In the wake of news that Idris Elba is currently the top choice to take on the lead role of Roland Deschain, aka Gunslinger in the movie adaptation of Stephen King's "The Dark Tower", fans are divided. Some are delighted with the news while others are more skeptical.
According to Cinema Blend, on the skeptical side are fans who are more concerned with how the movie adaptation stays true to the books, and those who take issue when a book character is of a different race in the movie version. In the novels by author Stephen King, the character of Roland Deschain is a white male. The Mary Sue notes that some fans take issue with this potential casting because they feel that Elba being a man of color changes the dynamics in the story, and based on that assumption, he's not the right choice for the role.
In the novels, race is one of the issues where conflicts stem from. One character in particular, Detta Walker, has an inherent dislike for white people. Her introduction in the story with this specific trait immediately sets up a conflict with Roland. The novel series also have an element of a commentary of race relations in America. Some believe that if Elba were to land the role, changes would have to be made to work around the race issue, particularly in rewriting details like conflicts between characters like Detta Walker and Roland.
As a response to this issue, Stephen King recently posted on Twitter that the race of the actor playing Gunslinger doesn't matter to him. He cares more about "how fast he can draw...and that he takes care of the ka-tet".
Roland Deschain is described as a man who displays a strong sense of heroism, but is also driven by emotional scars caused by the deaths of his family and friends. Personal tragedies have made him a hardened man who at times appears unsympathetic and detached. He is even described in the books as someone who "greatly lacks imagination". It is important then to find an actor who can strike a balance in portraying these key characteristics of Roland. Elba being a top choice says a lot about the movie runners' faith in his acting abilities.
There is still no official announcement that the project has received the green light. Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey, who are both currently in talks on the roles of Roland Deschain and Randall Flagg, respectively, have yet to confirm whether they've landed the role. Sony Pictures is aiming for a January 13, 2017 theatrical release.
Nikolaj Arcel ("A Royal Affair") is attached to direct the first installment in the series. He is working on a rewrite of the script with Anders Thomas Jensen ("The Duchess"). An initial draft of the script was done by Akiva Goldsman ("A Beautiful Mind") and Jeff Pinkner ("Lost").
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