Ahoy, squirts... Quint here with an interesting hunk of rumor for you Dark Tower nutters to think over. I'm a bit skeptical of this one, being that I know King has a tight handhold on the rights to this series and I've heard there is only one filmmaker he is willing to give the rights to and it isn't Genndy Tartakovsky.
Now, I love Tartakovsky's stuff. His Clone Wars had more inventive fights, characters and storylines than anything Lucas has really shown in the first two prequels. He knows action... But his style of animation (SAMURAI JACK included) is completely wrong for this universe. It wouldn't work to tell this story. It'd be like Tartakovsky doing Miyazaki's SPIRITED AWAY... They're both master animators, but the way Miyazaki told that story was the only way it could have been told. Tartakovsky's work just wouldn't have fit.
Now, I'm no fan of Anime... Never have been. I've liked some Anime (GHOST IN THE SHELL, NINJA SCROLL, etc... you know, the tentpoles), but on the whole I'm no screaming Anime fan... BUT, I'm of the opinion that something like the Anime work that was done in KILL BILL would be a lot closer to making Roland's world work than Tartakovsky's style... But, on the other hand, I'd trust Tartakovsky to be true to the spirit of Stephen King's book.
Anyway, I'd much rather see a live action film series be made out of this series, but an animated HBO series, in the right hands, could kick some ass. I'll keep my feelers out for info on this project, but keep in mind that according to the below scooper, this is just in its pitch stage. Thousands of things get pitched every day in Hollywood. So, this could come to nothing... Hell, whoever is pitching might not even have the rights. But 'tis interesting nonetheless.
Quint,
Good day to you, sir. I recieved a bit of information I thought you might enjoy. A friend of mine works as an intern at HBO and has informed me that a fully animated Dark Tower series is in the pitch stage. She also mentioned the name Genndy Tartakovsky of Dexters Lab And Samurai Jack fame. After I changed my underoos, I grilled her for more info. She went on to descibe some storyboards that could only be the massacre in the town of Tull. More underoos soiled.
I am a skeptic at heart, but she described this scene to a tee. Now this girls idea of a good read is the back if her cereal box, so i tend to believe she saw this rather than read it.
With the impending Talisman disaster, I thought this might cheer all the King fans up a bit. Might they actually do justice to a King book that does not involve prison? Let us pray. When I hear more, you will too.
Thankee-Sai,
Speedy Parker
