Just for shts and giggles:I think Mads Mikkelsen would have been an inspired choice, but hey, I'm just another buffoon on the interwebs. Quite frankly, when you see MM, you see Roland, at least the way he was depicted in the books, if you were paying attention, that is. If you saw Idris Elba in your mind as you were reading the books, then....
Come quietly, or there will be...trouble.
We're gonna have to call you in for undead animal abuse.
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It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing .
Haha. The question still stands, Wesker.
And just so we're clear on where I stand with Elba:
He just doesn't "speak" Roland, to me, that is.
And for all you SJW's out there, I'll be more than fair with this one; I about had a stroke when they announced that RUSSEL FCKING CROWE, A WHITE GUY, would possibly be playing Roland, because he JUST. ISN'T. ROLAND.
Russel Crowe, Javier Bardem, Ibris Elba = not Roland, in my opinion, that is.
Come quietly, or there will be...trouble.
But let's all be honest here. How are we REALLY supposed to have any type of thoughts on a movie we haven't even seen a fcking trailer for yet? That in itself is a little uninspiring, especially due to the fact that it's coming out in six months. I'm hoping for the best with this film, but honestly, I'm preparing for the absolute worst.
Come quietly, or there will be...trouble.
...hoping for the best with this, but honestly, I'm preparing for the absolute worst.
You're probably right, yet the question stands: why was Elba "perfect" to play Roland? Both of you who responded simply dodged the question.
Come quietly, or there will be...trouble.
He's not. Not in my opinion anyway, but he may very well do a good job with the character he is given. Let's see how close to Roland he really is.
Whoever suggested Mads made a good call. I just saw The Salvation, and loved it.
Whoever suggested Mads made a good call.
Given that you're a troll and most probably a liar (about "being best buds" with Stephen King and "knocking back a beer with him" as he told you how "the biz" works), I doubt you want to take this conversation to a meaningful, mature, and wholly objective place. Nevertheless, here I go.
There is no "perfect" actor for Roland Deschain. I have a feeling fans would have complained even if Clint Eastwood had been picked (and if they hadn't, they should have: remember that Roland is eventually described as looking like some hybrid of Eastwood and the author Stephen King himself). Also, has Eastwood performed in the realm of science-fiction and/or fantasy?
For a short while, in the books, I, for whatever reason, imagined Mr. Deschain to look somewhat like actor Lance Henriksen. In the intervening years between when I got into the series proper and me learning about the live-action adaptation on IMDB, I never gave much thought about who the actor to play the gunslinger would/should be. Even if Henriksen had been the right age a year ago, people would have complained about him being cast as well.
Did I expect/picture Idris Elba? Nope. However, as anyone that has reached adulthood will tell you, there are occasions when you hadn't expected or even wanted something yet ended up appreciating it all the same. Considering he can pull off a world-weary stare and has considerable experience playing a bad guy and a "not nice" good guy (each role being widely praised and, more importantly to me, praised by myself), I am willing to give the man a chance.
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It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing .
Considering he can pull off a world-weary stare
^ They're coming outta the goddamn woodwork !
Nah, but seriously: you're a bit of a prick for saying "Can anyone refute this?" regarding meleractor's ridiculous post about "millions of black people" being at fault regarding poor race/ethnicity relations and apparently needing a proper cinematic portrayal of Detta Walker so that they could...how did he put it?..."take off the shackles in their mind".
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It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing .
I find it fascinating how far some individuals will go to twist facts to fit their sad narrarative. Misquoting me seems to be just one of many for you when it comes to enabling the victim mentality that perpetuates the black community.
How poor your grounding must be that you feel you have to rearrange history to make something seem one way...when it is in fact quite another.
I know that you love to walk around handing out blankets of oppression so that minorities looking for an excuse not to succeed can wrap themselves up warmly in it and feel justified in their self defeat. I'm sure you fancy yourself as a Mother Teresa offering a kind gesture to those poor folk who just can't get a break from this evil society.
I don't subscribe to this nonsense and I think people like you are part of the problem...not the solution.
But that's for another time.
For now, if you want to post something I said. You post the whole thing. Don't edit it like some coward who is afraid it will make sense to someone who has sense.
One thing you will learn about me son. I stand by my words. And never say anything I need or have to regret later.
So quote me anytime.
Anywhere.
Just make sure you quote me correctly.
