MovieChat Forums > The Dark Tower (2017) Discussion > Anders Thomas Jensen

Anders Thomas Jensen

posted 8 years ago by Sawyer_Lost
8 replies | jump to latest

It really is a bit of a shame that his name doesn't come up more often when discussing The Dark Tower or the upcoming Wizard and Glass tv series. Let’s get to know the guy a little, what say you? Nikolaj Arcel brought him on board as a screenwriter for The Dark Tower, and from what we’ve heard so far, he will be in charge of writing the tv series to Wizard and Glass as well. Man I hope thats true! And one can only hope that this dude has been given enough time to supervise the script for The Dark Tower movie, because he is an extraordinarily talented screenwriter and I have known and enjoyed his work for more than 15 years. As someone from Europe, I’m probably by default a bit more familiar with his body of work, so let me geek out for a minute.

Regardless of countless European film awards he has taken home, he has also been nominated for 3 Oscars as a director and writer of three outstanding short films. In 1999 he actually won both the Oscar and the Golden Globe for his film "Valgaften". That movie couldn't be more contemporary these days, considering the recent election in the US. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0189179/?ref_=nmawd_awd_1

That same year, he wrote a black comedy called “In China They Eat Dogs”, which is hilarious and something of a classic over here, at the very least in the German speaking parts of Europe and the Scandinavian countries of course. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0180748/?ref_=nv_sr_1

In 2004 he wrote the multi-award winning film Brødre, of which there was an US-remake called “Brothers” with Jake Gyllenhaal and Tobey Maguire. An intense piece of filmmaking that beats the remake by lenghts. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0386342/?ref_=nv_sr_1

“Adam’s Apples”, a black comedy which he wrote and directed in 2005, has gained nothing short of cult status over here. Mads Mikkelsen is brilliant in it. I bought that fúcking DVD at least 4 times just because friends (?) wouldn't return it to me after I lent it to them. The same thing only happened to my Pulp Fiction soundtrack CD  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0418455/?ref_=nv_sr_1

Speaking of Mads Mikkelsen, he starred in Jensen's 2006 drama “After the Wedding”, an excellent and wonderfully tense film that I would recommend to just about anyone. The film was nominated for an Oscar for Best foreign Film. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0457655/?ref_=nv_sr_1

My personal favorite of his would be the one that most people are familiar with. Hævnen (2010) is a drama about childhood, fatherhood and revenge. I was lucky to catch it in the cinema when it came out and it really is the stunner that critics call it. It won the Oscar for best foreign film and I urge everyone who can get a copy of it to check it out, you won't be disappointed. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1340107/?ref_=nv_sr_1

So, I can assure each and every one of you that Anders Thomas Jensen is one of the absolute greats over here and that The Dark Tower is in extremely competent hands as long as he is on board. Thought I'd share.

Books are a uniquely portable magic. ~Stephen King

[–] jerryhammond38 8 years ago

Thanks for the info. I like the sound of this, and I think the series may turn out to be better than the movie.

[–] tinasparklesau 8 years ago

I was hoping you'd share more on Jensen. I've been researching his work lately but it's not the same as a fan's perspective, so thanks! If i could pick your brain a bit, i'd appreciate more info! I'm aware that Arcel usually collaborates with someone else on writing, Ras someone... Do you think going with Jensen instead was Arcel's pick or maybe Sony's? When he does collaborate with Jensen, do they create a distinctive/unique atmosphere in their work together?

Jensen seems to have a good background in noir or 'Scandi-noir' (forgive my cultural ignorance as to the difference). Is he known for noir like on a David Lynch scale, or just overall talented with a lot of genres?

Not Jensen related, but i noticed Arcel brought his long time cinematographer with him (another Ras). Do you know much about him?

In an article i read, Jensen talks about his involvement in TDT. It could be a language barrier but it seemed he was called in to help Arcel and found writing a script based off a script was not an experience he usually partakes in and found it a bit odd. He also mentioned that co-writing with the director while he is also a director was something else he found to perhaps be a bit of a power struggle. How does his writing when not directing stand up? I'm assuming it must be good as he seems to be the only one with writing credits on W&G so far...

In the same article, he mentions he hadn't read TDT books. But with the W&G news, i can only assume he has read it by now. Just speculation, but if he's going to be the key writer for W&G he must've loved it and/or Sony was very impressed with his work. How are his adaptations from books?

Finally, i'm not overly familiar with foreign film... I would say i've enjoyed Michael Haneke's work the most - what film would you recommend to view first of Jensen's?

[–] avildsen-610-19446 8 years ago

Do you think going with Jensen instead was Arcel's pick or maybe Sony's?

