Can director Ron Howard (Cinderella Man, Frost/Nixon, A Beautiful Mind, Apollo 13) and writer Akiva Goldman (I Am Legend, Batman & Robin, I Robot, Da Vinci Code) do the source material justice. Ron Howard has made some incredible dramas, but I don't know if he can direct a sprawling fantasy/horror epic, but he is a capable director. He doesn't have a unique style. I honestly feel that someone like Alphonso Cuaron (Harry Potter Prisoner of Azkaban) or Franks Darabont (The Mist, Shawshank Redemption) would have been ideal, but I'm glad we are not getting some shmuck. The problem comes from Goldsman. Goldsman has never been able to write a great script. He has done a decent job throughout his career with dramas as well, often partnering with Howard, but his action and epic scripts have never been something to marvel at. Above all else, they are both safe choices. Rom Howard has never been able to direct with style and is not a visionary by any means. So many of his "great" films could have been outdone by someone else. Apollo 13 is great, but what would it have been by someone more stylistically inclined, like Steven Spielberg or David Fincher. Could it have been better? What does make me happy is the credit Howard gives to Peter Jackson for the Lord of the Rings trilogy:
“What Peter did was a feat, cinematic history,” Howard said. “The approach we’re taking also stands on its own, but it’s driven by the material. I love both, and like what’s going on in TV. With this story, if you dedicated to one medium or another, there’s the horrible risk of cheating material. The scope and scale call for a big screen budget. But if you committed only to films, you’d deny the audience the intimacy and nuance of some of these characters and a lot of cool twists and turns that make for jaw-dropping, compelling television. We’ve put some real time and deep thought into this, and a lot of conversations and analysis from a business standpoint, to get people to believe in this and take this leap with us. I hope audiences respond to it in a way that compels us to keep going after the first year or two of work. It’s fresh territory for me, as a filmmaker.” (Ron Howard on The Dark Tower. MTV)
What intrigues me most the concept of the tevevision show. If it is shown on network television during primetime (ala Lost) it will work well. People will have to not feel alienated from the films. If the story of the films continues on Showtime or HBO, most people without premium cable will not see the films. The issue with network television is the content. I have read the series and it is not appropriate for a family friendly station. Maybe a happy medium can be reached with a TNT, but I don't feel that a basic cable station will allow for the exposure it would need.
The good news is that Stephen King's going to be adapted into an epic trilogy and a television show companion piece by professionals. Hopefully it is all that I have hoped for!
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