Stephen King’s The Dark Tower might be directed by Nikolaj Arcel

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

We’ve been writing about THE DARK TOWER for so very long now… The ambitious adaptation of Stephen King’s epic book series has gone through many iterations it’s hard to keep track of them all. Now that the project has found new life at Sony, it’s revving up again, and it may have just locked in a most unusual choice to direct.

Deadline is reporting Nikolaj Arcel is in line to helm THE DARK TOWER. The site claims negotiations will begin shortly and Arcel will soon rewrite the script (penned by Akiva Goldsman and Jeff Pinkner) and, ultimately, direct at least the first movie. (There is still a plan in place to make a TV series that will coincide with the films. )

Who is Arcel, you may ask? The Danish writer-director wrote the screenplay for the original GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO among several other films, but he may be best known for writing and directing A ROYAL AFFAIR, the highly-acclaimed 2012 period piece starring Mads Mikkelson and Alicia Vikander. It received an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Film at the 85th Academy Awards, as well as a Golden Globe nom in the same category.

While A ROYAL AFFAIR certainly gives Arcel a nice helping of credibility, there’s still little doubt this is a left-field choice. Ron Howard has always been attached to the director’s chair, but when the Sony deal went down it was revealed he wouldn’t be helming the project. However, Howard is still producing the film, along with partner Brian Grazer, Weed Road’s Akiva Goldsman and King himself.