As of a couple of weeks ago, it was looking like the fate of the feature adaptation of Stephen King's The Dark Tower series would be determined at some point this month. And sure enough, the verdict from Warner Bros. is in, and it's not good. Word is, the studio has decided to pass on the project.
We shared word earlier this month that a new draft of the screenplay for the first Dark Tower movie was being submitted by Akiva Goldsman, after which WB would made a decision as to whether or not to move forward with the ambitious project. The series was set to be adapted to a number of films, with TV series bridging the gap between movies. Ron Howard and Brian Grazer were set to produced through Imagine Entertainment, with Howard directing and Stephen King set up as a producer. Variety reported today that Warner Bros. has decided not to green-light the budget for the film.
This is likely to be disappointing news for fans of the books, who've been hoping to see the story of the gunslinging Roland Deschain brought to the big screen. As Variety notes, Imagine can take the project to other studios, but if Warner Bros. is passing, that can't be a good sign. The endeavor may be too costly and risky for other studios to tackle. I don't think I'm in the minority in saying it's better to have it done right or else, not done at all. So we'll have to wait and see whether there's another studio interested in Imagine's project.
