With Idris Elba’s name now thrown into the mix for a leading role in The Dark Tower, development on Sony’s movie is starting to pick up the pace. Might his negotiations lead to an offer? It’s too early to tell whether or not the rumors are true, or if the studio simply has him on a shortlist with other names. In either scenario, it’s still an exciting prospect.
Elba’s a solid acting talent who’s yet to strike out into mainstream cinema with a major headlining part. Sadly, the news of his connection to The Dark Tower was met by backlash. Detractors hit the web to voice their concerns toward his casting, as the character of Roland Deschain is, in the novel, white.
The versatility in adapting a book is of course in the opportunity to change things. Adaptations seldom stick rigidly to what’s on the page, as more often than not, books don’t translate well if they’re retold beat-for-beat. Thankfully, Stephen King knows this. The celebrated horror scribe also hit up social media to throw in his thoughts on the matter:
To me, the color of the gunslinger doesn’t matter. What I care about is how fast he can draw…and that he takes care of the ka-tet.
— Stephen King (@StephenKing) December 12, 2015
King penned all eight novels in The Dark Tower series. While he’s not attached to write any of the movies in Sony’s planned universe, he’s likely to be on hand as a creative consultant, which would make sense as there’s no-one who knows the Gunslinger’s ka-tet better than the man who created them.
Directed by Nikolaj Arcel, The Dark Tower opens on January 13, 2017.
