SDCC: It’s Official, Nikolaj Arcel Will Direct The First DARK TOWER Movie

Here we go again: Hollywood's long-gestating adaptation of Stephen King's Dark Tower series is moving forward again.

Nikolaj Arcel, who previously directed A Royal Affair (and co-wrote the Swedish adaptation of Stieg Larsson's The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo), has signed on to direct, and will rework the script with fellow Danish filmmaker Anders Thomas Jensen (meaning that, yes, the Akiva Goldsman draft is out the window, say thankee). 

The film will, in fact, be an adaptation of the first book in King's seven-novel* The Dark Tower series, The Gunslinger, and will be distributed by Sony. As has been previously reported - here, there, and everywhere - Sony's plan is to develop an accompanying TV series, which will presumably bridge the gap between films should more be made. As of now, there's zero information on where this series might land (my vote: Netflix or HBO or GTFO), but we'll probably be hearing more about that sooner rather than later. 

Word on the street is that casting will begin immediately after Arcel and Jensen finish tinkering with their script, and Deadline mentions both Roland and Jake as the two main roles that're waiting to be filled. Ron Howard and Brian Grazer, via Imagine Entertainment, are still onboard as producers, and you'll recall that they were aiming (no pun intended) for either Russell Crowe or Javier Bardem to fill the Gunslinger's boots. No idea if that's still the plan, but here's hoping it isn't; my money remains on either Michael Fassbender or Jon Hamm for Roland. Casting Jake will be its own set of headaches, and...well, good luck with that, guys.

On a personal note: I can't believe this is actually happening, and probably won't believe it until I'm actually watching the first trailer.

Also, if someone at Sony can hook BMD up with, like, a minimum of four set visit invites, that'd be swell. 

* = Well, eight, actually, but let's not complicate matters.