In my life, I’ve read a lot of Stephen King’s books, but I never got into The Dark Tower series. Should I give it another try? Everyone always says that the opening line of the first book – “The man in Black fled across the Desert, and the Gunslinger followed” – as one of the greatest opening lines of all time. Even King says that the Dark Tower series is his magnum opus, and that’s coming from someone who wrote The Stand, The Shining and Carrie. So should I try the books? I’m thinking I might have to now that I’m seeing the first photos of Idris Elba as the Gunslinger, aka Roland Deschain.
These photos are from Friday, in New York City, where Idris and Matthew McConaughey were filming. McConaughey is playing The Man In Black, aka Randall Flagg. People are already saying that McConaughey “looks the part” as written by King. But when Idris was cast as the Gunslinger, there was some drama. Because in King’s novels, the Gunslinger is white. But after Idris was cast, King came out and said that he was fine/happy/pleased with the casting, and everyone involved with the film adaptation is crazy about Idris too.
All I can say is that this was a brilliant casting choice if you want men and women to check out the film. Idris Elba looking gorgeous and badass in a great coat? PLEASE. And while I doubt this film will win any Oscars, I honestly believe that Idris doesn’t care, long-term. He just wants to work on interesting projects, and this is one hell of an interesting project.
PS… I’m including bonus photos of McConaughey as the Man in Black.
Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet.
I was barely awake. Now, I’m stunned. Happy but in a foggy, stunned dazed. But happy.
Me, too. Idris should wear that outfit everywhere. The beach, the grocery store, the post office. It’s perfection.
Matthew looks like he’s moody because he forgot where the Lincoln in parked.
i will be forever grateful. Although I’m not sure I can function for the rest of the day. Stunned, I tell you. Stunned.
lolol! Poor Matthew will never live those commercials down.
There are dark tower trucks lined up all down the streets where I’m staying with the loveliest spreads set out for lunch in little tents. Not knowing dark tower, I idly wondered if lilacflowers had set up for Tiddles in tribeca while setting up tents for the riffraff over in Murray hill.
I was going to comment on how Idris’s body and carriage change w/each character — then I realized the guy in black is MM, who also does that. Interesting. Didn’t even recognize McC.
Looks really good.
@Size does matter. “The beach, the grocery store, the post office.”
I laughed until I cried!
Wow, morning indeed, how hot is this man. I can so see him as James Bond.
Have there been any updates on the new Bond yet??? I’m thinking Hiddles lost it. Idris would be amazing.
What about Jason Bourne or Lara Croft?
I wish I could spell out the sound I emitted from my throat when I saw the picture of Idris in that magnificent outfit. It was something between a gasp, a giggle, a moan and a gurgle. Wow. Wow. Idris…
Same. I’m not sure what just happened but it was not normal. And suddenly I’m wide awake.
Also give the books another chance. I’m not overwhelmingly in love with all King books but these…some of my favorites.
Since taking hormonal birth control, I’ve completely lost my sex drive. I think I know how to fix it…
I feel like a perv. Is this how men feel about ScarJo?
I just want to rub oil on him…
Personally i see my loss of sex drive as a blessing becsuse i’m free from all the BS that went with it.
Wow, he looks super hot. What a nice way to start off my day.
That man is f#cking delicious. Oh and his voice is pure sex. He is perfect. He makes me blush.
Idris looks awesome as always.
Matthew giving off some Tom Cruise as Vampire Lestat vibes.
Don’t you insult Lestat! 😀
I’m thinking more Dany Zuko vibes.
Both of them look hot!! Can’t wait to see it. I haven’t read the book either but I will. Maybe this week.
Universe save me! I’d never be able to see this in the cinema. There would be mess left behind and too much noise for other patrons. I’ll have to um… hire out a whole screening and make Mr Sixer pay for it for my birthday or something.
Idris. Is. The. World’s. Hottest. Man.
Not a huge fan of King but my mother was, so I’ve read all this series thanks to her shoving them down my throat as they came out, ever since I was a wee one. MM looks good as Flagg, I think.
