A few months back I reported that screenwriter Akiva Goldsman, director Ron Howard, and Universal Pictures were going to tackle Stephen King's massive seven volume magnum opus The Dark Tower. This was a literary undertaking so broad in scope it took Stephen King over three decades to complete. Bringing this work to the big screen will be a colossal task. Thankfully, it appears that Howard and company just may have their leading man.
Deadline.com is reporting the role of Roland Deschain (the world's last surviving gunslinger pledged to find the mysterious Dark Tower) has been offered to Academy Award winner Javier Bardem. Official contract negotiations have not yet begun, however Universal feels that the 2010 Best Actor Academy Award nominee for Biutiful is their man.
As a huge fan of the novels my initial reaction to the casting of Bardem was surprise. Speculation surrounding the casting of Roland of Gilead had Christian Bale at the top of the list. As a veteran already of westerns, science fiction, and fantasy I thought Bale seemed like a slam dunk. Plus I mean come on, Bardem? The guy with the weird accent and the Dutch Boy Paint hair cut in No Country for Old Men?
However, after a week of pondering the decision I've come around. At 41 Bardem is the perfect age to play the saga's titular character. His scruffy, rough, and dark looks also resemble how I pictured Roland while reading the novels. Despite being a Spanish actor I could visualize Javier Bardem tackling the role. (After all the world he comes from doesn't preclude anyone from speaking with an accent. It's a completely different world not Kansas City USA.) Furthermore with three Oscar nominations under his belt and a win for the aforementioned No Country for Old Men, it's safe to say he's more than capable of handling the acting responsibilities.
But will he want to tackle the time commitment?
As I've said The Dark Tower is a work that involves three films and two television series. Bardem will have to be on board for all three films and one of the television seasons. The first film is set to release in May of 2013 but I don't anticipate the whole series being rapped up until 2015 or 2016 at the earliest. Three years is a long time to commit for any actor. To be honest this undertaking is so vast I wouldn't be surprised if Universal eventually bailed. They certainly will if the first film tanks. Like New Line Cinema with the Lord of the Rings trilogy, this series could make or break Universal.
There is also no guarantee Bardem will even sign on the dotted line either. He's already been offered the villain role in the next James Bond film and his wife actress Penelope Cruz gave birth to their first son almost two weeks ago. It's a lot to consider.
To steal a line from King's series, even if Bardem turns the role down, "the world will move on." Undoubtedly so will the production of this movie.
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