Idris Elba Is Front-Runner To Play 'Roland Deschain' In THE DARK TOWER

Idris Elba Is Front-Runner To Play 'Roland Deschain' In THE DARK TOWER

After the likes of Javier Bardem and Matthew McConaughey (who is in talks to play the villain) were rumored, an unlikely front-runner for the lead role of "The Gunslinger" Roland Deschain in Sony Pictures' adaptation of Stephen King's The Dark Tower has emerged...

By MarkCassidy - Dec 09, 2015 05:12 PM EST
Filed Under: Horror
Source: Deadline

After hearing that Matthew McConaughey was in early talks to play one of the leads in the upcoming adaptation of Stephen King's The Dark Tower, it's now been confirmed that he's settled on the role of the evil Man In Black/Walter O'Dim - and he might just have an equally awesome thesp playing opposite him as The Gunslinger.

According to Deadline, Idris Elba (Thor, Luther, The Wire) has emerged as the front-runner to take the lead of Roland Deschain. Apparently no deal is in place yet so this may not work out, but fans will no doubt have their fingers crossed.

The Dark Tower will be directed by Nikolaj Arcel and is currently set for a January 13th, 2017 release.
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE: The Ghost With The Most Serenades Lydia In New Teaser As Tickets Go On Sale
Related:

BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE: The Ghost With The Most Serenades Lydia In New Teaser As Tickets Go On Sale

IT: WELCOME TO DERRY - Pennywise's Sinister Influence Is Felt In Unsettling First Footage
Recommended For You:

IT: WELCOME TO DERRY - Pennywise's Sinister Influence Is Felt In Unsettling First Footage

DISCLAIMER: ComicBookMovie.com is protected under the DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act) and... [MORE]

ComicBookMovie.com, and/or the user who contributed this post, may earn commissions or revenue through clicks or purchases made through any third-party links contained within the content above.

1 2 3
Ironbot
Ironbot - 12/9/2015, 5:40 PM
Wait, wasn't Ron Howard supposed to do this at one point?
yunglilmane
yunglilmane - 12/9/2015, 5:42 PM
I like this
MrMartyMarvel
MrMartyMarvel - 12/9/2015, 5:46 PM
If they're gonna be making a white Stephen King character black, they should cast Morgan Freeman. At least it'd be consistent...

dubjon
dubjon - 12/9/2015, 5:50 PM
DeathSeal
DeathSeal - 12/9/2015, 5:52 PM
I guess I'm the bigot who will bite. So so the we can have Susan Surandon play Detta Walker.Cause I'm a bigot and not... You know what it's not worth it. I'm sure he'll be good he won't be as written I'll get over it.
GhostDog
GhostDog - 12/9/2015, 5:54 PM











As swag rains upon him...


He'd own the role. My favorite actor along with Tom Hardy. Elba is just amazing and severely underrated!
JohnnyMcClane
JohnnyMcClane - 12/9/2015, 5:56 PM
As long as he does his best Eastwood impersonation I'm all for it. Keen to hear who Eddie is and how they are going to do Jake with his age and the length of filming.
rabid
rabid - 12/9/2015, 5:58 PM
Sounds cool. His race seems like it would be out of place in Eyes of the Dragon, but it probably doesn't matter much. I read most of these books, but only as a King completist. I never really enjoyed any of them.
I hope they make better movies than books.
DeusExSponge
DeusExSponge - 12/9/2015, 6:07 PM
Hmmm, he's an awesome actor and what not. But I'm going to wait and see how he does as Roland, that's if this all turns out to be true.
MarkCassidy
MarkCassidy - 12/9/2015, 6:09 PM
ckal, [frick] off.
GhostDog
GhostDog - 12/9/2015, 6:10 PM
If you've read Dark Tower then you know Roland is a lonely characer who rarely finds a friend or ally. Whomever he run into is usually dangerous. Even those he befriends, often find themselves shunned and ignored. Roland chooses the mission over friendship and intimacy. He constantly risks losing his own soul while trying to fulfill his destiny. He's almost a puppet of destiny. Overall, he's a seemingly unsympathetic lone hero who wears his pain on his sleeve. He's basically Clint Eastwood lol.

If you've watched Elba on Luther then you know his character on that show is eerily similar to Roland. A lonely detective who let's his work manipulate and regulate his life to the point where he questions his own sanity. Overall, the mission comes first. Loved ones pay the price for getting close to Luther. He's had lovers die and partners perish because they were involved with him. He's a lone wolf. Luther is a tortured soul like Roland. A warrior whose seen it all and bears the pain of the mission with a gloomy resilience.


loki668
loki668 - 12/9/2015, 6:11 PM
You still haven't convinced me that this film will be made.
TheLokey1
TheLokey1 - 12/9/2015, 6:16 PM
I only don't like this because it means thy Detta won't be able to call Roland a "honkey ma-fuh"
TheEpicJuicebox
TheEpicJuicebox - 12/9/2015, 6:16 PM
How long have they been trying to make this movie
Desr0w
Desr0w - 12/9/2015, 6:36 PM
I love Idris Elba, but there's just one man who can play Roland perfectly







TheBlueMarvel
TheBlueMarvel - 12/9/2015, 6:41 PM
Here to hoping that they actually make the movie


Also McConaughey and Elba , tell me that wouldnt be cinematic gold



Darth258
Darth258 - 12/9/2015, 7:29 PM
Darktower
Darktower - 12/9/2015, 7:33 PM
@SebsCso54

lol! i just logged in right nw!!

Glad they r making a movie of it!
Hi1677
Hi1677 - 12/9/2015, 7:44 PM
Well that sucks dick
Zounds
Zounds - 12/9/2015, 9:24 PM
What is wrong with creations remaining faithful to the creator's vision?

What's the necessity in requiring discussions on why creator's visions must be altered in order to be seen as "progressive" or to the point as something other than a "racist"?

Freedom in art should be the principal being defended. That means, black creators can expect black characters to be faithfully represented just as white creators can expect (without constant harassment) that their expressions will be represented faithfully. And if there's an exchange of ideas and alternate expressions, then so be it. On both sides of the aisle there will be people who want to see substitutionary depictions.

But repeating the same invalid reasons as to why the freest most productive society in the history of the world will never equate to a coherent argument for the obviously politically correct, opportunism that's being marched in and screamed as being ethical and just. It's the opposite.

If you have a black president, black attorney general, black CEOs disproportionate to a population's percentage while dominating athletics and the singing industry to a large degree, and where you can have black depictions of The Wizard of Oz, Annie, an Asgardian of traditionally Nordic depiction, Nick Fury, Perry White,et al, et al, et al...And yet still endure a Chadwick Bosman on the verge of becoming a megastar for the portrayal of the first black superhero, and all of his idiotic, opportunistic belly-aching, then folks, it's time to stop playing the game, take the ball, and find something else to do, because masochism can only be experienced so many times before a man looks like a liar.
beetheb
beetheb - 12/9/2015, 10:41 PM
Yeah, ****ing retarded decision. I loe Idris, he's a great actor, just not at all in any way, shape, or form in line with my vision of the character. I mean, if they change Roland, don't they have to change all of Gilead? It just seems like they're bending over backwards, drastically altering the role to shoehorn in PC/left field casting decision.

And in this case it DOES drastically alter the role. Roland is from Gilead, a nation modeled after Arthurian legend and the old American west. Could you possibly get any more white Anglo-Saxon than that?
1 2 3
View Recorder