So the consensus on the upcoming DARK TOWER film – even from our own Chris Bumbray – is…not good. It is currently sitting on 18% as of this writing. Oof.
However, that critical lashing has not deterred plans for a DARK TOWER companion series. According to The Hollywood Reporter "the potential TV series will revolve around a younger Roland and his group — with those roles currently uncast. The TV entry will be based on Wizard in Glass, the fourth book in The Dark Tower series." They also mention that Idris Elba would feature in some capacity as a framing device, possibly as an older Roland telling the tales of his past. Hpwever, plans are still in early development, so we'll see if that idea sticks. In fact, it's so early in development, that they don't even have a network who would want to air it yet!
However, Sony has made the first big step by tapping former THE WALKING DEAD showrunner Glen Mazzara to run THE DARK TOWER series. Here's what he had to say:
I’ve been a Stephen King fan for decades and the opportunity to adapt The Dark Tower as a TV series is a great honor…The events of The Gunslinger, Wizard & Glass, The Wind Through the Keyhole, and other tales need a long format to capture the complexity of Roland's coming of age — how he became the Gunslinger, how Walter became the Man in Black, and how their rivalry cost Roland everything and everyone he ever loved. I could not be more excited to tell this story. It feels like being given the key to a treasure chest. And oh yeah, we’ll have billy-bumblers!
Well, at least he's enthusiastic.
I'm mixed. On the one hand, TV is where THE DARK TOWER always should have been. So that's a step in the right direction. On the other hand – if the movie is as bad as people are claiming – then it's disappointing that the show would have to be stuck to it. However, being a prequel might help alleviate some of that. We'll see.
Meanwhile, it's still too early in development for a firm release date, but THE DARK TOWER film opens up today in select theaters, and tomorrow wide!