Melissa McCarthy is set to star and produce The Happytime Murders, a raunchy, R-rated puppet movie. Brian Henson, who is set to direct, will work under The Jim Henson Company’s Henson Alternative banner.
“When a really good script combines puppet strippers, Los Angeles’ underbelly and comedy, it’s like my fever dream has finally come true,” McCarthy said.
The comedy is set in the underbelly of Los Angeles where puppets and humans co-exist. Two clashing detectives, one human (McCarthy) and one puppet, are forced to work together to figure out who is brutally murdering the former cast of The Happytime Gang, a beloved classic puppet show.
This is definitely not the Muppets, endearingly created by Jim Henson, that we are used to.
Here is artwork for the film, released back in 2012:
The project has been in the works for almost a decade now. A year ago, Jamie Foxx was in negotiations to star in The Happytime Murders. That has since fell through, and have now swapped out Foxx for McCarthy as the lead human character.
The film is set to begin production this August. It is produced by Henson Alternative, On The Day Productions, and STXfilms. The story is by Todd Berger & Dee Robertson; the screenplay is by Todd Berger with revisions by Erich & Jon Hoeber; further revisions by McCarthy.
What do you think of ‘The Happytime Murders‘ – an R-rated, murder mystery featuring Henson Company puppets? Discuss in the comments!
At one point during “The Law of Non-Contradiction,” Gloria (Carrie Coon) finds a small novelty toy box whose only function, when turned on, is to turn itself off. This box is known as a “useless machine,” and its design was intended as a philosophical joke by its inventor, Marvin Minsky. The name Minsky, of course, is also the name of the cartoon robot from Thaddeus Mobley’s The Planet Wyh, who observes the meaninglessness of life over the course of his millennia-long galactic odyssey.
This connection is not in itself pointless, especially considering the way Minsky’s story ends with him switching himself off, but the rest of the episode could perhaps be seen as such. Even Howard Zimmerman, played by the ubiquitous Fred Melamed, monologues at Gloria about quantum physics and how he “used to think it meant something.” When we consider this all in the broader context of what’s actually happening in the episode, that Gloria has traveled across the country to investigate what we know is a complete dead-end, all of the pointlessness instead starts to seem rather purposeful. But not in a way that strongly impacts the actual plot of the third installment of Fargo.
On its own, the episode is a perfectly Coen-esque short story, with a woman learning more about the sad life of a man she sort of cared about. Thaddeus Mobley did not turn out to be a saint, but rather a naive author who succeeded at a young age and thus fell prey to those more knowledgeable about the industry. When he needs to escape, he takes his new name from the one printed on the toilet bowl. There are echoes of Barton Fink and The Hudsucker Proxy, and the Hollywood Premiere Hotel Gloria stays in looks exactly like the one from No Country for Old Men. But when considered in the light of this installment of Fargo in its entirety, little was accomplished to further the plot besides the revelation of Ennis Stussy’s origin.
The discussion surrounding the episode in its immediate aftermath appears to be that this was a divisive entry in the series. On one hand, it shows that many of the staples of Fargo, from the quirky dialogue to the random intrusions in the narrative, like the Santa Claus who steals Gloria’s luggage, remain intact even when the show isn’t set in its titular location. It also gave Carrie Coon something to do for once, which was an enormous relief, considering that Gloria’s story has previously been overshadowed by the Stussy siblings. Her quirky awkwardness makes her distinct from the Solversons of previous seasons, and fleshes her out beyond being the kind-of chief who seems largely ignored by technology.
But on the other hand, that lack of contribution to the plot is a bit troubling in a season with only ten hours to tell its tale. The recurring themes in the episode overtly acknowledge its own random and “meaningless” nature, after all. Was a geographic digression to gain a better perspective of Ennis Stussy and glean a little character development for Gloria worth it?
