Details surrounding Mike Flanagan’s Dark Tower adaptation have been scarce in the three years since it was first announced. But we finally have an update on the project — and it’s an exciting one. Flanagan has enlisted the ideal collaborator in developing this infamously hard-to-adapt series: Stephen King himself.
During IGN Fan Fest, King revealed he was working with Flanagan on the upcoming TV series, and would be writing new material outside of what’s been established in the books. “All I can say is it’s happening,” King teased. “I am writing stuff now and I think that’s all I want to say because the next thing you know, I’ll stir up a bunch of stuff I don’t necessarily want to stir up yet. I’m in process right now, and to say too much feels like a jinx.”
This won’t be the first time King has contributed new material to adaptations of his works. He wrote a new ending for 2020’s The Stand miniseries, which was generally received as an improvement upon the book’s original conclusion. Given the sprawling and cyclical nature of The Dark Tower series, there’s ample room for King to tweak the story elements without diluting what fans love about the books.
The (disastrous) 2017 Dark Tower film attempted something similar, pulling elements from across all eight novels and mixing them with new storylines that took place after the books’ conclusion. While that failed miserably, knowing that King and Flanagan are the ones behind this adaptation and any new material is not only reassuring, but thrilling.
Flanagan has repeatedly proven himself to be a deft shepherd in bringing King’s works to screen, as evidenced by the acclaimed adaptations of Gerald’s Game and Doctor Sleep. In addition to the upcoming Dark Tower series, Flanagan has two more King adaptations in the works: a film adaptation of The Life of Chuck coming this May, and a Carrie TV series in development at Amazon.
Flanagan has called adapting The Dark Tower his “dream project,” and Flanagan and King teaming up on the adaptation seems like a dream come true for the fans as well.