Let the whole world tremble at my name
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1648190/board/flat/255132305?d=255197822#255197822
I wanted millions of blacks to see a black woman go from petty hatred base on skin color to shedding such non-sense so that she could address the bigger problem. To drop the shackles from her mind and embrace a powerful destiny. To be rewarded with love for herself and from others by doing so. And finally, for seeing that the white man...is not the enemy. That color...is not the enemy. That the true enemy lies within ourselves.
So irrelevant I keep showing up in your posts. Odd, that.
Just remember what I said about the quoting.
Let the whole world tremble at my name
Oh boy. Here we go again...
Are you familiar with a Broken Aesop? That is EXACTLY what that scenario in The Drawing of the Three was IF you attempt to make it into a "lesson". Detta Walker wasn't a real person. She didn't undergo a believable, lengthy and arduous transformation. Magic intervened to solve a problem. End of story.
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BrokenAesop.
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It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing .
*edit and note* Adding more information to your post after someone has already posted to it is bad form, and a disingenuous debating strategy. I'm beginning to remember why I dubbed you as lacking any integrity what-so-ever awhile ago.
If you find you have additional thoughts...make another post.
Awwww...I've offended your misguided quest and you feel the need to debate it now...*sigh*.
Yeah. All that racist history? All that racist history who's after effects continue to linger on in the justice system, the economy, the education system, etc? Totally bogus. Who knew?
Why NOT have a grossly over-the-top stereotypical cartoon of a character (remember that you were speaking of DETTA WALKER...someone MAGICALLY MENTALLY SEQUESTERED by an OTHERWORLDLY DOORWAY) be the tool to teach MILLIONS of adults that they're the problem?
The Drawing of the Three ->
Eddie nodded.
EDDIE: "That was an act, and she knew it was an act. But she's a pretty good actress and she fooled both of us for a few seconds. The way she's talking is an act, too. But it's not as good. It's so stupid...so goddamn hokey!"
ROLAND: "You believe she pretends well only when she knows she's doing it?"
EDDIE: "Yes. She sounds like a cross between the darkies in this book called Mandingo I read once and Butterfly McQueen in Gone with the Wind. I know you don't know those names, but what I mean is she talks like a cliché. Do you know that word?"
ROLAND: "It means what is always said or believed by people who think only a little or not at all."
EDDIE: "Yeah. I couldn't have said it half so good."
are apparently the ones at fault for the racism leveled their way
I'm pretty sure I was sh i t-faced hammered when I wrote that Wesker, and I'm pretty sure it was just for laughs. Don't believe everything you read on the internet.
http://i0.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/171/862/Bill_cosby_cthulu.jpg
Inebriation...is that the line you're going with now?
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It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing .
There it is. No reply so distract from the question to attempt to derail the thread.
shareGood question!
I think a lot of people who are against his casting simply assume that those of us in favour think he's the perfect choice, when a lot of us are just happy with it, some even not too bothered either way. There doesn't have to be a definite answer as Roland is just a character in a series of books, so no-one will be perfect. Personally, I was surprised and don't think he's perfect but I really like the choice of actor, as well as the actor himself and I think he can pull it off. But like you said, I'm just another buffoon on the interwebs. My opinion doesn't really matter to any of you guys, but it's fun to express it.
I do think he'll be good but I haven't seen the film so it's just optimism and faith until then. Here's hoping!
So other than you personally liking him as an actor you have no reply as to the question? Very telling.
shareah the inevitable return of Spider, I do sometimes enjoy our little back and forths because, intentional or not, you're quite sweet in your own little way. I'll say this now though, I'm only replying to your comment once. I'm busy, I'm tired, I'm taking a break from a lot of work at a busy time in my life because I need to distract myself.
The question was 'can someone explain why elba was the 'perfect choice to play Roland', and I answered that this is a common misconception amongst people who are against the casting of Elba: that we who are in favour think he's perfect. Most of us don't, in fact I've yet to see anyone say he is perfect. I can't wait to see him (see? another opinion! you're catching on) in the role and think he was a good choice, but don't think he, or anyone else for that matter, would be the perfect roland.
So, in a way, yes I didn't answer the question. I didn't because I don't agree with the initial statement. In the same way that people could say 'why is Game of Thrones the best tv programme ever?' and somebody replying 'a lot of us are fans but we don't think it's the best show, but it's very good'.
