Waiting for Stephen King's 'The Dark Tower' reboot? Mike Flanagan has an update for you

Mike Flanagan finally shares 'The Dark Tower' reboot update
07 Sep 2024

Mike Flanagan, the acclaimed filmmaker behind The Haunting of Hill House and Midnight Mass, has shared an encouraging update on the long-awaited reboot of Stephen King's The Dark Tower.

In a conversation with The Hollywood Reporter, he revealed that despite numerous setbacks including his transition from Netflix to Amazon and industry strikes, the project is now making headway.

"It's progressing, and we're further along than we've ever been on it," he stated.

Flanagan's upcoming TV adaptation of 'The Dark Tower'
New adaptation

Flanagan is working on a television adaptation of the sci-fi fantasy series.

He said, "I do see feature components to some of the other stories, but the main storyline is ongoing series."

This new version will introduce fresh elements while staying true to the original narrative.

The director has previously demonstrated his ability to adapt King's work with Gerald's Game and Doctor Sleep, both of which were well-received by critics and audiences alike.

'The Dark Tower' series: A blend of genres
About the series

The Dark Tower is an eight-book series by King that expertly weaves elements of dark fantasy, sci-fi, horror, and Western genres.

The narrative centers around a boy plagued by visions of a sinister tower from an alternate reality.

He must join forces with the tower's disenchanted guardian to thwart an evil warlock known as the Man in Black, who intends to use him to annihilate the tower and unleash Hell.

Previous adaptation of 'The Dark Tower' received mixed reviews
Past adaptation

The Dark Tower was previously adapted into a film in August 2017, directed by Nikolaj Arcel and featuring Idris Elba in the lead role.

Despite its commercial success, grossing $113.2 million globally, the film was met with largely negative reviews.

Critics primarily took issue with the movie's attempt to compress multiple novels from the series into a brief runtime.

However, Elba's performance was praised by audiences.

Flanagan's take on the 2017 film's performance
Director's perspective

At San Diego Comic-Con 2024, Flanagan reflected on the 2017 film and labeled it a failure despite its financial success.

"We just failed at The Dark Tower," he expressed at the event. "We tried to put the pieces together. Everybody had a different point of view."

He explained that everyone involved in the project brought their hopes and dreams into the film, but ultimately, everything got compressed leading to an unsatisfactory result.