He does, doesn’t he. Although he looks 10 feet tall in that picture.
I’m the lazy goodfornothing who usually waits until a film comes to a TV near my sofa before I bother to watch it, but I think I might actually hoof it to see this. The Sixlets will be up for it (what will the cert be?) and I like MM even though he can be a cockwomble in real life. Plus Idris. IDRIS!
I met MM a few years ago. Attended a baseball game in a friend’s corporate suite and he was in the next suite. He went up and down the corridor, visiting each suite and signing autographs and posing for pictures. He was friendly and charming. He didn’t have to do any of that so I give him a slight pass on cockwombleness
Well, that’s good to know, actually. Although, it’s not as though there are no cockwomble traits in Idris, is it? I can forgive a lot in internet boyfriends. Cos ball gags!
He just radiates…He does tough guy and looks so hard, but then look at that one shot of him with his face softened- so warm. So, so warm. Pass the oil! I know it’s wrong to objectify him like this, but…
Sorry Sixer, I want to agree but can’t. McAvoy is the world’s hottest man!
Ah, I’ve been looking for you to take your mind off the horrors of Brexit! Aside from watching Isner v Tsonga at Wimbledon, that is.
Look up @parliawint on the Twatter. I have almost died laughing at it today.
PS: No, he isn’t.
Thanks a lot Sixer, now I am going to go into that everyday!
Is it only me that can actually see JC saying ‘his’ quote? He seems like the kind of guy who would look hurt and say something like that if you were to say FO to him….LOL.
PPS: Oh yes, he so is. Watch him in Welcome to the Punch.
Are Isner and Tsonga still playing? Or did I hallucinate that their match finally came to an end?
Lilac – the match was mad, wasn’t it? Tsonga a favourite with the Sixlets and they were nigh on hysterical by the end.
BritAfrica – I WILL NEVER LOG OFF! That was hilarious. Because I am not a good person, I also liked Theresa May’s college major and her eff off.
Dear God, Idris is absolutely delicious looking in that costume. I’m awake now in more ways than one. THUD.
Matthew McConaughey and Idris Elba sandwich for one, please.
Meh, McConaughey looks a little gristly and Lincolny, not so much to my taste. He started to lose appeal for me with the bro jog (I don’t know how else to put it). Gimme some bong(o) Matt.
I find MM so unattractive, but Idris makes up for it.
Not even into Idris that much, but that picture is just… the sexiest…
I couldn’t get into the Dark Tower either. Maybe I’ll give it another go now before the movie releases.
Idris is the hotness!!
Loved the dark tower series… But Clint Eastwood is engrained in my mind as the Roland deschain and Lee van cleef is the man in black….
Yes, me too, it’s always been Eastwood in my mind while reading these books.
I do think MM is good for the man in black. I’m not against Idris, I do kind of wish they’d give him blue eyes though, as they’re referred to a lot in the books; Roland’s eyes.
Oh.Hell.Yeah.
I really recommend The Dark Tower series. It ties all the other books King has written together in a greater sense. And the ending in the last book of the series is incredible.
I loved the series too. King’s prose in the Dark Tower sort of reminded me of how Cormac McCarthy’s prose changed with the Road compared to All The Pretty Horses, etc. So stark.
Can’t wait to see the movie.
If you don’t want to read the whole series, read at least the first one, The Gunslinger. It’s a good read and is very different from the rest of King’s writing. The entire Dark Tower series is what connects the majority of his books together, not just the series itself, a large portion of all of his books.
I am leering of seeing this at all. I am a huge King fan and have been gutted by most of the movie adaptions. Shawshank and Stand By Me were amazing, The Green Mile was great, except for the ending, they should have stuck with the books on that, it was much more powerful. Pet Semetary is one I watch every few years and still like it (that kid was great). The Gunslinger is one of my favorite books of all time and with the history of screwing up King’s material, I worry. This was the second King book I ever read, at 12, and it was the one that made me a fan, to the point that I named my kitten Roland after reading it.
