Summary
The long-awaited adaptation ofStephen King’sThe Dark Towerhas received an exciting update from the legend himself, which should make any doubtful fans feel at ease regarding Mike Flanagan’s direction of the in-development TV show. Not new to directing King adaptations, Flanagan previously helmedGerald’s Game,Doctor Sleep, and theyet-to-be-releasedThe Life of Chuck, Although most fans are waiting to see what his version ofThe Dark Towerwill be, the filmmaker has had incredible success throughout his career and with him now behind the series' steering wheel,The Dark Toweris seemingly getting the adaptation it has always needed.
This is even more apparent when looking atThe Dark Tower2017 film based on King’s novel, which was directed by Nikolaj Arcel and starred Idris Elba. The adaptation had a $60 million dollar budget but, unfortunately, only made $111 million worldwide. The sci-fi western was in for more bad news as, along with financial losses, it received a 16% on Rotten Tomatoes, with many calling it “unmemorable” and “weird” as it seemingly shied away from what made the novels so popular. Amazon had initially ordered a pilot for the proposedDark Towerproject, but executives came to the conclusion that it posed too many challenges in translating the source material, so,The Dark Toweradaptation was ultimately canceled.
Stephen King Says Mike Flanagan’s The Dark Tower Is ‘Perfect'
Stephen King had been very outspoken about his disappointment with other adaptations of his works that didn’t meet the mark. King calledFirestarter“one of the worst of the bunch, even though in terms of story it’s very close to the original." Later, he sued to have his name taken off the 1992The Lawnmower Manand was eventually paid $2.5 million in damages. One of the most controversialadaptations that did not meet King’s seal of approval was Kubrick’sThe Shining, stating that it was “a maddening, perverse, and disappointing film.” However, fans will be glad to hear he has nothing but praise for Flanagan’sThe Dark Tower.
Speaking on a recent episode ofThe Kingcast, the podcast’s host brought upThe Dark TowerTV show and, even though King didn’t reveal anything new about its development, what he did reveal was an extremely encouraging update of its script. “I’ve seen screenplays and pitches. He starts where he should start. The beats are perfect. They’re just perfect,” expressed an enthusiastic King. The author also joked in the same interview that Flanagan is “the King Whisperer,” doubling down on how ideal he thinks Flanagan is for this particular adaptation.
This is certainly great news forThe Dark Tower, which also gives fans of the series hope that they will get something pretty special this time around. King’s faith in Flanagan is also mirrored in the director’s upcomingLife of Chuckand his work on a retelling ofCarrieas a limited series. WhileThe Dark Tower’s narrative is quite complex and will need to be carefully adapted to tell its story properly, it seems as though Flanagan has a good handle on what needs to be done.
