After many failed attempts, a film version of Stephen King’s classic series The Dark Tower is finally on its way with two huge stars attached.
It's official: The man in black fled across the desert and the gunslinger followed. #DarkTowerMovie @McConaughey @IdrisElba
— Stephen King (@StephenKing) March 1, 2016
Entertainment Weekly reports Idris Elba will play the story’s protagonist Roland a.k.a. The Gunslinger while Matthew McConaughey will play the man in black. The film will start production in seven weeks. It’s not known how many of the eight books the film will cover, but the story of the gunslinger’s quest towards the tower will reportedly mostly take place in the “modern world” according to the film’s director and co-writer Nikolaj Arcel (A Royal Affair).
.@McConaughey you have one new follower. #DarkTowerMovie https://t.co/5fSKF02C7I
— Idris Elba (@idriselba) March 1, 2016
.@idriselba come and get me, I look forward to it. #DarkTowerMovie https://t.co/4gxqm2GPo3
— Matthew McConaughey (@McConaughey) March 1, 2016
King told EW he was excited that the project was finally coming to life on the big screen.
“The thing is, it’s been a looong trip from the books to the film,” King says, putting it right in context: “When you think about it, I started these stories as a senior in college, sitting in a little sh-tty cabin beside the river in Maine, and finally this thing is actually in pre-production now.” He laughs. “I’m delighted, and I’m a little bit surprised.”
Arcel will co-write The Dark Tower with Anders Thomas Jensen (Men & Chicken), Avika Goldsman (The Da Vinci Code), and Jeff Pinker (The Amazing Spiderman 2), while Weed Road Company and Imagine Entertainment will produce.
It’s absolutely fantastic news The Dark Tower is finally getting a big screen adaptation, but the announcement says the film is due for release in January 2017, which would not only make the film’s production quick but is basically a death slot for bad movies. Don’t be surprised to see that date change.
[EW]