As for casting, I have always pictured The Gunslinger more like a taller, thinner John Wayne so it might take a few minutes in the movie to wrap my head around but Idris is amazing, so I know he will rock the part. Matthew is a bit taller and thinner than I ever pictured the man in black but as long as he speaks at a normal pace, it’ll be fine.
Ok, you’re a great person to ask this, if you don’t mind. I love to read, but I don’t like to be scared – the kind of scared that stays with you after you put the book down. I’ve never read SK for that reason. But maybe I should. You make him sound so good. I don’t mind tension or suspense, just creepiness and true horror. What do you think, if you have time or inclination to answer.
Perhaps a recommendation from a fellow wuss would be better? Rather than a huge King fan?
I’m still scarred from a scene from IT, which I must’ve read 20+ years ago. So I have to say, 100% DO NOT read that one! I wish I hadn’t. Thinner stuck with me, but I was a young teen when I read that one, not sure it’d be quite so scary now.
Green Mile was fine. I enjoyed Carrie. Dolores Claiborne is my favourite, and it stuck with me, but it’s more horrifyingly sad than scared-of-shadows-horrifying. You may find that worse. Actually I think you should probably clarify … what’s more scary to you: a horrible story about realistically nasty/evil humans or a jump-scare kind of story where evil monsters pounce out of the shadows and eat you? I can handle the former, it’s the latter that make me spend the next two nights hiding under the quilt at any strange noises.
@ GNAT:
The Gunslinger series is not scary at all. There are some disturbing scenes throughout the series, but nothing that is on the level of IT. Thinner is a great book and isn’t really scary, it’s more of a tale of caution.
Please take into account that my King scare level is probably way out of whack. I read IT when I was 11. Mom said if it didn’t scare me, I could read whatever I wanted after that. Well, I didn’t sleep for 2 days but I wasn’t telling her that. **Just to note, I got the book from a friends older sister, my mom wasn’t crazy enough to give it to me.**
Anyway, that aside, if you like a bit of spooky but not flat out scare the pants off of you, Bag of Bones is good. Dolores Claiborne is a fine read but the material is disturbing, it will stay with you. Insomnia ties in with the Dark Tower, though is not part of the series, and is not scary, I enjoyed that as well. Under the Dome is also not scary but is more of a study on humans and what happens when you put us all together in a stressful situation. Maybe not his best but still not bad. The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon is also well done. Being lost in the woods is big fear for a lot of people and he did a great job of putting it into words.
If you are looking for something that is classic King but not scary on the level of The Shining, IT, etc, The Stand is an amazing novel which also ties in with all of the Tower series even though it is a stand alone, completely separate book. My only recommendation is to not read it during cold and flu season. It never fails that I do every time I pull it out to read it and then I walk around staring at everyone like they are carrying the plague.
Edited to add: Gerald’s Game is a true mental game of a book. It is not scary in the horror kind of way, it is scary in the metal games that it plays. If you do not want a book that will spook you after, stay away from that one. I have read it several times, it is a good book but of all of King’s novels, that is close to the top of the list of disturbing for me. It may not have been for others but it still creeps around in my head and I haven’t read it in 4 or 5 years.
I saw It when I was a kid and it scared the hell out of me. Now horrors just bore me so King’s novels don’t do much for me.
I tried reading The Dark Tower but it bored me as well so I didn’t finish even The Gunslinger. But my favourite Steven King novel is The Long Walk, so I suppose I’m the worst to talk about The Dark Tower series.
@Lucrezia and Eden75
You are both so kind to take the time for these responses! To be honest, I got a little creeped out just reading the descriptions. Lol Lucrezia, I am more scared by things that could actually happen. If I get scared by fantasy characters, I can calm myself by saying “that would never really happen.” So I think maybe he’s not for me? I hate to give up, but if your descriptions scared me, maybe I better not open that door at the top of the stairs. 😱
@GNAT: He may not be the writer for you. Stay away from Gerald’s Game for sure. Dolores may not be a good book for you either. If you still really want to try, I would then recommend Bag of Bones. Not over the top and deals with things that aren’t real (if you don’t believe in ghosts I suppose). If you are interested in seeing the movie though, The Gunslinger is not scary.
