DHD broke the story – Universal and NBC Universal Television Entertainment have closed a deal to turn Stephen King’s The Dark Tower series into a feature film trilogy AND a network TV series.
Here’s the plan: start with a feature film, and then create a bridge to the second feature with a season of TV episodes. Yes, that means the same cast from the movie will be in the TV series. Then a second film, and back to the TV series, this time focusing on Deschain as a young gunslinger (with storylines informed by a prequel comic book series that King was heavily involved in plotting). Then the third film is back to the mature Deshain as he completes his journey.
Ron Howard has committed to direct, and Akiva Goldsman has committed to write, the first film and the first season of the TV series. Howard’s Imagine Entertainment partner Brian Grazer will produce, along with Goldsman and Stephen King.
Considered King’s answer to JRR Tolkien, The Dark Tower revolves around Roland Deschain, the last living member of a knightly order of gunslingers, and humanity’s last hope to save a civilization that will crumble unless he finds the Dark Tower. Howard and Goldsman describe the world as “an alternate Americana, one part post-apocalyptic, one part Sergio Leone.”
And here I thought Lord of the Rings was an ambitious undertaking! Wow. This is definitely a first.
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