The long-gestating theatrical adaptation of Stephen King’s magnum opus, The Dark Tower, hits theaters this weekend. Unfortunately, the film is receiving less than stellar reviews, with our own Justin Gerber arguing that the confining 95-minute runtime leaves the film “breathless in all the worst ways.” Perhaps Glen Mazzara will have better luck with an expanded TV adaptation.
Mazzara, known for his work on The Walking Dead and The Shield, has been tapped as the showrunner for a forthcoming TV prequel/sequel to The Dark Tower. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Sony is working towards a straight-to-series 10-to-13 episode production with filming to begin next year. A network is not yet attached.
(Read: Behold! The Steven King Cinematic Universe)
The TV series will exist in the same universe as the feature film, with Idris Elba set to reprise his role as Roland Deschain, a.k.a. the Gunslinger. Dennis Haysbert (Roland’s father, Steven Deschain) and Tom Taylor (Jake Chambers) are also expected to star in the TV series. Described as more of an origin story compared to the movie, the plot will be based on Wizard and Glass, the fourth book in The Dark Tower series, focusing on a younger Roland.
Nikolaj Arcel, who directed the film, is penning the TV series’ script alongside Anders Thomas Jensen. . Imagine TV’s Ron Howard and Brian Grazer are on board as executive producers.
For more, check out the latest episode of our Stephen King podcast, The Losers’ Club, as we dissect Arcel’s adaptation of The Dark Tower. We share what we loved, what we hated, and what made us cringe. What’s more, we dump out a new Bag of Bones by answering your questions surrounding the film. Listen here.
