Summary
When filmmaker Mike Flanagan announced in 2022 that he’d obtained the rights to develop a TV adaptation ofStephen King’sDark Towerseries, Constant Readers everywhere breathed a sigh of relief. Several attempts have been made to adapt thesprawling and surreal dark fantasy seriesfor the big and small screen, and thedismally received 2017 feature filmbarely scratched the surface of King’s imaginative world. But if anyone could pull it off, it would be Mike Flanagan.
But in order to truly giveDark Towerfans the adaptation they’ve been hoping for, the show would need a gigantic budget to faithfully depict the series' massive fantasy world, which draws from Old West tales, Arthurian legends, and fantasy epics.The Dark Toweris a series that goes inall kinds of fascinating and unexpected directions, connecting to many of King’s most iconic works. In the current risk-averse Hollywood landscape, will whoever ponies up to produce the series give it the resources it needs?
Why the Novels Are in Good Hands
Flanagan has proven his bona fides as a King fan with a knack for adapting his work, taking on the supposedly “unfilmable” novelGerald’s Gameand turning it into a winning adaptation for Netflix in 2017, the same yearThe Dark Towerlanded with a thud. His next film wasDoctor Sleepin 2019, an adaptation of King’s follow-up toThe Shiningthat managed to succeed as a sequel to both the novel and the 1980 Stanley Kubrick film.
He has largely pivoted to limited series since then, releasing the likes of2021’sMidnight Massand 2023’sThe Fall of the House of Usherto general acclaim, but his next film is yet another King adaptation,The Life of Chuck,set to be released in May. Beyond his direct adaptations, Flanagan’s original works show a definite King influence, with their emphasis on multifaceted characters and narratives that combine horror with genuine emotion.
All the pieces are in place to make Flanagan an ideal person to take onThe Dark Tower,finally bringing to completion something that Hollywood has struggled to do for years. It’s clear he’s got the creative talent to knock it out of the park. What remains to be seen is whether the money will follow.
The Dark Tower’sUncertain Future
To date, little concrete information has been released aboutThe Dark Towerseries. It’s still very early in development, and it’s not even known exactly where or when the series will premiere. Amazon Prime seems like the most likely landing spot, since Flanagan and his producing partner Trevor Macy moved their overall TV production deal from Netflix to Amazon back in 2022, but Flanagan’s acquiring of the rights toThe Dark Toweractually predates that move.Speaking toVarietyin 2022, Flanagan said that the rights were “carved out” of their Amazon deal, so it’s possible the show might end up somewhere else.
For a recent example,The Rings of Poweris believed to be the most expensive TV series ever made, and thus far it’s beenmet with largely lukewarm receptionfromLord of the Ringsfans. If Amazon were willing to give Flanagan a significant portion of the resources they’ve poured intoThe Rings of Power,it’s likely he could work wonders with it.
While the future ofThe Dark Toweris still somewhat uncertain, the amount of excitement it’s already generated from King fans makes it unlikely it wouldn’t find a home somewhere. Hollywood has been less likely to bankroll ambitious and unwieldy projects in recent years without the promise of a decent return on investment, but Stephen King remains one of the most bankable names in the business. His work continues to be adapted at a feverish pace, with new projects announced nearly every quarter. Whichever streamer writes the checks forThe Dark Towerwill likely be richly rewarded, just as long as the checks are big enough.
Stephen King
Stephen King is one of the most prolific living authors. A master of horror, King’s classic works include The Shining, Carrie, Cujo, It, and the Dark Tower series. Many of his books and short stories have been adapted to film and television, including The Shawshank Redemption, Lisey’s Story, 1408, Secret Window, and The Stand.
