Skip to main content
  • TotalFilm
  • Edge
  • Newsarama
  • Retrogamer
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+
US EditionUS CA EditionCanada UK EditionUK AU EditionAustralia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Features
  • More
    • PS5
    • Xbox Series X
    • Nintendo Switch
    • Nintendo Switch 2
    • PC
    • Platforms
    • Tabletop Gaming
    • Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Newsletters
    • About us
    • Features
Trending
  • Best Netflix Movies
  • Movie Release Dates
  • Best movies on Disney Plus
  • Best Netflix Shows
Don't miss these
Peaky Blinders – one of the best Netflix shows
Drama Shows The Peaky Blinders spin-off show has started filming, with leaked set pictures ushering the franchise into a new era
Emilia Clarke in Game of Thrones
Fantasy Shows Upcoming Game of Thrones movies and TV spin-offs in 2026 and beyond
A group of people holding crates and walking through a Stargate during an episode of the TV show Stargate Atlantis.
Sci-Fi Shows Stargate: Everything we know about Amazon's new Stargate series
Galadriel in The Rings of Power season 2
Lord of the Rings TV Shows The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 3 release date speculation, cast, plot, and more news
Louis Hofmann in Dark
Sci-Fi Shows Creators of Dark are reuniting for "cruel reality" thriller that sounds like a mix of Black Mirror and True Detective
Will Smith as Dr. Robert Neville in I Am Legend
Action Movies I Am Legend 2 release date speculation, cast, plot, trailer, and everything we know about the upcoming horror sequel
Elden Ring
Fantasy Movies Elden Ring movie release date speculation, cast, director, and more
Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen in Game of Thrones.
Fantasy Shows The Winds of Winter release date speculation, plot, and everything else we know about George R.R. Martin's new book
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
Lord of the Rings Movies The Hunt For Gollum release date, plot, cast, and more news
God of War Ragnarok
Fantasy Shows Everything we know about Amazon's God of War TV show, including the Kratos casting
Nathan Gamble as Billy, Laurie Holden as Amanda, Jeffrey DeMunn as Dan, and Thomas Jane as David in Frank Darabont's The Mist
Horror Movies Upcoming Stephen King movies and TV shows in 2026 and beyond
Cillian Murphy as Tommy Shelby riding a horse in Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man
Crime Shows Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man director explains how the Netflix movie differs from the show:
Dexter Sol Ansell as Egg and Peter Claffey as Dunk in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
Fantasy Shows A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms season 1 reviews, plot, and everything there is to know about the Game of Thrones show
Peter Claffey as Dunk in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms episode 6
Fantasy Shows A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms episode 6: Is there a post-credits scene?
Peter Claffey as Dunk in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
Fantasy Shows A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms showrunner thinks George R.R. Martin's preference" wanted the show to be a 2-hour movie
  1. Entertainment
  2. TV

The Dark Tower movie is getting a TV series prequel based on another King novel

News
By Gem Seddon published 23 September 2016

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

(Image credit: Marvel)
  • Facebook
  • X
  • Pinterest
  • Flipboard
  • Email
Share this article
Join the conversation
Follow us
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Get the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Bringing all the latest movie news, features, and reviews to your inbox


By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

You are now subscribed

Your newsletter sign-up was successful


An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
Subscribe to our newsletter

Somewhere along its journey to production The Dark Tower split into two: there's the film of course, that's on course to arrive in theaters early next year. Then came word of a TV spinoff. Details on how the two would connect were unknown for years, although my suspicions had it pegged as a quick cash-in on the brand (like the apparently-still-happening Terminator Genisys TV show). How wrong I was. 

As revealed by Entertainment Weekly, the TV show is most definitely in the works. It's foregoing the pilot process to start shooting its 10-13 episode run, and plans to flesh out the backstory of the movie's lead character, Idris Elba's Gunslinger, Roland Deschain. How so? They're only going to adapt another of Stephen King's novels aren't they. Yep. The Dark Tower series features two volumes that act like origin tales for Roland. Wizard and Glass is the first and that's the one Sony are turning into a companion series that's aiming to hit the small screen in 2018 - around the time the movie will also be available via streaming.


The cool thing about how the story happens means Elba will be part of the show, filming the opening 'wraparound' story segments as the older version of the character. He's set to appear alongside Tom Taylor as Jake Chambers - who's also in the movie - but they won't be in it for long. In the book, the pair take a time out from their arduous journey and Roland regales them all (there's two other characters who aren't in the movie but play large roles in the book) with a tale from his younger years.  

