Fans of Stephen King’s Dark Tower novels may be one step closer to seeing the epic novels transformed into a movie and television series.
Director J.J. Abrams purchased the rights to the saga a few years ago for his Bad Robot production company. But after considering the epic fantasy series, Abrams decided not to pursue the project for fear of “screwing it up.”
The rights reverted back to King and now Imagine’s Ron Howard, Brian Grazer and Akiva Goldsman are teaming up to potentially bring the fantasy Western to the screen.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, the three are considering launching the series with a big-budget feature film which would lead into a television series adapting the best-selling novels about Roland, the Gunslinger.
“Tower” is not set up, nor has any option deal been made, but insiders say Universal, home to Imagine, would be the studio that will release the movie.
King’s magnum opus, “Tower” encompasses not just a narrative about the Man in Black and Roland, the Gunslinger, that spans seven lengthy books (and one short story), but also the entire universe of King’s fiction. Characters from his other novels flit in and out of “Tower” in minor and major ways.
Envisioned when King was still in his teens as his own take on spaghetti Westerns and the world of Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings,” “Tower” has also spawned a series of graphic novels from Marvel Comics, with the latest issue hitting shelves May 19. The property’s expansive nature and direct connection to King’s other works make it one of the biggest, ripest franchise possibilities in entertainment.
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