Stephen King's; The Dark Tower Series

My favorite book (which fluctuates between Octavia Butler's Kindred) is The Talisman by Stephen King. No one ever talks about this book, nor do they even think about making it into a movie or mini-series (thank god!). I've read it no less than 10 times and I'm about due to pick it up and read it again. ~smiles~ So, imagine my happiness when I began reading the Dark Tower Series and discovered that it dealt with the same theme; the twin worlds and the twin people with one constant; The Dark Tower.


I always thought THAT ONE would make a good movie and now it looks like Ron Howard just might be the one to do it! Check out this article by Chelsea Davison.

'The Dark Tower': My Dream Cast

By CHELSEA DAVISON

"The Man in Black fled across the desert, and the Gunslinger followed." 

Let's immediately make one thing clear, I love Stephen King's The Dark Tower series. So much so, that I have been nervous for years as the rumors have swirled around potential movies, miniseries, and TV shows adapted from the seven books. At one time, J.J. Abrams was said to have finally gotten the green light from Stephen King and bought the rights to make it for a symbolic $19. However, now the torch has been passed to director Ron Howard and plans are moving forward for three feature films and two seasons of a television series. So, now the looming question is who will be cast in this epic undertaking? Here are my picks for The Dark Tower cast (though of course, casting unknowns would also be fantastic), includes choices for the Gunslinger, Eddie, Susannah, Jake, Susan Delgado, and The Man in Black.
Beware, this list includes a few hints/spoilers.

Roland Deschain: Josh Holloway

Dark, mysterious, deadly. The morally amiguous protagonist of The Dark Tower series is The Gunslinger and I think Josh Holloway would pull this off beautifully. With a bit of black hair dye and some bright blue contacts, Holloway could easily transform into the obsessed man tracking down The Tower and The Man in Black, especially since we saw he can handle a complex, often cruel character during his time playing Sawyer on Lost. My only concern is that he is not old enough to play the grizzled killer, but a bit of good acting could make the choice perfectly believable. Besides, worn doesn't necessarily require old.
However, choosing Holloway was a hard choice and I considered other candidates (get it, Lost fans?), such as Javier Bardem, Clive Owen, Christian Bale, and more. Check out my full list of possible actors who could take on the role of the last Gunslinger. 


Eddie Dean: Kevin Zegers

Naive, wild, addicted. Eddie is the 21-year-old heroin junkie from New York City who joins Roland in book two and Kevin Zegers is exactly how I envision him. He's a little dirty, grungy, but with youthful good looks and his starring performance in 2005's Transamerica proves he can deal with the depth of poor Mr. Dean.

Check out my other suggestions for what actors could play Eddie. 

Susannah Dean/Odetta Holmes/Detta Walker: Zoë Saldana

Powerful, damaged, wise. I almost didn't put Ms. Saldana in this part because it seemed just too obvious. But really, she is perfect for the wheelchair-bound fighter with a few too many identities. One look at her and it's clear why Eddie would fall in love and she brings the right balance between wisdom and ferral ferocity.

Choosing Susannah was really tough because the actress has to take on three parts, not one. I considered Naomi Harris a lot too, which you can see on my full list of actresses I think could play The Lady of Shadows.

Jake Chambers: Nathan Gamble.

Innocent, brave, special. Jake Chambers is the 11-year-old boy who joins Roland's ka-tet, first as a sacrifice and later as a son. Nathan Gamble, known for his roles in The Mist and Marley & Me, is one of the few young actors who could handle Jake's strong, mature manner. Plus I think he has the perfect look for Jake.

My only other strong suggestion for the part would be Lewis Howlett, but I weigh out the pros and cons of each in my full list of actors who could play Jake.

Then, I know these characters aren't brought in until Wizard and Glass, but it seemed appropriate to immediately cast them. Especially since I don't know what order chronologically the narratives will take.

Young Roland: Nicholas Hoult

When Roland and friends enter Mejis, he is just a teen. However, the blue-eyed Gunslinger matures immensely through love and tragedy during their time there. Nicholas Hoult clearly has the chops to take on the young Deschain because of his work in Skins, but really it was his piercing eyes that sold me on him. It works especially well if one of my alternates for older Roland takes it, such as Clive Owen, Hugh Laurie, or Christian Bale.

Check out the full list of young actors who could play the Gunslinger at age 14. 

Cuthbert Allgood: Freddie Highmore

Bert is Roland's best friend--the joker of their ka-tet and "twinner" to Eddie Dean. Freddie Highmore has taken on leading roles in numerous films including August Rush and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, but now the audience can see him take on a more adolescent character. There is something so optimistic and goofy about Cuthbert and Highmore captures it effortlessly.

Alain Johns: Chord Overstreet

I know some may doubt my choice of putting this Glee star in Roland's ka-tet of the past, but I just can't help that Chord Overstreet looks exactly how I pictured Alain Johns. A bit older than the other two and certainly more stocky, Overstreet could easily play the relaxed third member of their party, the one strong in the "touch."

Susan Delgado: AnnasSophia Robb

Casting Susan is difficult because the blonde beauty is so young and yet described as being heartbreakingly beautiful, yet AnnaSophia Robb is exactly that. The true love of Roland Deschain, she is the unfortunate victim in Wizard and Glass and so must be capable of portraying the emotional but fierce girl torn apart by fate. Robb's past roles in Bridge to Terabithia and Soul Surfer have me hopeful that this young girl could pull off such a powerful character.

However, check out the list of candidates I made of other blonde bombshells who could play poor Susan Delgado of Mejis.

UPDATED: So, I know, I didn't include The Man in Black, but you asked, so here's my choice:

The Man in Black: Jeremy Irons

The Man in Black fled across the desert and the Gunslinger followed. Mm, yes, the mysterious and powerful antagonist who goes by many names and evades Roland. While many actors could bring the right air of dark illusion, the one that instantly places himself in my mind is Jeremy Irons. Irons has the right look for the role--weathered yet alluring--and his work over the past four decades proves he is capable of handling the heavy acting. However, what really sells me on Irons is his voice. Perhaps it's because I grew up fearing him as Scar in The Lion King, but Jeremy Irons has a voice that I cannot help but associate with evil and mysteries. 

A few others are certainly worth considering for this part however, so click to see my full list of nominees for the Man in Black.

I think she did a great job in creating a fantasy cast--but I have to disagree with Jeremy Irons! This is Pep's pick for the Dark Man...

Ralph Fiennes. 

Ralph is sexy...no one said the Darkman was sexy but that doesn't matter. I've had a crush on him since I saw him lock lips with Angela Bassett in STRANGE DAYS. He usually plays good guys but he has a look about him that tells me he could cross over into crazy-ville pretty easily!