Mike Flanagan, the creator of The Haunting of Hill House, is revisiting Stephen King’s work. After adapting The Life of Chuck, he’s developing a TV series based on King’s The Dark Tower. Flanagan shared that this project is his main focus, and he wants to create a version that differs from the 2017 Dark Tower movie, offering a fresh take on the story. This isn’t the only King adaptation Flanagan is working on; he also recently reimagined Carrie.
Flanagan gave an update on the project to Empire Magazine, per Deadline, explaining:
“It’s moving … We’ve got a lot of scripts done for it. It’s the first priority.”
As a huge Stephen King fan, when I think of his big, sweeping stories, books like IT, Under the Dome, and The Stand immediately come to mind. But honestly, The Dark Tower series is on another level – eight novels, a novella, and even a book for kids! It’s easily his most ambitious work, and I always wondered why it took so long to get adapted. Finally, we got a movie with Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey, directed by Nikolaj Arcel. The frustrating thing is, with all that incredible backstory and world-building – thousands of pages worth! – the movie barely ran 95 minutes. It felt like they only scratched the surface of what The Dark Tower could be.
Flanagan seems to want to address the negative reaction the movie received, stating:
“We can’t let that be the final word. We really can’t”
The Difficult Path of ‘The Dark Tower’
Sony Pictures Releasing
Stephen King is famous for subtly connecting his novels with shared details and references. Many believe his The Dark Tower series is the key to understanding all of his work. This unique story mixes fantasy, horror, and Western elements, and follows a gunslinger on a quest to destroy the mysterious Dark Tower.
Adapting the complex story into a movie was a huge challenge. Several well-known directors, including J.J. Abrams and Ron Howard, tried to bring the project to life, hoping to launch a large-scale series of movies and TV shows. Despite having popular actors like Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey, and a built-in audience from Stephen King’s books, The Dark Tower received very poor reviews – only 16% positive on Rotten Tomatoes. Plans for sequels and a TV series were initially discussed, but the movie’s failure meant those projects never materialized.
Subscribe to the newsletter for Flanagan’s King coverage
Want deeper insight into Mike Flanagan’s Dark Tower plans? Subscribe to the newsletter for focused coverage of his Stephen King adaptations, thoughtful analysis of the mythology, and developments in his evolving projects.
So, after the film came out, Prime Video actually started working on a TV series – it was exciting! They even cast Sam Strike as Roland and Jasper Pääkkönen as the Man in Black, which felt like things were really happening. But then, surprisingly, they decided not to make a pilot episode, and the whole project stalled. It was a bit of a disappointment, honestly.
Mike Flanagan has successfully adapted several of Stephen King’s works, including Gerald’s Game, Doctor Sleep, and The Life of Chuck. Because of this, he’s widely considered the best director for bringing King’s stories to the screen, making him a strong fit for The Dark Tower.
Read More
- Clash Royale Best Boss Bandit Champion decks
- Vampire’s Fall 2 redeem codes and how to use them (June 2025)
- Mobile Legends January 2026 Leaks: Upcoming new skins, heroes, events and more
- World Eternal Online promo codes and how to use them (September 2025)
- Clash Royale Season 79 “Fire and Ice” January 2026 Update and Balance Changes
- Best Arena 9 Decks in Clast Royale
- M7 Pass Event Guide: All you need to know
- Clash Royale Furnace Evolution best decks guide
- Best Hero Card Decks in Clash Royale
- Clash of Clans January 2026: List of Weekly Events, Challenges, and Rewards
2026-01-06 02:03