Since the first whispers of an adaptation of The Dark Tower began, it was as ambitious of a project as the source material, with plans for a feature film series and a television show. Its been many years since the murmurs of that plan made their way online, many directors and actors have come and gone from the project, but now with a feature film already in the can and set to be released next February, what is the status of the show?
Media Rights Capital and the film’s executive producer and co-screenwriter, Akiva Goldsman, spoke with EW about the Dark Tower series and revealed that it’s still in the cards. The show will primarily adapt the fourth book in the series, Wizard and Glass, which was primarily a prequel novel about the origins of Roland and will feature the return of Idris Elba as Roland Deschain, aka The Gunslinger, along with Tom Taylor as Jake Chambers. Since the story tells the origin of Roland, a younger actor will be cast in the role with Elba and Taylor serving as the framing device for the series. It’s possible that Matthew McConaughey could appear as The Man in Black in the series, as the character did appear in the story, though it’s possible he’ll be wearing a different face.
“In the movie, Roland is suffering tremendous loss. The most concrete, personal, existential heartbreak a character can have,” Goldsman tells the outlet. “If the movie chronicles his final reach toward hope again, the TV show is the loss of that hope.”
Currently MRC is planning for a 10 to 13-episode first season for the series, aiming for a cable partner before beginning production, hoping for it to be on air in 2018 in time for The Dark Tower‘s television premiere. Director Nikolaj Arcel and co-writer Anders Thomas Jensen are writing the script for the series though a different showrunner will be hired for the series.
To further whet your appetites for the show, MRC has created a map for the Barony of Mejis, where the series will take place, which you can check out below!
The Dark Tower is scheduled for release on February 17, 2017.