You may like
  • Mike Flanagan wants to get to work on his Dark Tower series to ensure the movie isn’t “the final word”
  • Nathan Gamble as Billy, Laurie Holden as Amanda, Jeffrey DeMunn as Dan, and Thomas Jane as David in Frank Darabont's The Mist Upcoming Stephen King movies and TV shows in 2026 and beyond
  • The Mist. 19 years after Frank Darabont's adaptation, Mike Flanagan is set to make a new movie based on Stephen King's The Mist

It's a rich, fantastical story set in a seaside kingdom that involves an old haggardy witch in possession of a powerful glass, an unattainable beauty and a boy's quest to impress his father. It's a terrific read, even if it does pull you away from the main narrative, and I'm very excited to see who they cast as the young Roland Deschain. Now that we're in the age of Stranger Things (i.e. crazy talented pre-teen casts) I'm equally excited to see who's gonna play his ka-tet of pals. 

And, if all goes well, there's always Roland's second origin book The Wind Through The Keyhole to adapt for season 2...

Directed by Nikolaj Arcel, and starring Matthew McConaughey, Idris Elba, Jackie Earle Haley, Fran Kranz, Abbey Lee, Katheryn Winnick and Tom Taylor, The Dark Tower movie opens on February 17, 2017.  

Images: Marvel

Sign up for the Total Film Newsletter

Bringing all the latest movie news, features, and reviews to your inbox

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
Gem Seddon
Gem Seddon
Social Links Navigation
Freelance Writer

Gem Seddon is a freelance writer working to keep all of you updated on all of the latest and greatest movies and shows on streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime. Outside of entertainment journalism, Gem can frequently be found writing about the alternative health and wellness industry, and obsessing over all things Aliens and Terminator on Twitter.

Read more
Mike Flanagan wants to get to work on his Dark Tower series to ensure the movie isn’t “the final word”
 
 
Nathan Gamble as Billy, Laurie Holden as Amanda, Jeffrey DeMunn as Dan, and Thomas Jane as David in Frank Darabont's The Mist
Upcoming Stephen King movies and TV shows in 2026 and beyond
 
 
The Mist.
19 years after Frank Darabont's adaptation, Mike Flanagan is set to make a new movie based on Stephen King's The Mist
 
 
Baldur's Gate 3 companion Shadowheart, a young woman with braided black hair and plated armor, smirking while glancing to the side
Baldur's Gate 3 TV show: Everything we know so far about the upcoming HBO fantasy series
 
 
Ed Speleers and Jeremy Irons in Eragon
20 years after its disastrous film, beloved fantasy series Eragon gets a second chance as a Disney Plus series
 
 
Peter Claffey and Dexter Sol Ansell as Dunk and Egg in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms showrunner reveals George R.R. Martin's favorite changes from the novella
 
 
Latest in TV
Ethan Peck as Spock, Anson Mount as Captain Pike, and Rebecca Romijn as Number One in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds
Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry's son says Star Trek will "get better" under new Paramount leadership
 
 
Rick and Morty season 9
Rick and Morty takes aim at "AI slop" as it confirms season 9 release date: "Grade A organic slop, made by real humans"
 
 
Tinker Bell in Peter Pan
After 16 years in development hell, live-action Tinker Bell is a "high priority" for Disney Plus
 
 
Rachel Weisz as M. in erotic thriller Vladimir
Rachel Weisz's new Netflix thriller is one of the streamer's biggest flops of the year so far
 
 
One Piece season 2
One Piece's Chopper actor thought it was a voice-only role so initially turned it down
 
 
One Piece
After One Piece creator dropped the answer to the anime's biggest mystery underwater, iShowSpeed seems set on finding it
 
 
Latest in News
Steam logo from Valve
Valve says "more games are finding success" on Steam than ever, and nearly 6,000 made over $100,000 last year
 
 
Robert rides the elevator to work in Dispatch with his dog Beef, looking out of place surrounded by superheroes
Dispatch leads faced down publishers telling them single-player narrative games were "niche, or worse, dead"
 
 
Wonderer heads to the Spire in a screenshot from Slay the Spire 2's animated reveal trailer
Xbox lead thinks "we have been in a golden age for indies" since 2008, and it's "a fantastic time to be a developer" if you ignore all the smoke
 
 
Xbox - Future Owns
Xbox teases "some iconic games from the past" to be re-released in 2026 from its "game preservation team"
 
 
The cowboy cat from the desert in Mewgenics
Steam expert advises devs stick to the "Little League" section with friendslop before attempting anything like Mewgenics
 
 
Donkey Kong Bananza screenshot of Donkey Kong punching through the landscape with pieces of banana flying through the air
With Donkey Kong Bananza, Nintendo learned "it is more fun to destroy that which is beautiful"
 
 
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. Steam logo from Valve
    1
    Valve says "more games are finding success" on Steam than ever, and nearly 6,000 made over $100,000 last year
  2. 2
    Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man director explains how the Netflix movie differs from the show:
  3. 3
    Dispatch leads faced down publishers telling them single-player narrative games were "niche, or worse, dead"
  4. 4
    Xbox lead thinks "we have been in a golden age for indies" since 2008, and it's "a fantastic time to be a developer" if you ignore all the smoke
  5. 5
    The Future Games Show returns this week - here's how to watch

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google
  • Terms and conditions
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Accessibility statement
  • Careers
  • About us
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility Statement

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...