If you needed clarification, my answer is that I don't think you can have an answer to that question if you don't feel that anyone could be the perfect choice. It's about not seeing the world in black and white but getting involved in a discussion that you find interesting on a topic that you enjoy discussing.
DeadorAlive said something interesting, I replied because I was interested, simple as that Spidey. There was no need to get petty and start lashing out at people with snide comments for no other reason that you want to win an arguement that you're not involved in and that isn't even taking place. Very telling.
guyamos, we are in agreement. Entering the discussion parameters makes little sense when you don't believe the parameters to exist to begin with.
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It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing .
Long story short, I don't think there is a "perfect" person to play Roland other than whoever each of us imagined while reading the series. However, I will say this: When I initially started thinking about actors who could play Roland, I considered Guy Pearce, Hugh Jackman, Jim Caviezel, and of course, Viggo Mortensen. But after Idris Elba was cast and I thought about it, I could see him in the role too. So to answer your question, to me, Elba has a certain charisma and charm, the ability to convey gravitas, stoicism, intensity, quiet confidence, danger beneath the surface, and he's really good at conveying emotion solely with his eyes. Physically, he's around the age I imagined Roland would be (or at least, the age he might appear to be since he's obviously much older than he seems), and he does have the height and the physical presence (not frail, not overly imposing). In short, these are definitely things I'd want the actor taking on this role to have.
As for what the people working on the movie think regarding Elba...
Ron Howard:
"...I’ve always felt that the essence of Roland was not necessarily the carbon copy of Clint Eastwood, even though that was what they used as the model on a lot of the book covers. ... But I never felt it was necessarily a look as much as an essence. So did Stephen [King]. In this iteration, when we began thinking about candidates, Idris just felt like a really exciting and dynamic possibility. Idris brings this crucial combination of coiled danger, quiet charisma, undercurrents of complexity and nobility, and a kind of timeless cool. These are the elemental qualities of Roland, in my mind, and I think Idris carries it incredibly well."Source: http://deadline.com/2016/09/ron-howard-brian-grazer-the-beatles-eight-days-a-week-the-dark-tower-stephen-king-idris-elba-matthew-mcconaughey-1201812029/
"Anytime I see Idris in anything, he's sort of a magnetic figure for me. ... He's such a formidable man."And then there's Stephen King:
"I think he's a terrific actor. I think he's one of the best actors working in the business now. ... [McConaughey and Elba] are both great. The idea of seeing the two of them in opposition to each other is very exciting to me."Source: https://soundcloud.com/user-369914768/the-dark-tower-an-ew-podcast-with-stephen-king
He's far from my first pick as Roland but i can see why he was cast. He embodies 'still waters run deep' extremely well (and of course stoic and badass), he's a respected and popular actor - a 'rising star' so to speak without the price tag of an A-lister, he's extremely likeable in all the interviews i've seen him in - charming, charismatic, funny, laid back, a bit of a dude's dude- he will do a good job of promoting the movie, and being as likeable as he is, he would be a good choice to form a quick rapport with a child actor considering the heavy content of the movie and he seems like he's easy to work with.
It's juvenile to put it this way but Idris is 'cool'! Who doesn't like him in Luther and The Wire? Plus he put in a tremendous performance in Beasts of no Nation. I see many reasons to cast him as Roland that aren't only based on just his ability to nail the Roland completely (which is yet to be seen), and in the movie business these other things DO count imo. These traits and the budget must have come into consideration, it's a very low budget for a movie like this and no doubt MM took a hefty junk of it. Off the top of my head: some 'prima donna' actors like Kevin Costner, Sean Penn, Val Kilmer and Russell Crowe have been known to delay and even halt filming dead in it's tracks because of their attitudes, costing the studios millions in wasted time and resources while cowtowing to their demands and whims.
So far from perfect, but i think he fits a lot of the necessary requirements when taking everything into consideration....
Thanks for the replies, everyone. I'm trying very hard to want to like this film; the casting choices, the direction they're taking it, but I just find it very difficult to put myself in the film-makers shoes and understand how they think these choices will enhance the project overall. I'm having a very difficult time with it. But this is coming from the same guy who still to this day loathes the theatrical version of Jurassic Park, simply because it strays from the source material slightly and is different in tone, in terms of violence, from the book. I'm just a purist d i ck, I guess.
Come quietly, or there will be...trouble.