Ron Howard certainly has ambitious plans for Stephen King’s The Dark Tower. Over the years many have tried and failed to bring it to the big screen, but Howard is hoping to deal with the Gunslinger and the expansive universe he lives in with three movies and a TV show to tie it together. Now it seems he’s looking to cast the main role.
A couple of weeks ago he was talking to the LA Times and mentioned that Viggo Mortensen might be up for the lead role. However he didn’t make it sound at all certain, and it seemed more like he was musing on the type of person that would be good, rather than he was definitely thinking of casting Mortentsen, Indeed it appears Viggo’s name was picked out mostly because he’s a fan favourite for the role of the Gunslinger. Now the New York Post has weighed in, quoting anonymous ‘sources’ who says Javier Bardem is now also a front-runner, with Viggo a close second.
However while the article says ‘Agents are tripping over themselves to land their clients coveted roles in what promises to be a blockbuster film and television franchise’, it would be a huge commitment for any film actor. With three epic movies and two series of a TV show to shoot, it would mean any actor in the lead role would be working solely on The Dark Tower for at least a couple of years, and there aren’t many big stars willing to make that sort of commitment – it’d be more than a little exhausting for one thing. At the moment any casting news seems little more than speculation, but don’t be surprised if more names are thrown into the Dark Tower mix in coming weeks, until someone is officially announced.