During Sony’s bigCinemaCon2016 presentation yesterday, it was announced that the long awaited adaptation ofStephen King’sThe Dark Towerhad begunprinciple photography. The movie is directed byNikolaj Arcel, best known for such cult movies asIsland of Lost Souls,Fablesand the dramaA Royal Affair. Headlining this epic undertaking are starsIdris ElbaandMatthew McConaughey.
The Dark Toweris a movie that has long been in development Hell, and it’s amazing to see it finally go before cameras, as it has been kicked from one studio to the next. Over the years, there has been very little progress in seeing the movie actually get made. Even whenIdris ElbaandMatthew McConaugheywere announced as the two primary cast members, fans thought it was just another blip in seeing this blockbuster undertaking, which is believed to also have a TV component, come together.
The Dark Toweris the first in a franchise, and is believed to be based on the first Gunslinger novel. There has been steady progress on the project in recent months.Idris Elbais playing the titularGunslinger, Roland Deschain.Matthew McConaugheyis taking on the villain role of the Man in Black. Also joining the cast is Tom Taylor. He playsJake Chambers, a boy from the real world who joins the Gunslinger on his quest. The movie includes a few other key roles, with casting expected to be announced soon.
The Dark Towerhas a very devoted fan base, and this is one of the most ambitious upcoming movies Sony Pictures currently has on its slate. It has certainly been a struggle to bring it to fruition, with multiple approaches on how to tell the story entering the conversation over the years.Ron Howardcame closest to getting it made in the past decade, but his version slowly fell apart before it could gain any real momentum, with the gargantuan budget one of the main problems in having it move forward.
It is anticipated thatThe Dark Towerwill arrive on screens February 2017. If everything keeps moving as is right now, that will definitely happen. There is no word yet on what types of VFX will been needed to complete thisStephen Kingfantasy Western. It is expected to be a CGI extravaganza, and it is entering a relatively short production scheduled. We’ll keep you posted as more news onThe Dark Towerbreaks in the coming weeks. We might even see the first set photos emerge soon, as Sony appears to be quite excited about this one.
