Given the affection many fans have for Stephen King’s Dark Tower fantasy book – and now graphic novel – series, it’s not surprising that film and TV types have been trying to get it on the screen for ages. And the latest team having a crack at the job are the most powerful yet: director Ron Howard, producer Brian Grazer and writer/producer Akiva Goldsman.
The Heat Vision Blog reports that three have bought the rights from King, and are hatching a plan to kick off their adaptation with a movie that would lay the foundation for a TV series. Howard and the team would make the film, then Imagine’s TV division would take over the tale.
King’s sprawling story blends Western and fantasy tropes across seven tomes, that follows the adventures of Roland the Gunslinger on his quest to reach the titular structure, which exists both physically and metaphorically. But the Tower has spread its tentacles among many of the writer's other, seemingly unrelated novels, and will be a tough challenge to turn into a film.
It’s a struggle that has seen at least one other attempt fall by the wayside: JJ Abrams’ Bad Robot company held the rights for years, developing it as a possible next series project for Lost producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse. But when they couldn’t crack it, they returned the rights to King. And that’s when Imagine swooped in like a giant ginger eagle.
Can Howard and co make it work? Stay tuned…