Dark Tower disapointment

So this is why I haven't heard anything about that Dark Tower transmedia project that was supposed to happen ages ago. It's because the producers and studios couldn't get themselves sorted out. I guess this sort of thing is to be expected for projects this large. So, basically according to The Mary Sue, the Dark Tower project is still happening, they've just been faffing around too much. HBO now set to helm the TV parts though, does bode well. Oh, and that guy from Breaking Bad, Aaron Paul is now rumoured to be the lead - which kind of makes sense, as his level of stardom is not too big to prohibit him committing to so much at once (3 movies and 2 series of TV), but still established enough to draw some fans and credibility. Well, let's hope it finally gets off the ground...

King's 'The Dark Tower' to be Simultaneous Movies and TV

This is very exciting. Although I haven't read them, Stephen King's The Dark Tower books are being adapted by into complimentary films and tv series. From NYMag:

The project, based on seven books, will kick off with a movie, which will quickly be followed by a TV season of undisclosed length that will lead up to a second movie. That film will be followed by a second TV season that will be more of a prequel, focusing on Deschain as a younger man, before the third film finishes up where the second film left off. If that sounds like a lot of The Dark Tower, it is. Sometime in the not-so-distant future, the series is going take over movie theaters and your television in what will either wind up being a genuinely new, much bigger way of telling and selling stories or a hugely expensive fiasco.

 It's really wonderful to see big studios put a lot of cash into a new transmedia way of storytelling. I hope they are just as innovative with their marketing efforts for this production, creating more spin-off content in different mediums. They have some decent talent behind the project, they are taking a centralised, unified approach to the production, and Stephen King stories are generally a good yarn, so I've got my fingers-crossed that this will be a success. That wouldn't just mean a great transmedia narrative to enjoy, but also it would set a great example for other media companies to follow.