Personally, my answer would be yes, although if you had asked me right when the episode concluded, I might have told you this was the first “bad” episode of Fargo. Contemplation changed that answer, especially considering how important the Mike Yanagita scene (from the original movie) is to Noah Hawley. That scene itself does little more than provide a colorful, meandering interlude in Marge Gunderson’s story, even if it does cause her to realize Jerry Lundegaard is not what he seems. This was an entire episode with that premise, and if that scene didn’t work for you in the movie, then this probably didn’t work for you as an episode. It says less about the story than it does about the universe of Fargo as a whole.
Other random notes:
-Being that it doesn’t feature Ray Stussy or Nikki Swango, it’s appropriate that this is the only episode of the season without a title referencing bridge.
-Everybody at the diner is on their smartphone except for Gloria; you could say the only android in her life seems to be Minsky. Nonetheless, the theme of Gloria vs. technology, and the distraction of technology in general, definitely continued in this episode. (Remember Ray and Nikki in the bathtub together, both consumed with whatever they were looking at on their phones?) Considering that the previous seasons managed to avoid technology almost entirely, it is starting to seem like Hawley has an aversion to it. After all, portraying phones and social media as worthless distractions isn’t very nuanced, and that’s pretty shortsighted for a show as profound as this one. I hope it strives to show the role of technology from different angles and does something more interesting with this theme than beat us over the head with “SMARTPHONE BAD.”
-The lack of Mary Elizabeth Winstead (who’s the high point of the season thus far), Ewan McGregor, Michael Stuhlbarg, and David Thewlis was made up for with a colorful list of guest stars. We got Fred Melamed, Thomas Mann, Ray Wise, and Rob McElhenney. Hopefully more It’s Always Sunny cast members end up on this show, because the two who’ve appeared so far (McElhenney here, and Glenn Howerton in the first season) fit this universe beautifully. Frances Fisher and her daughter, Francesca Eastwood, who I wasn’t familiar with before this episode, also appeared, playing the same character in different decades.
-The actual winner of the Hugo Award in 1975 was The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin. Mobley would have to be a hell of an author to have beaten Le Guin for an award given to one of the most influential sci-fi novels ever written.
Blade Runner 2049 is still several months away, but the marketing campaign is starting the slow rollout of materials. Up next, a pair of contrasting posters, one with Ryan Gosling and one with Harrison Ford.
Here is the new Blade Runner, Gosling:
It’s cool, blues and whites, and either it’s cold or the 2049 style will be tough to talk through. The palette of this poster is almost like the photo negative of Harrison Ford’s one sheet, maybe a little clue to the story:
So, yeah, there’s probably something to the dichotomy of these posters – and blue and orange are generally considered to be the most aesthetically pleasing combination – but there’s no reason to break down any theories yet because we don’t have a synopsis or any details beyond the cryptic teaser trailer.
Along with Ford and Gosling, Blade Runner 2049 will star Jared Leto, Ana de Armas, Dave Bautista, Robin Wright, and Edward James Olmos back as Gaff. Most importantly, though, this new journey into the Blade Runner universe is directed by the great Denis Villeneuve. So no matter how ridiculous this long gap sequel feels on the surface, Villeneuve behind the camera instills nothing but confidence for me.
The Dinner, Oren Moverman’s adaptation of Herman Koch’s novel, suffers from a crippling identity crisis. The trouble comes from adapting a book so reliant on internal monologue and narration, then triying to transform the inward prose into something visual. It’s a collection of ill-fitting parts, tonal shifts, and a lack of focus that distracts from the compelling portions of the story and, ultimately, collapses.
The film follows Koch’s book faithfully, save for a few strange flourishes, but what works internally on the page feels disjointed and increasingly unnerving in all the wrong ways. There is a thriller at the core of The Dinner, but Moverman and Co. seem to lose interest in it from time to time. Steve Coogan stars as Paul, a former high school English teacher who suffered a nervous breakdown and is still lost in his broken brain when we meet him. He and his wife, Claire (Laura Linney) are getting ready to go to dinner with Paul’s brother, Stan, a Gubernatorial candidate played by Richard Gere, and his second wife, Katelyn (Rebecca Hall).
