There’s something incredibly exciting about the phrase “anything is possible.” Waiting for something that could be anything is an exercise for your imagination. That infinite possibility, coupled with wild speculation and prediction, is ninety percent of the fun of Mondo’s Mystery Movies.
Mondo, as you may know, is the ever-growing poster boutique associated with the Alamo Drafthouse. In April Mondo began a project called Mystery Movies. People buy a ticket for a movie that won’t be announced until they’re in the theater. That is coupled with a limited edition poster that will only ever be available at the event. So imagine buying a ticket to one of these things and speculating what it could be. You throw out suggestions with your fellow attendees, laughing at wild ones and nodding at more likely ones. Finally, you sit down for the film and all is revealed. Does it live up to your expectations?
After two events in their hometown of Austin, Texas, the Mondo Mystery Movie hit the road for the first time ever featuring six different mystery movies over one weekend at the New Beverly Cinema in Los Angeles. What were the films? What did the posters look like? What was the experience like? And did the event live up to our wildest expectations? Find out after the jump. Read More »
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The boys at Imagine Entertainment aren’t going to let Universal’s brush-off get them down. Not long ago, Universal opted not to fund an adaptation of Stephen King‘s novel series The Dark Tower, which was planned to encompass three feature films and at least two short connective television series. Ron Howard, Brian Grazer and Akiva Goldsman make up the trio that have been trying to assemble the project, and, as intimated by King when Universal turned away, they’re not giving up.
Javier Bardem remains attached to play Roland Deschain in the features. And one venue for the TV aspect of the project could end up being Netflix. Read More »
The writing has been on the wall for a little while now, but here’s the final word: Universal doesn’t want to risk coin on three movies and two connecting TV arcs based on Stephen King‘s The Dark Tower. Imagine Entertainment wants a commitment for more than one film, which is all Universal was willing to sign off on. So the Universal chapter of this story is over. The studio has passed on the project, leaving Ron Howard, Akiva Goldsman and Brian Grazer holding a script, the possible lingering willingness of Javier Bardem to play the lead role, and some big hopes. Read More »
Is The Dark Tower in danger of dying? It looked like that might be the case not long ago, but Universal asked for some script changes and budget cuts, which director Ron Howard recently said were not terribly deep or radical. The project looked like it might be able to shoot next spring.
But last night we heard that Ron Howard was attached to direct the Formula One movie Rush that hopes to shoot this year. That didn’t have to mean The Dark Tower was dead, as he could (conceivably, if not easily) make that film while Brian Grazer and Akiva Goldsman prepped the Stephen King adaptation this fall.
But now Ron Howard is also attached to a film version of the classic Mad Magazine strip Spy Vs. Spy, and his name is also being thrown around in conjunction to a version of Frankenstein that Max Landis is writing for Fox, which reportedly tells the story from Igor’s point of view. It looks like Frankenstein is not a film that he’ll direct, but the talk in general seems to imply that The Dark Tower might fall. Read More »
Whatever you think of the grand career sweep of the creative team, Imagine Entertainment and, in particular, Ron Howard, Brian Grazer and Akiva Goldsman are trying something pretty outrageous with their adaptation of Stephen King‘s novel series The Dark Tower. Set to span three films and two limited TV series, with an offshoot game or two to add additional flavor, there’s nothing quite like it on the drawing boards anywhere else.
Javier Bardem is provisionally cast as the Gunslinger, Roland Deschain, but Universal wanted a bit of a budget reduction, and the schedule was pushed back. We’re still waiting to see the studio flash the green light for The Dark Tower, but in the meantime Ron Howard and Brian Grazer clarify where the project stands. Read More »
The Ron Howard, Akiva Goldsman and Brian Grazer adaptation of Stephen King‘s sprawling novel series The Dark Tower quickly became an equally sprawling film and television project. Three movies are planned, with short television series linking them, and Javier Bardem possibly starring as lead character Roland Deschain. But the project is at Universal and as the studio reconsiders its plans in the wake of several underperforming films, the budgetary scope of The Dark Tower has been reduced. That means a rewrite is in order, and to accomodate these changes plans to begin shooting the first film this fall were pushed back.
Now Ron Howard says he’s hoping to begin The Dark Tower in spring 2012. But what of Javier Bardem? Read More »
Universal won’t pass on the massive Ron Howard and Akiva Goldsman adaptation of Stephen King‘s series The Dark Tower, but the studio is making some changes before it writes a check. We recently heard that the project, which is mean to come to life as three feature films and a couple of TV arcs, might be shelved at Universal and offered up to other studio homes. Universal doesn’t want to let it go — understandable, as there is nothing execs like less than seeing projects they pass over do well somewhere else — but is asking for a new look at the budget, and has pushed the start date for the first film back from this fall to some time next year. Will that mean The Dark Tower loses Javier Bardem as the lead? Read More »
UPDATE: Bad news. Deadline is now reporting that pre-production staff on The Dark Tower has been put on hiatus as the budget issues are worked out. Read more after the jump.
Just when things seemed too good to be true for fans of Stephen King‘s The Dark Tower, that just might be the case. Last year, Universal announced an ambitious plan to adapt the popular series of novels beginning with a film version directed by Ron Howard and followed by multiple theatrical sequels and television events covering the seven current books. The series tells the sprawling and epic tale of Roland Deschain, the last in a mythic order of men called The Gunslingers, who is on a quest through a magical western world to find the Dark Tower, where all answers will be revealed. Brian Grazer was set to produce, Akiva Goldsmith was writing the script and Oscar-winner Javier Bardem was all but set to play Deschain. Things were looking good.
Now Variety reports that Universal is beginning to have second thoughts on the epic production and, in the coming days, could decide to put it in turnaround. That could result in another studio taking over or the project dying a slow death. Read More »
