The Dark Tower's Idris Elba hints at the gunslinger's backstory in new teaser image

The Dark Tower started production earlier this year, at last promising fans of the Stephen King story a chance to see Roland "The Gunslinger" Deschain's long journey across Mid-Land on the big screen. From what we've seen and heard so far, the film plans to tweak the chronology of the source novels for a fresh spin on the Gunslinger's tale. After some hints from King that the film might be more of a sequel than straight-up adaptation, this new teaser suggests that there'll still be plenty for readers to look forward to: 

This image posted by leading man Idris Elba ties in nicely to Father's Day; but it's not just convenient marketing. First off: yes, he's referring to King Arthur. For those who haven't read the books, it's a slight character reveal but doesn't really give up any major plot points so it doesn't qualify as a huge spoiler.  

Readers will recognise the wording in the pic and caption as both frequently appear throughout the books. If a character has behaved badly, they're often admonished with the phrase "you have forgotten the face of your father" - it's a little like telling someone they've forgotten their roots. 

 What we can glean from this, is that Elba's basically saying he's proud of his heritage and ready to kick butt. After getting a few glimpses of how Roland's tale will play out, through a series of set photos it's about time we had a proper teaser. I know I'm ready to see the gunslinger in action. 

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 opens on February 17, 2017. 

Images: Idris Elba, StephenKing.com