Only this isn’t a casual family get together, but a dinner with a purpose. It takes place in the most pretentious of all restaurants, a French “Food Art” palace full of the sort of elites Paul cannot stand. To be honest, Paul can’t take much. There’s also the little issue of the sons on each side, who teamed up to committ a horrific act of violence on a homeless woman, and the issue must be addressed.
At least that’s the motivation behind The Dinner, but the satirical restaurant is almost nonexistent through long stretches of flashback and baffling flourishes. The dinner goes through fits and starts all the way to dessert, each extravagant dish more “Mad-Libby” than the previous. Paul is a nervous wreck, Claire blissfully ignorant, Stan is perpetually pulled away from the table by his assistant, and Katelyn is on the verge of her own breakdown. It’s a great set up, but the film gets too preoccupied with Paul’s meltdown backstory to give the issues at hand the proper attention.
Paul’s troubles came when he went into a profanity-laced tirade in the classroom. It should have ended there in the film; it’s all we needed to know. Instead, we get an extended scene of Paul and Stan taking a therapeutic visit to Gettysburg that transforms into some sort of weird experimental montage of statues bathed in reds and blues with a suffocating voiceover from Paul, narrating battle notes or something. It belongs in a sophomoric Oliver Stone cover movie. This goes on for entirely too long, doesn’t make sense to be in the movie, and doesn’t add to the part we all care about: the story of the two boys and their awful crime.
The flashbacks to the teens’ outburst are disturbing and tense. These scenes take place in a thriller. But then Paul’s breakdown is all soft-focus melodrama, the restaurant satirical and frantic. And so we bounce from genre to genre, shifting tones, transitioning from soft lighting to harsh reds and yellows until we lose sight of any connective tissues. Individual scenes work along the way, some are shot in interesting ways, but they’re stuck in what feels like an unedited final product.
The Dinner is 2 hours of aimlessness when it should be a lean 90-minute story, focused and true to the thriller elements of Koch’s novel. The trio of Gere, Linney and Hall do fine work in one-note roles, and Steve Coogan is terrific as the aggressively twitchy unstable Paul. But even he feels like he’s coming from an entirely different story most of the time, and his history lesson voiceovers grow tiresome.
Perhaps not all solid thriller novels should find their way to the big screen.
Marvel’s sequels have been pretty hit-or-miss up to this point. Some have been the studio’s best movies (looking at you Captain America series), and others have been Thor: The Dark World. However, despite the mixed track record, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 quickly became one of the most anticipated movies of 2017. That kind of hype can make or break a film, so how did this tale of lovable a-holes fare?
Guardians Vol. 2 focuses on answering the question that it’s predecessor set up: who is Star Lord’s dad? The audience doesn’t have to wait long to find out, as Kurt Russell’s Ego reveals himself very early on. The rest of the film is dedicated to Star Lord getting to know his pappy – who is he, why did he leave, and why does he suddenly want a relationship with his son? Meanwhile, a group of stuck-up gold aliens named the Sovereign are chasing down the Guardians to retrieve some items that Rocket Raccoon stole (for no reason) and exact justice.
This film is enjoyable on so many levels, but perhaps the greatest element is how far it strays from the typical Marvel formula. The first Guardians of the Galaxy was praised for how original it felt, but Vol. 2 takes it to a whole new level. First off, there’s no MacGuffin. So many Marvel films are driven by “we need to get the [Tesseract/Aether/Orb] before the bad guy can use it for evil,” but Guardians Vol. 2 avoids that trope completely. Second, the main villain doesn’t reveal him or herself with a big splash in the first act. It’s not until late in the film that the major threat is revealed. The story up to that point is driven entirely by the characters.
James Gunn’s script delves deep into what makes the Guardians tick in Vol. 2. Characters like Rocket were fun to watch in the first film, but they didn’t get fleshed out too well. This sequel gives them the chance to shine. Rocket, Gamora, and even secondary characters like Nebula and Yondu are all explored in greater depth. (Yondu in particular stands out above the rest.) By the end, audiences have a much richer understanding of who these characters are, and they become more than just fun to watch. They become an emotional investment. Making this a character driven story was definitely the way to go, and it’s what makes Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 perhaps Marvel’s most heartfelt movie to date.
