The long, twisting journey of Stephen King’s The Dark Tower from page to screen could almost fill a book itself, detailing the lengthy development of the adaptation — initially envisioned as three films, linked by TV miniseries — budgetary concerns and repeated delays. At this point, however, that tome would end with a cliffhanger, as the movie’s disappointing box-office performance leaves the future of the franchise a bit hazy.
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The Walking Dead alum Glen Mazzara was hired in August to serve as showrunner of the planned series, but since then there has been little public movement on the project. King has even suggested the TV show could be “a complete reboot.” If that leaves you confused about the state of The Dark Tower, you’re not alone: Star Idris Elba doesn’t know what’s going on, either.
Asked about King’s remarks, and his own involvement with the series, Elba told Screen Crush, “You know what? I didn’t know Steven said that. I don’t know, actually, where it lies. I must figure this out, I don’t know where it lies. I’m unfortunately the last to know at this point.”
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When last we heard, the plan is for Elba’s character, the legendary Gunslinger, to be party of the TV series.
“The first episode of a show has been written, and we hope to retain Ron [Howard]’s original idea to mix platforms, something that seemed revolutionary 10 years ago but now is something that others have done,” producer Akiva Goldsman said in July. “Idris for sure is part of this, and if the movie is Roland Deschain the gunslinger, the show is his origin story, based on the fourth novel in the series, Wizard and Glass.”
Released in July, The Dark Tower grossed $111.8 million worldwide.