Mike Flanagan, known for his work on Netflix's "The Haunting of Hill House" and "Midnight Mass," has provided an update on his long-anticipated television adaptation of Stephen King's "The Dark Tower" saga, indicating that the project is still a considerable distance from entering production.
Flanagan has been pursuing this adaptation for years, describing it as his "Holy Grail." While the script for the first season has reportedly received Stephen King's approval, securing the necessary go-ahead for production has proven to be a complex and protracted process. "Getting the green light on Dark Tower is a much longer and more involved process than anything else I’ve ever approached in my life," Flanagan stated in an interview with Entertainment Weekly.
The director's current focus is on his "Carrie" TV show adaptation for Amazon's Prime Video, a project developed under a recent multi-year deal with the streamer. "The Dark Tower" is not part of this Amazon agreement, though Flanagan has not ruled out Prime Video potentially backing it in the future. His grand vision for the series reportedly involves five seasons, to be complemented by two standalone films. However, the realization of this ambitious plan remains uncertain.
Fans are eager for Flanagan to bring "The Dark Tower" to the screen, particularly after the critical reception of the 2017 feature film adaptation, which starred Idris Elba as Roland Deschain and Matthew McConaughey as Walter Padick. Following that movie, Flanagan expressed a desire to ensure a more definitive adaptation, stating, "We can’t let that be the final word. We really can’t."