Me too. I hardly care who they pick, since it’s bound to be a bloody mess anyway. And that’s before you consider the movie/TV show/movie/TV show thing.
If he was still alive today, I’d want Lee Van Cleef in the role. Or Charles Bronson. Or a Robert Mitchum during one of his less fleshy periods. Guys with faces like that and that whiff of not-being-entirely good are few on the scene these days, alas.
I agree that Viggo Mortensen carries too much good guy baggage from previous roles. His fan base, and that of Jackman as well, aren’t going to be able to accept their guy doing some of the reprehensible things that Roland does. Just in the first book, there was that squicky scene between Roland and the preacher woman. Been years since I read the book, but didn’t he basically sexually violate her with one of his guns? He also massacres every man, woman, and child in a small town. He sacrifices Jake’s life in order to continue his pursuit of The Man in Black. Roland’s whole story is his willingness to spill blood and end lives, including those of people who love and trust him, on his quest. Especially early on in the story, there isn’t any indication of him being on a “save the universe” quest. It’s easy to forget that it wasn’t til the series really got rolling that we found out about all that.
Bardem is a good choice. Yeah, he’s heavier than I pictured Roland; but what we want is somebody that can bring Roland to life as a character. Bardem could do that.
I want Timothy Olyphant. The way he carries himself, especially as seen in Deadwood and Justified, is exactly how I picture Roland.
I know I’ve posted this before but I’ve always pictured Billy Drago as Roland.
Billy Drago would be nads-pumpingly great as Eldred Jonas.
True. Drago doesn’t play a good guy in anything I’ve ever seen. He’s just who I picture when I read the books.
I’ve always pictured Clint Eastwood too, but since that’s impossible I guess we have to consider these others. Javer Bardem is that best pure actor of that bunch, and I think he could invest the character with some interesting vibes. It’s not a very dynamic caharcter anyway, he’s mostly just taciturn and unemotional, but we’ve seen bardem do that well. I could live with Viggo too. Hamm does nothing for me, and Hugh Jackman flat out sucks.
Personally, I think Josh Brolin might be worth a look. I find him to be a very interesting actor just waiting for a breakout role.
You people make me so mad. YEARS ago I didn’t read the Dark Tower series, despite being captivated byThe Talisman, because you all said it was such a frustrating series! Don’t do it, you said.
And now look. A movie! And now I’m going to go out and get all the books, read them and be frustrated — and then watch the movie and complain that it didn’t get anything right.
You people.
Brolin would be good as either Roland or Eddie, I think. He does seem very well suited to the Coen Bros.-type roles.
I think that’s the risk of not having a very good actor play Roland - he is mostly taciturn and unemotional, but it’s all the other things that are at play in his character that make him so compelling, and an actor who ONLY plays the taciturn and emotionless Roland will (going out on a limb here) ruin this project.