Stephen King is a very, very busy man.
He publishes at least a novel a year and produces/consults on the myriad of adaptations flooding the screen. The classics are household names – The Shining, The Shawshank Redemption, Misery, It, Carrie – and continue to give studios confidence to greenlight new projects. These include JFK-era drama 11.23.63 and the thank-god-they-finally-cancelled Under The Dome*.
*The novel is fantastic. The show stars Breaking Bad‘s Dean Norris and Tomorrowland‘s Britt Robertson, yet still sucks.
The other idea floating about is twelve novel epic The Dark Tower. It’s not usual Stephen King horror, but rather a sprawling fantasy saga of the ages. The novels are beloved by readers of all ages and have spun off into all sorts of media, most notably an eight-year comic book publication that publishes to this day. As a movie series it stands to inhabit the absence of The Hunger Games, only darker, more male-skewed, and more badass.
I know, more badass that Katniss? Could it be so?
The casting is crucial and it’s fair to say those involved completely aced it. Idris Elba – the man who should be the next James Bond, the man lauded with critical acclaim for Luther, the man sorely underutilised in the Thor movies – has been cast in the lead role.
His support? The McConaissance. True Detective, Dallas Buyer’s Club and How To Lose a Guy In Ten Days‘ Matthew McConaughey has signed on in an undisclosed supporting role. The intrigue……..
More info as it comes, but this looks awesome.