Aside from writing an entertaining and stellar script, Gunn also returns to direct in a beautifully original fashion. It’s clear that the success of Guardians of the Galaxy earned him more creative freedom with the sequel. He goes big, has a lot of fun with it, and it pays off yet again. As gorgeous as the visual effects were in the first film, in Vol. 2 tops them. The set pieces are bigger and almost hypnotizing. And, in true Gunn fashion, this is a surprisingly violent film. There is a lot of death. Not in Marvel’s typical “collateral damage” way either, but in a flat out “this is a murder spree set to ‘Come A Little Bit Closer’ by Jay & The Americans” way.
The main actors all return and recapture the essence of their roles for a second time. Going with the “bigger” theme, they really roll into what made their characters popular the first time around. Bradley Cooper’s Rocket is more sarcastic; Dave Bautista’s Drax delivers more blunt, dry humor. However, the real credit in this film goes to the supporting Guardians. Karen Gillan gives a powerful performance as Nebula, someone who seemed somewhat one-note the first time around. Michael Rooker is the true star here though; his second turn at space pirate Yondu is something to be remembered. He not only supplies some great laughs, but he’s sympathetic and sometimes downright heartbreaking.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is a very joke heavy script, so prepare for that. They often break even the most serious moments with a joke. Then of course there’s Baby Groot, who steals whatever scene he’s in. There are a lot of viewers out there who take issue with Marvel’s use of humor, so this might be the film’s biggest detriment, but honestly it works perfectly fine. The jokes flow naturally and never feel forced. These are characters that can always get away with laughing when faced with certain death.
Let’s talk music. When “Awesome Mix Vol. 2” dropped online, it was notably different than the first soundtrack. There are a lot more deep cuts this time around, songs that you may not recognize from name alone. However, Gunn uses them brilliantly in the context of the story. It ends up being just as addictive to listen to as its predecessor, so fans won’t be disappointed in the least.
Nerd Candy
Die hard comic fans will not be disappointed when it comes to Easter Eggs, cameos, and obscure references. Just like soundtrack, there are some serious deep cuts here, right through the credits. There’s a very notable actor that appears in a couple of scenes who hasn’t been promoted in the marketing, and his character is sure to make old school Guardians of the Galaxy fans squeal with glee. Then of course there’s Stan The Man Lee’s patented cameo. This may be his greatest one yet, and again it’ll make true fans’ heads explode. There’s plenty of nerd candy here to be enjoyed is the point.
Geoff Keighly, who’s known for the Game Awards, has announced E3 Coliseum.
Keighley describes this new event as a team up with E3 to, “bring the culture of games to life through two days of panels, conversations, talks and other surprises.”
The presentations will take place at The Novo at LA Live on Tuesday, June 13 and Wednesday, June 14. Attendees with be able to attend. However, if you’re not there in person, you’ll be able to ask the panelists questions through Facebook.
For more details on E3 Coliseum, check out Keighley’s post on Medium.
Are you looking forward to E3’s addition of these events? Sound off in the comments below!
Following director James Wan’s announcement of Aquaman kicking off production, Warner Bros. has sent out a press release giving fans the scoop on the full cast, crew, and shooting locations.
“(May 3, 2017 – Burbank, CA) – Principal photography has begun on Warner Bros. Pictures’ action adventure “Aquaman,” helmed by James Wan (“The Conjuring” films, “Furious 7”). Jason Momoa stars in the title role, returning to the character he plays in this fall’s “Justice League.”
The film also stars Amber Heard (“Justice League,” “Magic Mike XXL”) as Mera; Oscar nominee Willem Dafoe (“Platoon,” “Spider-Man 2”) as Vulko; Temuera Morrison (“Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones,” “Green Lantern”) as Tom Curry; Dolph Lundgren (“The Expendables” films) as Nereus; Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (upcoming “Baywatch,” Netflix’s “The Get Down”) as Black Manta; with Patrick Wilson (“The Conjuring” films, “Watchmen”) as Orm/Ocean Master; and Oscar winner Nicole Kidman (“The Hours,” “Lion”) as Atlanna.