Jensen works with everyone in Danish film, across all genres, he's a go to guy, so likely Arcel.

I don't think he's written for Arcel before, but there has probably been some uncredited talk/advice here and there I imagine (very small country).

His own movies (writer & director) are very idiosyncratic (I would recommend you start with Adam's Apples, but it'll be weird no matter which one you choose), whereas his work for hire as a writer is not, because then he seems to be just that, a writer doing a job. In other words, he can do both mainstream and arthouse.

I would not compare his work to Lynch, but now that you mention it, I guess there are similiarites in that he does dark humor and grotesque stuff. Other than that, they have nothing in common at all and he's also not particularly Scandi Noir.

I don't know what Jensen interview you're talking about, but I vaguely recall him saying he's not used to being brought on board like this, to essentially doctor a (Hollywood) script and one that's already based on a book at that, but I didn't take anything about power struggles from that. But I might be remembring things wrong.

I'm a bit confused by something. Both of you mention that he'll write W&G, but I only recall the press release and I think that said him and Arcel would shepard the show early on, but not be directly involved as writers or showrunners. Is there anything recent I've missed?

[–] tinasparklesau 8 years ago

Thanks!

Here's the interview i read> http://nordicnoir.tv/news/director-anders-thomas-jensen-talks-men-chicken/

I may have taken a couple of quotes out of context now that i've re-read it.

Something else i find interesting is when he talks about funding and mentions Lars Von Trier, LVT is more famous for his non foreign films, Antichrist Melancholia and Nymphomaniac (i'm a fan of all). How does the funding work if it's not a foreign film? Not at all?

I might've jumped the gun claiming he will write W&G, the press release where him and Arcel are mentioned plus the imdb page for it > http://www.imdb.com/title/tt6082904/fullcredits?ref_=tt_cl_sm#cast - Anyone can just enter a name in there so probably not the best source to go to, and it doesn't mention Arcel at all and only lists Jensen for writing credits so seems contradictory to the other sources. And it could simply mean that something he wrote for TDT would cross over into W&G...? I think i read something more, i'll have to try and find it again.

[–] avildsen-610-19446 8 years ago

I guess I remembered wrong about his script writing on W&G, thanks both of you.

Hopefully their involvement will make the whole thing feel unified.

Something else i find interesting is when he talks about funding and mentions Lars Von Trier, LVT is more famous for his non foreign films, Antichrist Melancholia and Nymphomaniac (i'm a fan of all). How does the funding work if it's not a foreign film? Not at all?

Not sure I understand this question. Those films you mention are all foreign as far as I know, in the sense that the money aren't American/Hollywood, despite the language. The Salvation is an English language western with several American actors, but it's still a European film. Mostly the funding is done in a Euro pudding sort of way, several different backers from several different countries, including tv stations, as Jensen mention in that interview. But Trier always gets money from the Danish state because he's such a big name. At least as far as I know. Perhaps someone else with more knowledge about funding can elborate.

[–] tinasparklesau 8 years ago

oops! I'm glad i mentioned my naivete in foreign film. I'm so accustomed to seeing LVT films in english, american actors, large releases in english speaking countries etc - i incorrectly assumed he is usually funded by hollywood companies, so my mistake!

My question comes about as i was discussing the 'Danish element' (writer, director and cinematographer) with a friend and he threw out a theory of extra funding potentially coming from Denmark despite this not being a 'foreign' film. As we both know very little as to how this works, our questions revolved around how many parameters they would have to meet, and if it would even fly for post-production funding as i understand all the $ is allocated to different departments beforehand. I guess we were trying to figure out if Arcel and co. may be able to squeeze a little bit extra $$ out of Denmark to help complete the FX/post-production and what it would entail.

I found this article >> https://www.goethe.de/en/kul/flm/20463838.html

It didn't shed a whole lot of light on what we were trying to figure out but it did indicate loop holes! As the delay was due to FX, i think we may have just been scrambling to figure out how they could help fix their problem if $ was an issue.

How unusual is it for a financial backer to jump in at end game i wonder?

[–] Sawyer_Lost 8 years ago

The film’s director, Nikolaj Arcel, and co-writer, Anders Thomas Jensen, are working on the script for the show and will be executive producers as well, but another showrunner will be hired to oversee day-to-day operations.

http://www.ew.com/article/2016/09/21/dark-tower-tv-series-stephen-king-wizard-glass

Books are a uniquely portable magic. ~Stephen King

[–] Captain_Wesker 8 years ago

The televised series may significantly expand upon material in the book or follow the story closely with few to no frills attached.

Which do you believe is the more possible outcome?

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It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing .