After years of speculation and false starts, author Stephen King has signaled that the big-screen adaptation of his fantasy series The Dark Tower had finally found its leading men.
His reveal came in a familiar form for fans of the series, which launched with 1982’s The Dark Tower. The tweet quoted the first line of that first book, referencing the novel’s antagonist, Randall Flagg (the man in black) and hero, Roland Deschain (the gunslinger in question). Elba and McConaughey then responded to King’s tweet, confirming their roles in the process.
Both actors have been mentioned for the project for some months. The film will be directed by Nikolaj Arcel and produced by Akiva Goldsman, Ron Howard, Brian Grazer and Erica Huggins. Sony picked up the project following original studio Universal pulling out in 2011.
The Dark Tower is scheduled for release in January 2017.
It’s official: The man in black fled across the desert and the gunslinger followed. #DarkTowerMovie @McConaughey @IdrisElba
— Stephen King (@StephenKing) March 1, 2016
.@McConaughey you have one new follower. #DarkTowerMovie https://t.co/5fSKF02C7I
— Idris Elba (@idriselba) March 1, 2016
.@idriselba come and get me, I look forward to it. #DarkTowerMovie https://t.co/4gxqm2GPo3
— Matthew McConaughey (@McConaughey) March 1, 2016
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