Ron Howard gives an update on his adaptation of Stephen King’s The Dark Tower

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

After finally some positive news for Ron Howard's adaptation of THE DARK TOWER, there hasn't been any new information about the project since. It's one of Stephen King's more popular novels and series, and many people just want to see this project happen already after so many set backs. So where is Ron Howard with THE DARK TOWER?

In an interview with Empire, Howard says he hasn't forgotten about THE DARK TOWER and goes on to talk about why it's been difficult finding a way to bring the epic series to the big screen:

"The Dark Tower is something that we’re still working on. We’ve all taken a vow of silence about the progress, the headway, what we think our timetable is, because I don’t think I realized how much media interest there was in the title and how much excitement there was."

"And yet it’s a fascinating, powerful possibility and even Stephen King acknowledges it’s a tricky adaptation, but to be honest, from a financing side, it’s not a straightforward, four-quadrant, sunny Superhero story – it’s dark, it’s horror. That edge is what appeals to me, the complexities of those characters is what appeals to all of us. And I think Stephen King really respects that, with Akiva Goldsman and myself, that that’s what we love about it, and that’s what we want to try to get to the screen."

"So my answer is: it got delayed, it’s never gone away. We’re working on it, and Stephen is very patient with us, and Akiva’s just gone off and directed a movie (WINTER'S TALE), I’m continuing to work, but the Dark Tower dreams – fever dreams, rather – are still there, but we’re not going to give it a timetable."

Just a heads up, the next part involves a certain "character" (and even if you haven't read the novels you would know this person) who appears in the book. Yes, this is a spoiler warning: avoid the next few paragraphs if you don't want to know more.

Stephen King is one of the characters in the seventh book in the series, and many fans have wondered how that is going to work in an adaptation. Howard was asked if he's thought about that yet for his film and says he has, but it doesn't sound like he's figured out how to do it just yet.

Stephen King himself appears in The Dark Tower, have you thought about how you might tackle that?

"Yes. And I will admit Stephen has said, ‘I don’t have to be in this.’ But that’s not to say that he won’t be!"

So while there isn't a set schedule, Ron Howard and his team are still working on THE DARK TOWER. It's been a long wait for fans of the series, but an excellent adaptation would be well worth the wait.