Stephen King’s epic The Dark Tower is adapted for the big screen with superstar talent. Idris Elba stars as legendary gunslinger Roland Deschain. He’s locked in an eternal battle with evil incarnate, the Man in Black. Played to diabolical perfection by Matthew McConaughey. The Dark Tower series consists of eight novels. The film takes place after the books, but is also an origin story. We’re going to go thick in the weeds with Dark Tower details this week, so a primer is useful.
A Dark Tower lies at the center of the multi-verse. Every world, including doppelgangers of our own, is affected by what happens at the tower. Characters in this series appear in other King books, as does a version of the writer himself. For example, the Man in Black is also Randall Flagg in The Stand. In The Dark Tower, he is hunted relentlessly by the last gunslinger. Roland is consumed by vengeance. The Man in Black, also known as Walter, hilariously enough, has killed Roland’s love ones and taunted him mercilessly. Walter’s purpose is to destroy the tower. This will let the demonic universe of The Crimson King (aka Satan) overtake ours. Plunging everything into darkness forever.
Tom Taylor costars as Jake Chambers, a troubled New York City teen. He has been having visions of the Dark Tower, Man in Black, and mysterious gunslinger. The prophecies are always followed by earthquakes. Jake’s parents think he’s going crazy, but he’s determined to find the truth. Unfortunately for Jake, he’s an intricate part of what’s to come. The Man in Black has sensed his presence. Jake has seen his attacks on the Dark Tower. Roland Deschain is the last hope to stop evil and defend the tower.
Our interview with Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey took place on a gorgeous day in the Big Apple. It was so beautiful, Sony Pictures actually held the interviews outside on a terrace. Both men were upfront about their previous knowledge of The Dark Tower books. Matthew McConaughey, who is a tremendous villain here, hadn’t a clue about the Stephen King novel series. His first association with the Man in Black came from the script. Idris Elba had some familiarity, but nothing that deep. They were able to play the characters with zero preconceptions.
The Horn of Eld is with Roland in this film. Idris Elba confirms it as an Easter Egg. Only the people who have read the books will understand this. It signifies where they are in the overall story. The horn’s importance theoretically will be explored in sequels. Elba and McConaughey play characters that are no holds barred adversaries. I was amazed to learn from Director Nik Arcell that they only had two days on set together. Thanks to Sony, we’ll have a highly detailed interview with him on all things Dark Tower posted soon. The actors address the two day shoot of the climactic battle scene. And who really is the biggest bad ass between Roland and the Man in Black. Please see below our exclusive interview with Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey before the movie opens wide at the box office this weekend.