‘The Dark Tower’ Moved Back Another Week to August
In yet another setback in the series of them that has dogged The Dark Tower since its inception (not unlike the quest of Roland Deschain himself), the movie has been pushed back one whole week from July 28 to August 4.
Entertainment Weekly reports the release shift makes way for another Sony property — The Emoji Movie — which will hold that July 28 release date. The studio didn’t give a precise reason why the date shifted, but it’s a little mysterious. The poster that debuted last week was all set for July 28, the release date the movie has held on to for a few months after it was pushed back from premiering this past February. Plus, there’s still no trailer, and we’re only four months away.
Fans probably shouldn’t worry too much though, since a week, while weird, doesn’t indicate that Sony wants to change any of it. Seven days just isn’t enough time to recut a movie. There’s a lot riding on this film, so perhaps the studio wanted to give it less competition (not that something like The Emoji Movie should conceivably compete with a western/fantasy starring two of the greatest movie stars working today). Focus Features’ Atomic Blonde is also set to hit theaters that same July weekend, so Sony probably wanted The Dark Tower to have the next weekend to itself.
Fans and critics at CinemaCon reacted positively to the Dark Tower footage that was shown, and it looks like it could be the start of another franchise series. Stephen King’s Dark Tower books are lengthy and intricate so there’s plenty of room for expansion, even if this first movie ends up being self-contained.
With both The Dark Tower and It premiering this year, it’s a great time to be a King fan.