With The Dark Tower movie hitting theaters in just a few weeks, many are wondering if there are still plans for a Dark Tower TV series. The last we heard about this potential series was back in September 2016, when producer Ron Howard insisted that the TV show will still happen, although there have not been any concrete announcements since then. Today we have word from writer-producer Akiva Goldsman, who reiterates that the TV show is in fact coming, and that the first episode script has already been written. Here’s what he had to say below, also confirming that the show will include Idris Elba’s iconic character Roland Deschain, a.k.a. The Gunslinger.
“The first episode of a show has been written, and we hope to retain Ron’s original idea to mix platforms, something that seemed revolutionary 10 years ago but now is something that others have done. Idris for sure is part of this, and if the movie is Roland Deschain the gunslinger, the show is his origin story, based on the fourth novel in the series, Wizard and Glass.”
Ron Howard also confirmed that the TV show will be based on Wizard and Glass last September, a report which also revealed that Akiva Goldsman, Jeff Pinkner, Ron Howard and Brian Grazer are executive producing the TV series. Nikolaj Arcel, who is directing The Dark Tower movie, wrote the pilot script with Anders Thomas Jensen, his co-writer on the movie, who will also serve as executive producer. Akiva Goldsman’s quote comes from Deadline, as part of a story about his Weed Road Pictures production company moving to Paramount, after spending the past 20 years at Warner Bros.
The Wizard and Glass book is set after The Gunslinger and his followers have escaped into another world. It is there where Roland tells his followers a story about a woman he was in love with named Susan Delgado, and how they are both drawn into “an ancient mystery of spellbinding magic and supreme menace.” The book also includes members of Roland’s “ka-tet,” Jake Chambers, Eddie Dean and Susannah Dean, so it’s possible that Tom Taylor could return as Jake Chambers. As for the other two characters, they aren’t listed in the cast, although Susan Delgado is, portrayed by Alex McGregor, so it seems likely that she will be back as well.
When The Dark Tower was initially set up at Universal, Ron Howard was set to direct a trilogy of movies that would be distributed by Universal Studios. He would also produce a limited TV series, which would debut on NBC in between he movies. However, the deal ultimately fell through, forcing Ron Howard and Brian Grazer to try and find a new home for this sprawling Stephen King adaptation. After Sony Pictures picked up the movie rights, the studio also teamed with Media Rights Capital (MRC) to co-finance the TV series. Hopefully we’ll find out more about plans for this franchise after The Dark Tower hits theaters on August 4.