Fans of Stephen King’s eight-volume magnum opus THE DARK TOWER have been waiting a long time for a big-screen adaptation of the sprawling series. The project has been in development for 10 years and has had a variety of names attached at different points – J.J. Abrams and Ron Howard both flirted with directing a version of the story, while Russell Crowe, Javier Bardem, and Viggo Mortensen were all rumored at one point or another to be taking on the principal role of Roland Deschain, the Gunslinger.
Ultimately, director Nikolaj Arcel would be the one to deliver the action/sci-fi/fantasy/western to audiences with Idris Elba wielding the six-shooters in battle against his nemesis, the Man in Black (played by Matthew McConaughey.) We sat down with Elba and McConaughey to discuss the project’s journey from page to screen and which of the film’s exotic shooting locations resonated with them. It’s hard to look more badass than Idris Elba blasting away at demons with vintage firearms, an image you can check out for yourself when THE DARK TOWER opens this Friday.