2017's The Dark Tower could have been a great movie and was supposed to be the beginning of a new franchise telling stories in theaters and on streaming. Unfortunately, it was a total mess that not even A-List leads Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey could save.
As a result, the property - which is based on a phenomenal series of novels by Stephen King - has fallen by the wayside and interest in Hollywood waned. Mike Flanagan (The Haunting of Hill House, Doctor Sleep), however, remains attached to a streaming series he hopes to make a reality.
The filmmaker acquired the rights to King's epic sci-fi fantasy tale last December, so it's clearly still early days. In past interviews, he's confirmed the first episode's script is completed and revealed his adaptation would run for a total of five seasons. He's even received an endorsement from the prolific author.
During a recent interview with Variety (via SFFGazette.com), Flanagan confirmed he does indeed own the rights to the project and shared perhaps the most positive update yet.
"We’re on strike but I’m very optimistic," the filmmaker tells the trade. "We have great partners and I think it’s going to happen."
It's a minor update, yes, but one which suggests this is more than just a pipe dream or one of those adaptations which will forever be talked about but never materialise.
Flanagan makes no mention of whether the series may have provisionally found a home, though it may still be too soon for that. It's also unclear when the director would be able to start work on it as his next project is The Life of Chuck, another King adaptation starring Tom Hiddleston and Mark Hamill.
Incorporating themes from multiple genres, including dark fantasy, science fantasy, horror, and Western, The Dark Tower tells the story of a "gunslinger" and his quest toward a tower, the nature of which is both physical and metaphorical.
The series actually established King's Multiverse and in doing so, links together many of his other novels (long before Hollywood caught on to the idea).
Keep checking back here for updates on The Dark Tower.