@Fruitloops: I loved the Long Walk. I actually have a copy of The Bachman Books that includes Rage, which King pulled out of print after Columbine. It took me years to find it.
@GNAT, I too love to read and hate to be scared like that. I stayed far away from King’s books for years for this reason. An ex convinced me to try The Gunslinger and I devoured the series. The books are SO good. There is some suspense, but no terror. I recommend trying them.
I am not a fan of scary stuff, but The Stand remains one of my all time favorite books ever. HOWEVER, be aware the King has a crazy gift for description and paints a very vivid picture with his words – the good, the bad, and the gross. Personally, I wasn’t a huge fan of The Dark Tower series (and actually detested Wizard And Glass and would suggest just skipping 3/4 of the book) because even though it tied all of his works together, it got weird as hell.
OMG The Stand! I read that book when I was in college. Read the whole thing in one 24 hr. period; I couldn’t put it down!
Don’t read The Shining, either. I had nightmares for years after that one. Had to stop reading SK for decades & only recently returned. The man can write.
Okay, if it’s the realistic stuff you don’t like, we’re opposite types of wusses … in which case I agree with Eden75, don’t read Dolores. The Gunslinger would be okay. The Stand … maybe?
The Stand is can’t miss. I’d consider it one of the great American books.
@Eden75, I agree with you about Gerald’s Game. A truly horrifying story. I’ll never forget that one. The Stand is hands down my favourite SK book, with The Gunslinger series a close second. His descriptive abilities in the Long Walk just blew me away. I liked The Running Man from the Bachman books too. Just don’t watch the movie with Gov Arnie Schwarzenegger.
@GNAT, read The Stand, it’s incredible.
@Lady D: IT is my favorite, probably because it was my first but I do love the story. The Stand is second or third. I do love Bag of Bones, I’m not sure why. I read it once every year or two. The fact that it also ties into the whole Dark Tower series is interesting as well.
Eden – if you particularly like The Gunslinger, you might also like Mr Shivers by Robert Jackson Bennett. Similar but set in the 1930s. It’s kind of a cross between Steinbeck and King. You’ve got American gothic, you’ve got horror supernatural, you’ve got a revenge western. But it all pulls together really well.
Sixer:
I have read Mr Shivers! Loved it. My cousin-in-law passed it on to me and I was thrilled! Great recommendation!
Yay!
I personally don’t think Idris fits the part. I’ve read all the books and the gunslinger is more haggard, world weary, and dusty to me. Idris is fresh faced and happy looking. Honestly MM is more gunslinger and Idris would be a good Man in Black. But I’ll see the movie anyway because King is and will always be my favorite author ever. Genius.
My main concern with the change to Roland is the relationship with Susanna/Odette. How are they going to handle that with The Gunslinger now being black himself? It changes that whole dynamic…..
@Eden75 This! I haven’t heard a thing of how placing Idris as the Gunslinger will change the relationships with (especially) Odetta and the love of his life, Susan Delgado.
Praying this will be a good movie, avoiding the “King” curse.
The greatest conflict with Suzanna is the one within herself, so I actually think it’ll be okay. Obviously there will be some changes with their dynamic, but I think it can work.
@Bridget I hope you are correct. We’re familiar with her inner conflict & how it was “defined” by White culture (trying not to give spoiler). Roland is the only one to make Odetta wary; and, she resents that mostly based on ethnicity. Wish we were given some explanation of how this will work with Idris as Roland. Worrying for nothing, I’m sure… I just love the series & want a good movie. 🙂
OMG That was my only thought too!!! I always pictured Clint Eastwood as the gunslinger and Alan Rickman as the man in black. Seeing as it can never be those two…go nuts with the casting and take it wherever!!! The ONLY thing that worried me was that Susannah Dean is black and there was a nuanced story behind her not trusting the gunslinger and Eddie because they were white. It’s probably not even something they will adapt onto the screen anyways so I guess the point is moot.
