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Started By
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Wait, what!? They want Idris Elba to play Roland Deschain in "The Dark Tower"?
Posted on 12/28/15 at 12:47 pm
Posted on 12/28/15 at 12:47 pm
They have forgotten the face of their fathers, obviously.
LINK
And before the lynch mobs call anyone who disagrees with the casting a "racist", calm down and use some logic.
There are reasons that Roland can't be black.
Roland has always been white. From the beginning. He would quite literally have to "forget the face of his father" if they were to make him black for some ridiculous PC reason. Have to make his mother and father black. It's trying to fit a square peg in a round hole.
And the whole Detta sequence...how is she gonna call Idris Elba a "Honkey Mufrickah"? Part of that entire book is about getting past the racial strife, between her and Roland and Eddie, and within herself. It makes zero sense if Roland is black.
Wizard and Glass would just feel so out of place. Again you're slapping a coat of paint on someone and then failing to explain why they are inexplicably black in a "white world." You can't explain it away without completely changing King's masterpiece. (And before you say "he's okay with it", they have him against a rock and a hard place. If he has an issue with it they'll paint him as a racist. Because that's what they do. And he wants to sell his movies and books.)
His whole persona was built off of a Clint Eastwood archetype. So find a Clint Eastwood-esque character, which Elba isn't.
Changing Roland in such a fundamental way in the name of diversity is not only wrong, it's unnecessary.
LINK
And before the lynch mobs call anyone who disagrees with the casting a "racist", calm down and use some logic.
There are reasons that Roland can't be black.
Roland has always been white. From the beginning. He would quite literally have to "forget the face of his father" if they were to make him black for some ridiculous PC reason. Have to make his mother and father black. It's trying to fit a square peg in a round hole.
And the whole Detta sequence...how is she gonna call Idris Elba a "Honkey Mufrickah"? Part of that entire book is about getting past the racial strife, between her and Roland and Eddie, and within herself. It makes zero sense if Roland is black.
Wizard and Glass would just feel so out of place. Again you're slapping a coat of paint on someone and then failing to explain why they are inexplicably black in a "white world." You can't explain it away without completely changing King's masterpiece. (And before you say "he's okay with it", they have him against a rock and a hard place. If he has an issue with it they'll paint him as a racist. Because that's what they do. And he wants to sell his movies and books.)
His whole persona was built off of a Clint Eastwood archetype. So find a Clint Eastwood-esque character, which Elba isn't.
Changing Roland in such a fundamental way in the name of diversity is not only wrong, it's unnecessary.
18
Posted on 12/28/15 at 12:49 pm to fr33manator
quote:"Uncle Tom muthfrickah"?
"Honkey Mufrickah"?
Posted on 12/28/15 at 12:50 pm to MontyFranklyn
Elba has to be in the best negotiating position of any actor ever.
We want to be edgy and cast a black guy in a non-traditional role for black guys -
"Get Idris Elba!"
We want to be edgy and cast a black guy in a non-traditional role for black guys -
"Get Idris Elba!"
Posted on 12/28/15 at 12:54 pm to fr33manator
If only Clint Eastwood was younger.
Posted on 12/28/15 at 12:55 pm to fr33manator
IF Elba could pull off that western vibe, I would be ok with it.
Mostly because this is Roland's big screen debut.
Mostly because this is Roland's big screen debut.
This post was edited on 12/28/15 at 12:57 pm
Posted on 12/28/15 at 12:56 pm to fr33manator
quote:
They want Idris Elba to play Roland Deschain in "The Dark Tower"?
I sure hope they sign him to the role. That would be great.
Posted on 12/28/15 at 1:01 pm to pvilleguru
Except that the CHARACTER. DOESN'T WORK. AS A BLACK MAN.
Unless you want to totally want to throw out a main (and actually written as black) character's interactions with him and others.
And throw out core aspects of his history and character.
He wouldn't be Roland. At all. And it wouldn't be "the Dark Tower."
Unless you want to totally want to throw out a main (and actually written as black) character's interactions with him and others.
And throw out core aspects of his history and character.
He wouldn't be Roland. At all. And it wouldn't be "the Dark Tower."
Posted on 12/28/15 at 1:05 pm to fr33manator
quote:
Except that the CHARACTER. DOESN'T WORK. AS A BLACK MAN.
Unless you want to totally want to throw out a main (and actually written as black) character's interactions with him and others.
And throw out core aspects of his history and character.
I know what you're trying to do, but you're just wrong.
Posted on 12/28/15 at 1:05 pm to fr33manator
I'll just keep saying it.
The answer is right in front of them.
The answer is right in front of them.
Posted on 12/28/15 at 1:07 pm to Green Chili Tiger
How old is he?
Posted on 12/28/15 at 1:08 pm to pvilleguru
I always argue against this attitude in these threads. Always. I think James Bond would be fine as a black actor. Who cares? Him being black isn't relevant to the character, IMO. I wouldn't care if Superman was black.
But Roland? It literally makes no sense from the book and story perspective. The race component is a big, big part of the story.
But Roland? It literally makes no sense from the book and story perspective. The race component is a big, big part of the story.
This post was edited on 12/28/15 at 1:09 pm
Posted on 12/28/15 at 1:10 pm to pvilleguru
quote:
How old is he?
29
They would need to "weather" him a bit, but I think it would work.
Posted on 12/28/15 at 1:11 pm to Fun Bunch
quote:Cultural differences are a much bigger part of the story than race is.
The race component is a big, big part of the story.
Posted on 12/28/15 at 1:13 pm to Green Chili Tiger
quote:
29
They would need to "weather" him a bit, but I think it would work.
If they could make him look 45ish, that would be ideal.
Posted on 12/28/15 at 1:14 pm to pvilleguru
quote:
If only Clint Eastwood was black
Posted on 12/28/15 at 1:16 pm to fr33manator
quote:
And the whole Detta sequence...how is she gonna call Idris Elba a "Honkey Mufrickah"? Part of that entire book is about getting past the racial strife, between her and Roland and Eddie, and within herself. It makes zero sense if Roland is black.
She can still call Eddie a Honkey Mufrickah.
Posted on 12/28/15 at 1:16 pm to pvilleguru
quote:
Cultural differences are a much bigger part of the story than race is.
Have you read the books? Race plays a huge part in the interactions between Detta/Odetta/Susannah and Roland. And Eddie.
Tell me how wizard and glass works with Elba? Or are you just going to have "the only black (and it's not like Elba is light skinned enough to even make it halfway plausible) man in the universe" syndrome going on here? Where everyone completely ignores that a black man is inexplicably playing a part obviously written as a white man? And one where it's important to the story.
Posted on 12/28/15 at 1:16 pm to fr33manator
I actually agree.
I want Elba as Bond. Not as Roland Deschain.
I want Elba as Bond. Not as Roland Deschain.
Posted on 12/28/15 at 1:22 pm to fr33manator
quote:
Have you read the books? Race plays a huge part in the interactions between Detta/Odetta/Susannah and Roland. And Eddie.
Tell me how wizard and glass works with Elba? Or are you just going to have "the only black (and it's not like Elba is light skinned enough to even make it halfway plausible) man in the universe" syndrome going on here? Where everyone completely ignores that a black man is inexplicably playing a part obviously written as a white man? And one where it's important to the story.
I agree with this. I was pretty adamant that people saying hermione in the harry potter play should not be black were being racist and idiotic. This instance is the perfect example to illustrate the opposite: Race plays a big part (at least in the first few books which I can remember) and you lose many important conflicts by changing the race of the character.
Posted on 12/28/15 at 1:22 pm to FT
The good news is this is never going to be made with any actor of any color.
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