The film is being produced by Peter Safran, with Zack Snyder, Deborah Snyder, Rob Cowan, Jon Berg and Geoff Johns serving as executive producers.
Wan’s team behind the scenes includes such frequent collaborators as Oscar-nominated director of photography Don Burgess (“The Conjuring 2,” “Forrest Gump”), his five-time editor Kirk M. Morri (“The Conjuring” films, “Furious 7,” the “Insidious” films) and production designer Bill Brzeski (“Furious 7”). They are joined by costume designer Kym Barrett (“The Matrix” trilogy; “The Amazing Spider-Man”), along with Oscar-winning VFX supervisor Charles Gibson (“Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest,” “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 & 2”) and VFX supervisor Kelvin McIlwain (“The Fast and the Furious” franchise).
As is fitting for the king of the sea, the shoot will take place mainly in locations spanning the stunning Gold Coast of Queensland, Australia, with extensive filming to be accomplished at Village Roadshow Studios. The production will utilize the facility’s sprawling backlot and all nine VRS soundstages, including its newest, Stage 9, the largest of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere. Filming will also take place in Newfoundland, Sicily and Tunisia.
An icon for over 75 years, Aquaman is known by fans of DC Comics as the ruler of Atlantis but committed to protecting the entire globe, both land and sea.
Currently set for a 2018 release, the film is based on characters from DC.”
Are you excited for Aquaman? Sound off in the comments below!
Marvel’s last event for a while is finally upon us, Secret Empire has begun. Naturally, being a Marvel event, there’s a lot of drama and outrage surrounding the title. There’s been a lot of hate being thrown at Marvel recently. Some of it is completely warranted, some of it’s the publisher catering to people who aren’t even buying their books. Regardless of how you feel about Marvel, Secret Empire #1 came out, here are some Pros & Cons.
***SPOILERS LIE AHEAD***
PRO: HYDRA Skull Troopers
Every regime needs it’s foot soldiers, Cap has apparently decided the standard green & yellow agents weren’t enough. The design for these troopers is great. The dark color scheme combined with a tribute to either Red Skull (but Steve just killed him) or Crossbones makes for a menacing bunch of death dealers.
CON: Stop Trying To Make Champions Happen
Mark Waid’s ongoing Champions series about Marvel’s young heroes is a fine comic book title. It’s an effective and entertaining title that gets it’s message and politics across without being too pushy. Unfortunately, every appearance by the team in any other book is clearly Marvel trying to pump them up to be more important than they are.
There’s nothing wrong with these heroes. They might not be the most popular, but they’re a solid team. The problem is that Marvel is desperately trying to advance them up the ranks without any substance. Readers don’t need them shoved down their throats, Marvel needs to let them gain more of a fan base on their own. You don’t become the top super hero squad over night.
PRO: Mutants
The X-Men don’t have a major role in Secret Empire just yet, making only a single panel appearance so far. Whatever the “Mutants’ Sovereign Republic of New Tian” is, give us more of it. This brooding bunch of mutants, centered by Xorn, has done something to piss HYDRA off. Here’s to hoping they don’t sit this one out.
CON: Sharon Carter’s Old Ass
First she’s stripped of her role as S.H.I.E.L.D. Director by her boyfriend, then watches him takeover the world in the name of HYDRA. Sharon Carter is having a rough go of it. Her strange position as Steve’s prisoner/lover can’t be easy. Even so, why in the hell would she stick around?
There’s nobody else in the 616 Universe that should feel more betrayed by Cap than Sharon. Either she has something up her sleeve, or she’s gotten weak in her older age. Sharing the same ideals as the real Captain America, it’s hard to believe that she would let herself be apart of this in any way.
PRO: Hawkeye Steps Up
Readers may not know the specifics of how we got where we were in issue #1, but what we do know is Clint Barton stepped up. Seeing Hawkeye leading the resistance with Black Widow is fantastic. Ever since the events of Civil War II, Clint has been searching for redemption. Leading the underground HYDRA resistance against Captain America should help clear his conscience. A potential Steve Rogers beat down at the hands of Clint Barton? Sign me up!
CON: Captain Frowny
Readers coming from Nick Spencer’s Captain America: Steve Rogers may be thrown off by the inconsistent characterization. It’s apparent through Secret Empire #1 that Steve has his doubts and regrets about what he’s done and is doing. What happened to the cold-blooded killer that chucked Red Skull out of a window? If this is meant to build sympathy for Steve Rogers, it isn’t working, no matter how frowny you make his face.
PRO: Rick Jones Goes Out Like A Champ
The death of Rick Jones was a major happening in this issue, leaving many fans unhappy. Regardless of how you feel about his demise, Rick Jones went out like a total bad-ass. Refusing to hail HYDRA, sticking to his patriotic guns, while still believing that Steve Rogers will overcome whatever is happening to him. His “Avengers Assemble” sendoff, facing down a fatal firing squad, will certainly stick as a memorable moment.
CON: AI Tony
Tony Stark is in a coma, an AI hologram of his consciousness has been mentoring Riri Williams. That’s where AI Tony’s role should end, but here he is operating as the brains of Hawkeye’s HYDRA resistance. If you wanted Stark to sit out a couple rounds after Civil War II, commit to it. How are readers supposed to care about his inevitable return if he never really left? With all the super geniuses in the Marvel universe, Tony Stark’s “drunk” hologram is really the best option to take Cap down?
PRO: “Cap-Aganda”
One of the more fun things about the beginning of Secret Empire #1 is the rewriting of American history by HYDRA. Not only is Captain America’s role completely changed, but many historic events have been adjusted in the name of HYDRA. The opening scene, taking place in a classroom, comes complete with some good old fashioned Captain America propaganda with a HYDRA twist. Little bits like this are just comic book fun, helping to balance out the darker moments that may or may not miss their mark.
What other Pros or Cons did you find in Secret Empire #1? What did you think of the issue? Are you looking forward to Marvel taking a break from major events? Let us know in the comments below!
In a recent interview with Collider, Junkie XL ( Tom Holkenborg) talked about scoring Justice League without Hans Zimmer, as well as the legacy of these superheroes.
“It’s a massive undertaking. And I can’t say anything about Justice League specifically, but I’ll tell you this, and this was exactly the same experience that Hans and I had when we did work together on Man of Steel and Batman v Superman: It’s like when you see a movie like that, these iconic superhero movies, some of them have a 60 to 80 year legacy, multiple composers had a go at their themes, multiple filmmakers did their version of these characters—it’s very scary. You watch a movie and it’s like, “Holy shit, now I have to come up with something.” You’ve got sweaty hands and you’re nervous, and you talk about it over and over again—and I have exactly that relationship with Zack Snyder—and then Zack said, ”There’s only one thing you can do, and that is embrace this character as if it’s your own, keep it close to your musical soul, and just do whatever you feel is the right thing to do for this character.” That’s the only thing we can do. That’s what all these great directors did back in the day, and that’s what all these great composers did back in the day. It makes no sense for me to do extensive quoting of Hans’ score of the really amazing Batmans. It makes no sense for me to quote Superman from John Williams. Because all fantastic composers, they all did the same thing, they did something that was close to their heart, and I have to do exactly the same thing on this movie.”
Junkie XL is a big name in cinema. His most recent big film was Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice; however, before that he did Deadpool and Mad Max: Fury Road.
Are you looking forward to Justice League? What do you make of his comments? Sound off below!
After months of waiting, the trailer for Stephen King’s magus opus “The Dark Tower” has finally arrived.
“The Gunslinger, Roland Deschain, roams an Old West-like landscape where “the world has moved on” in pursuit of the man in black. Also searching for the fabled Dark Tower, in the hopes that reaching it will preserve his dying world.”
The lack of any advertising for “The Dark Tower” had begun to concern fans. However, 2 teaser trailers and a full-length trailer have been released in the space of 24 hours. This should help put fan’s at ease with both the state of the movie and some of the casting choices made. In short, the trailer is three minutes of pure awesome!
“The Man in Black fled across the desert”
The trailer opens with action shots over a desolate landscapes. It introduces Idris Elba as Roland Deschain before startling awake a young man in our world. He talks of visions of seeing a tower and a man in black. The action speeds up as Jake walks through a portal into another world. Where he comes face to face with the last gunslinger.
Brilliantly executed without pandering to the audience. We’re very rapidly introduced to the three main characters of the piece. We get confirmation that is a fantasy-driven film and that there will be guns. Lots of guns.
“And the gunslinger followed”
In the scene’s of the other world, the trailer shows us gun fights, monsters and the standard western like towns. This is where it comes into it’s own. With a whole audience ready to experience their first journey to the Dark Tower, the trailer simply teases this new world. It appears that there will be an attack on a small town where one of the best parts happens. Roland shoots a slow mutant even though he can’t it. People might not know who or what a gunslinger is, but the trailer wastes no time in pointing out that he’s a bad ass!
While only 3 minutes long, the trailer only shows the bones of the story, but what it does excel at is showing off some very beloved characters.
Roland Deschain
There was a lot of uproar over the casting of Idris Elba in the role. For fans of the original book series the only casting choice was Clint Eastwood. The trailer should go a long way to appease the fears of the book fans. Idris portrays Roland as a hard, no nonsense character, which he is. The costume design on Roland is fantastic. There’s also lot of focus on his guns which makes sense. He is after all the last gunslinger. Through use of slow motion we get to see his rapid firing skills and near the end of the trailer he recites the gunslingers oath. Which was a very nice touch for anyone who was worried that the movie would be straying far from the source material.
The Man In Black (Matthew McConaughey)
Matthew McConaughey isn’t in the trailer as much as Jake or Roland. His presence in his few scenes is undeniable. This IS the man in black. He appears to be on a mission to destroy the dark tower and has a chilling omen to Roland. In terms of villains the man in black ranks quite highly in Stephen Kings pecking order. The trailer appears to hint that he is the main villain of the piece, so depending on how the film does commercially it will be interesting to see this evolve over the sequels. Will he stay the villain or give way to something else? The marketing for this has hinted that there is another bad guy on the horizon.
Jake Chambers (Tom Foster)
Going for an unknown actor to play Jake was always going to be the best option. As a fan of the book series, for me this is Jake. He appears from the trailer at least, to be the character from the novels. It’s through Jake that we get one of the only pieces of humor in the trailer which was appreciated after all the action. There is also a really good shot of him learning to shoot.
“All Things Serve The Beam”
The concern for a lot of fans has been trying to push the lore of 8 books into a single movie. Although only touched on through dialogue and a couple of scenes, it appears that the lore of the beams and the Dark Tower itself will be honored. It was great to see the tower in a few flashing scenes. For someone who’s read the series since he was 13, I’m not ashamed to say that it was emotional. It was exactly what you would expect it to be and as the trailer show’s – the threat to the tower is real. The Man In Black must be stopped. Roland and Jake are the only two who can do it.
There have been complaints dogging this movie since it was announced. There’s a lot of concern from fan’s who have experienced the journey to the tower in the novel series. Despite Stephen King himself confirming that this is NOT an adaptation of his books. Rather it is a continuation of the story. Fans have been concerned about how the final product will be.
Now that the trailer has finally been released this should help reduce the concern. It’s got everything that you need – slow mutants, thinny’s, The Beams, The Dark Tower and even the gunslinger Oath. This is finally the chance to enhance the Stephen King universe, to tie it all together and to show why King is the master of horror. As eagle eye’s viewers might have noticed a familiar hotel appearing in a photography in our world. If the Overlook Hotel can appear in this movie who know’s what Sony is planning.
This may not be the movie fan’s wanted, but Ka is a wheel and this is how it’s turned. It’s clear from the trailer that everyone involved knows how precious everyone is about the world of Roland and his Ka-Tet. Watching the trailer, it looks like “The Dark Tower” is in the hands of men who know the faces of their fathers.
