The Dark Tower

A film adaptation of Stephen King’s The Dark Tower series seemed like an impossibility, but after years of development under producer Ron Howard, King’s epic fantasy-western-sci-fi story is heading to the big screen. Interestingly enough, the first actor reportedly being eyed for a leading role was also previously rumored for another major King adaptation: Matthew McConaughey.

The Dark Tower is one of the longest-developing Stephen King adaptations — Ron Howard was on board to direct at one point, but is now simply producing the film, which will be directed by A Royal Affair helmer Nikolaj Arcel. Given how long and seemingly torturous the development on this project has been, it’s a bit surprising that Sony has finally set a release date for The Dark Tower.

Just last month we learned that Warner Bros. had turned their attention to Danish director Nikolaj Arcel to helm the first in a planned series of movies based on Stephen King’s The Dark Tower. Today brings word from Comic-Con 2015 that Arcel has been confirmed for the project, with Danish filmmaker Anders Thomas Jensen on board to co-write a new version of the screenplay with Arcel.

For better or worse, the ambitious adaptation of Stephen King’s The Dark Tower series is still alive and well and defying everyone who said that bringing this thing to the screen was impossible. In fact, producers Ron Howard, Brian Grazer and Akiva Goldsman have seemingly found a director for the first film in this western/horror/fantasy/science fiction epic and it’s ... Well, let’s just say it’s not someone you would have guessed.

A few years ago, director Ron Howard, screenwriter Akiva Goldsman, and producer Brian Grazer launched an ambition plan to make a series of movies and a companion TV series based on Stephen King’s The Dark Tower novels for Universal. And then: silence. Now, long after everyone assumed that this entire project was dead and buried and possibly in other hands, The Dark Tower has ben brought back to life at Sony where yes, the plan is still to make a film and TV series following the same characters.

Imagine this: Aaron Paul plays a drug addict and criminal who finds a fresh direction in life thanks to a confidant and clever mentor/father figure who urges him to kick the habit and join his cause. However, this journey his new associate takes him on, while offering many rewards, may also ultimately be his downfall. That's a rough summary of the trials of Paul's Jesse Pinkman on AMC's 'Breaking

Though there had been rewrites and casting rumors, it looks like Warner Brothers has finally pulled the plug on their adaptation of 'The Dark Tower.' This comes after Universal passed, and Russell Crowe expressed interest in playing the lead.

Once upon a time there was a studio called Warner Bros who wanted to adapt Stephen King's famous 'Dark Tower' novel series. Months later, the collective fate of the possible movie and television franchise rests in their hands possibly with the aide of actor Russell Crowe.

After Universal passed on the Akiva Goldsman and Brian Grazer produced adaptation of Stephen King's 'The Dark Tower' due to budget worries, the fate of the three films (supplemented with two TV miniseries) seemed unclear. Even with names like Javier Bardem (as hero Roland Deschain) and Ron Howard attached, Universal passed. But could the film adaptation get a second chance?