The show will primarily adapt the fourth book in the series, Wizard and Glass, which was primarily a prequel novel about the origins of Roland and will feature the return of Idris Elba as Roland Deschain, aka The Gunslinger, along with Tom Taylor as Jake Chambers.
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During all the time The Dark Tower has spent in development hell, producers Ron Howard, Akiva Goldsman and Brian Grazer always pitched the movies as coming with a companion TV series to provide the backstory for Roland, the gunslinger hero of the series played by Idris Elba.
Ah, but what about The Dark Tower’s other big star, Matthew McConaughey?
The show will consist of 10-to-13 episodes, depending on how the show’s storylines shake out, to air in 2018 after the movie is available on cable and streaming services. As a result, a younger actor likely in his teens will be cast to play the younger Roland Deschain.
Goldsman told Entertainment Weekly that the long-rumored “Wizard and Glass” TV series didn’t have many details set in stone, such as when shooting would begin or on what platform the series would premiere, but that it’s “definitely happening”. “If the movie chronicles his final reach toward hope again, the TV show is the loss of that hope”.
Casting details regarding the younger Roland weren’t disclosed at this time, while the jury’s still out on whether Matthew McConaughey will join Elba and Taylor for the series – his elusive, all-powerful character the Man in Black will nearly certainly appear, however. Behind the scenes, Nikolaj Arcel – the director behind 2017’s The Dark Tower – will contribute to Sony’s spinoff TV series along with his co-writer Anders Thomas Jensen.
Director Nikolaj Arcel, whose helming the first film, is now working on a script for the TV series alongside co-writer Anders Thomas Jensen.
To further whet your appetites for the show, MRC has created a map for the Barony of Mejis, where the series will take place, which you can check out below!
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The movie adaptation of King’s epic fantasy series will be released in theaters on February 17, 2017.
