The long road Stephen King’s THE DARK TOWER books have traveled to reach the big screen may have finally come to an end – a happy end, that is. It’s being reported by THR the epic adaptation of the ambitious western-horror-action series – which seemed deader than a fossil as of last year – has found new life with Sony and production company MRC (Media Rights Capitol); the two entities have agreed to collaborate on getting THE DARK TOWER erected once and for all.
The principal creative parties who’ve long been attached to the project – Akiva Goldsman, Ron Howard, Brian Grazer and Erica Huggins – are still on board to produce, with Goldsman having penned a new take with Jeff Pinkner (Alias, Fringe). Apparently, the draft for the first movie, THE GUNSLINGER, has been totally reconceived by the duo from the version that had previously been in the works.
Said Tom Rothman, the new chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment Motion Picture Group: “There are few projects out there that compare with the scope, vision, complex characters and fully drawn world that Stephen King has created with The Dark Tower. I am a giant fan. And, as Stephen himself does, we love the direction that Akiva and Jeff have taken. This is a great opportunity for a director to put his or her stamp on a cool global franchise.”
Howard once sat in the director’s chair but had no luck getting THE DARK TOWER built. The search is on for a new director. It’s assumed Javier Bardem, who was once attached to the lead role of legendary gunslinger Roland, is not involved anymore. (I still like Viggo Mortensen for the part, personally.)
King himself weighed in on the development: “I’m excited that The Dark Tower is finally going to appear on the screen. Those who have traveled with Roland and his friends in their search for the Dark Tower are going to have their long-held hopes fully realized. This is a brilliant and creative approach to my books.”
Let’s hope all that brilliance and creativity actually lead to THE DARK TOWER movies seeing the light of day.