of the Rings trilogy. While J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy novels have been beloved by three generations of readers, the nearly $300 million project could have not only bankrupt the studio, but also make everyone involved with it the laughingstock of the film industry had it failed. Of course, it didn’t. Similarly, had the $230+ million Avatar failed, studio 20th Century Fox would have taken massive losses, James Cameron would have been cast back into the film oblivion he disappeared to after Titanic, and 3D would’ve remained a punchline (that last one mightn’t have been so bad though). But studios are wise enough to know that those projects are exceptions, not the rule, which is why it’s disappointing, but not surprising, that Universal has put a hold on its upcoming multi-film/television adaptation of Stephen King‘s The Dark Tower series.
This development is hardly surprising as film budgets seem to grow ever-larger, especially because of 3D and high-definition special effects, and it’s likely that any Dark Tower adaptation would include both. It seems executives at Universal are discussing with director Ron Howard and producer/co-screenwriter Akira Goldsmith how to make the film on a “reasonable” budget. I’d wager that Universal’s definition of “reasonable budget” and Howard/Goldsmith‘s definition are very different, hence the problems. Until then, the film’s pre-production staff has been put on hiatus until an agreement can be made.
My take on it? If Universal is too nervous to gamble on the three-film/two television series project, just scrap it and make a film based on the first book, The Gunslinger. That book, which features very few characters and plays out like a Sergio Leone revenge western, could be made for a much smaller budget and could stand alone as its own film. Make it publicly known that a sequel depends on how well this film does at the box office, which could get diehards and new fans alike rabid to support this film. If it does well enough, the rest of the series could be budgeted from there. If not, let the series end there.
If production resumes, the film series will be directed by Ron Howard, with Akiva Goldsmith and Mark Verheiden writing the screenplays. Javier Bardem is set to star as Roland the gunslinger. The first film is set for a May 17, 2013 release, although the longer the film is on hold the less likely that date becomes.
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