Javier Bardem to play Stephen King’s ‘Gunslinger’?

[HMG Celebrity News] – As we reported in April, Oscar-winning producer Brian Grazer is preparing a movie adaptation of Stephen King’s classic, ‘The Dark Tower.’ Ron Howard has signed to direct and Javier Bardem is now said to be eying the lead role.

“We’re in the process of trying to put that together,” Brian told MTV at the Oscars. “Will that make you happy?”

The reporters were righteously jazzed about the 42-year old who won the Oscar in 2007 for ‘No Country for Old Men’ taking the lead role, so they asked Brian if Javier had officially signed on?

“He’s locked in psychologically,” Grazer explained. “He really wants to do it, so we’re absolutely rooting for him to do it.”

But Brian couldn’t confirm any other casting rumors, saying his crew are currently working overtime to get Javier on-board;

“We’re really just focused on Javier right now,” he said.

And while getting an actor of Bardem’s range to commit to doing at least three movies [King's original story fills seven books,] Brian also admitted he and the suits at Universal have other problems to solve – they plan to release the film as a movie, a TV series and a set of video games. So life could get tough.

“It’s challenging to capture all of it, the density of it,” said Grazer, assuring fans that all the metaphors in the books will be covered, starting with volume one of the epic; ‘The Gunslinger.’

Since its release in 1982 ‘The Dark Tower’ has transfixed an army of fans who now hang upon King’s every comma. Two of the books have since been updated and an eighth is in progress, yet the addiction continues unchecked.

But can a movie do justice to a story this complex? If you read Stephen King or you’re a fan of Mr. Bardem, let’s get your reactions to this…