Sony Pictures
With a repertoire of over 65 books and hundreds of short stories, it’s no surprise that Stephen King’s works are constantly being adapted for screen. Currently, we have a film adaptation of “Salem’s Lot,” an “It” prequel series at HBO, and a film based on his 1980 short story, “The Monkey,” in the pipeline.
However, the adaptation that has caught King’s eye is Mike Flanagan’s forthcoming TV series, “The Dark Tower.” In a recent interview with Dread Central, King expressed his excitement for the project, stating, “I think with ‘The Dark Tower,’ for anybody who is familiar with it, when you’re on the path of the beam it’s an incredibly long journey. But that doesn’t mean we’re not going forward with it. It just means it takes time.”
King’s anticipation is not without reason. Mike Flanagan has successfully adapted several of King’s works, including “Gerald’s Game” and “Doctor Sleep.” The latter was particularly well-received by King, as it faithfully adapted the sequel to “The Shining.” He even admitted to having a newfound appreciation for Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation of the first book.
King stated, “Having watched [Doctor Sleep] it actually warms my feelings up towards the Kubrick film. [Flanagan] managed to take my novel of ‘Doctor Sleep,’ the sequel, and somehow weld it seamlessly to the Kubrick version of ‘The Shining,’ the movie. So, yeah, I liked it a lot.” This statement provides reassurance that Flanagan will handle the “Dark Tower” books with due respect.
Why the excitement for The Dark Tower?
Simon & Schuster
The “Dark Tower” series is arguably the most ambitious of King’s entire career. This seven-and-a-half-book saga pushes the boundaries of genre conventions and the concept of a book series itself. Its interconnections with other King novels and its growing propensity to break the fourth wall make it one of King’s most intriguing works. The series even includes a giant evil spider, an evil sex demon, and an evil talking train who has his own children’s book in the real world.
Unlike “Carrie” or “The Shining,” the “Dark Tower” books weren’t instant bestsellers. However, King continued to write them, garnering a loyal fanbase willing to wait decades for the series’ conclusion. He has often spoken about why he enjoyed writing these books, attributing it to the extent to which he (both literally and figuratively) incorporated himself into the story. In a 2003 interview, King discussed his relationship with Randall Flagg, one of the series’ main villains:
“I’ve had a lifelong relationship with Randall Flagg; that’s right. He’s probably all the worst things that are in me. The great thing about writing is that you can do that. You can do all these antisocial things and you get paid for them and nobody ever arrests you because they’re all make-believe. Then that way if you were actually ever driven to do any of those things, the pressure’s off because you’d have already written them down. It’s therapy.”
Flagg has been portrayed on screen in adaptations of “The Stand,” by Jeremey Sheridan in the ’94 miniseries and Alexander Skarsgård in the 2020 one. Matthew McConaughey also portrayed him in 2017’s “The Dark Tower,” but this depiction wasn’t entirely faithful to the character. Flanagan’s “Dark Tower” adaptation could be the best opportunity for mainstream audiences to familiarize themselves with one of King’s most significant characters. Here’s hoping Flanagan can successfully bring this project to life.
Credit: www.slashfilm.com