Anyone else think Danai Gurira (Michonne from Walking Dead) would be the most amazing Susannah Dean ever?!?!?!?!?!
The entire first book can be seen as a prologue. Many people find that one a slog, and aren’t really into the story until book 2 or even book 3.
I don’t know if that’s a recommendation to keep pushing through or not. I guess it depends on how much you’re disliking it and whether you want to invest the time to slog through it in order to get to something different/better.
I wasn’t a huge fan of Dark Towers. It was good, but not amazing. But I’m not a huge fan of King’s fantasy stuff. (Which is weird, since I mostly read fantasy.) I prefer his more realistic psychological thriller stuff (e.g., Dolores Claiborne) over his high fantasy or supernatural. I think it might be a world-building problem. Normally in fantasy you’re given a nice clear set of rules for what magic exists and what it can do. But King’s fantasy tends more towards the surreal. I get a little frustrated trying to figure out the rules when there aren’t any.
It’s the world-building that puts me off being more of a reader of fantasy!
The Dark Tower books ramp up slowly but towards the middle of the series, it became riveting for me. The world building is not great, but the unfolding of relationships between the main characters is beautifully written. I go back to the books for a re-read of my favourite scenes often.
He called Dark Tower his magnus opus? Really? I read it, but it hasn’t stuck in my mind like The Shining did. The Shining is a magnus opus if I ever read one.
The Stand.
Though granted as far as scope, I can understand how he feels that way. 4 decades, thousands of pages, weaving together so many books.
2nd-ing The Stand. Even the TV mini-series couldn’t turn me off The Walking Dude. I was so glad to find the Crimson King again in the Tower series. I even liked his vanity play when placing himself prominently in the story-line. After all the time he invested, he deserves a spot.
Good. Gawd. He is… I am…
Me, too.
Help!!! Where’s my inhaler??? I am gasping for breath after seeing these photos of Idris……
Damn Idris. The man is beyond sexy. How is it possible I have no idea, but here we are.
Honestly, I can’t get into the Dark Tower series either, and I usually really like Stephen King. I read the first book and didn’t have the slightest desire to hunt down the next one. *shrug*
That being said, Idris looks awesome. I even think McConaughey looks sort of goth-a-billy hot, and I’ve never really found him attractive.
Damn! Damn! I am having a hard time conveying my thoughts. Damn!
If that stupid insipid tiddles bloke gets to be bond not Idris I shall be starting a petition
I doubt he will. That constipated underpants photo shoot was the least sexy thing ever. Bond needs to be sexy.
Idris would be a better Bond than budget fassbender. This man genuinely has sex appeal.
Idris Elba along with George Clooney and Benedict Cumberbatch have to be the most overrated men in terms of looks ever
err I dont think so. I’m not old enough to swooning over young clooney, but I saw him in ER series when I was kid, and yes he was good looking back then imo.
I dont think benedict is ‘overated’ because not many people think he is handsome. he has ‘unique’ face.
Idris Elba ?? no he is not overated, at least for me. maybe he is not your cup of tea on looks departement, but this man ooze charisma and sex appeal. it cant be deny. he can act too.
Nobody thinks cumberbatch is handsome in the traditional sense. Not even cumberbatch thinks he’s a leading man. Unlike budget fassbender he’s not delusional.
I’m sure Cumberbatch does think he’s a leading man. He has been a leading man, e.g. in the Julian Assange film (The Fifth Estate? ) and the Alan Turing film (Enigma? ) so I’m sure he goes for the leads given the chance. Why shouldn’t he? Idris is a fine looking man and a good actor but the tsunami of oestrogen on this thread doesn’t include me. And budget Fassbender is our new anti-Hiddles nickname, it seems. Fair enough. Makes a change I suppose.
Pet Sematary.
Idris is sexy as hell.
Matthew has lost the hot : (
Even though he’s so well-known, Idris is so underutilized by Hollywood. A serious pity and injustice.
McConaughey looks like that time Dennis from It’s Always Sunny In Philadelpiha died his hair black. He looks like Superman. That is not a compliment.
I couldn’t finish the first book, but holy heck will I see the movie. Idris is THE hottest man out there.
The Dark Tower Series took me till I was 30ish before I had any desire to try them again. What it took me finally really trying to read them was seeing patterns and glimpses of characters in books. Reading a story and having a glimpse of IT outta nowhere or Flagg showing up in random places in multiple books. Even small characters you would hear a description of in another book. It took me about halfway into the first book to get into it by the second I was hooked. The books are worth the read if for no othrr reason you are getting a glimpse into how they tie pretty much all his books together and help you see this is Stephen King’s world and all are branced off from this one series of books. I love and hate these books passionately. I think I’d Idris will make a great gunslinger and I am interested in seeing how the dynamics created in the book are changed and dealt with because there are certain things / relationships that will need to be changed due to him being a POC.
Oh, IT, that one stuck with me. I’d hate to have to encounter IT again.
Thanks, CB, this post is definitely appreciated.
I am very happy with the casting of Idris Elba as The Gunslinger and Matthew McConaughey as The Man in Black.
I have read about three of the Dark Tower books, and I love them. I learned that there was going to be a movie made years ago. I figured the movie-makers would not do Mr. King’s writing justice by taking the easy route and casting the actor du jour as the main character instead of looking at who is best for the role. Thankfully, they didn’t do that.
Idris is a great choice, and McConaughey as well. I don’t think I even thought about who would play The Man in Black, but I am surprised and relieved that they’ve chosen him. He’s talented and has the right look. I think he’ll bring a style and charisma to this character that most other actors just don’t have.
I hope the rest of the movie is as good as the casting.
Omg – Idris is perfection in these pictures. MM, on the other hand, is almost enough to kill my Elba buzz.
AMAZING. Idris is PERFECT. And I had really side-eyed the casting of Matthew McCounaghey originally, but I may have to take that back–he REALLY looks the part here.
Yes, please.
Kaiser, I think The Gunslinger is the toughest of the 7 books to get through in The Dark Tower series. As a lifelong Stephen King fan, it took me a long time to finish because it felt more like a western vs. science fiction/horror. However, the 2nd and 3rd books in the series are so great and I found myself falling in love with all the characters. After that, it’s impossible to put them down. So I would definitely give them another try!
@Kaiser: you should definitely give the Dark Tower book series another chance. The Gunslinger is, in my opinion, the driest one, and it gets so much better with each passing book! Books 2, 3, and 4 are so exciting, I could barely put them down! And just you wait until you get further in, to the point where Stephen King goes a bit crazy, after a real life experience apparently changes his entire perspective of life and this book series. (That’s all I will say about that, but you’ll know, trust me on this!! Haha!)
I loved the Dark Tower series. Started reading them as a teenager and am now in my forties. I grew, loved, and bled with the characters. Susannah is one of my favorite characters, a fierce black woman, a product of the Civil Rights movement someone who literally bled for it. Roland and their relationship dynamic and who she becomes ties a lot into how she initially views him. I don’t want her character diminished at all based on this casting, nor hand waved because hey it’s just a woman of color and her storyline isn’t integral to the story. Not compared to the color blind casting of Idris. Nope, not having it. The book series touched me in so many ways, it was a great, gutting read. Idris is a fantastic actor and looks great but he isn’t Roland Deschain, not if it at all makes Susannah a lesser character in the film. I’m not holding out much hope for this film staying in the spirits of the books. I hope I’m wrong, but I don’t think the books are really tailored for film format. It should have been done as a television series if they had to do it, probably on HBO.
Just today was wondering what my hoilday book shall be. Thank you Idris for making it easy for more.
I love them together. I’m looking forward to seeing this.
Book one- The Gunslinger- is moderately boring. Book two is where is gets juicy, exciting and addicting. Read it for sure!!!
Idris looks so hot. I’m going to sleep right now, but first I’ll pray that I have a sex dream about him.