The Dark Tower series is still in development, director Mike Flanagan told Entertainment Weekly. Flanagan, who holds the rights to adapt Stephen King’s fantasy saga, said the project has “never stopped moving,” even as he prepares to release Carrie, his first series under his Amazon deal, on Oct. 7.
Prime Video has not announced a release date, cast or premiere window for the Dark Tower series. The update comes from Flanagan, not the streamer.
What Flanagan said about the Dark Tower series
Flanagan said the project has taken longer than he would like. “I work on it all the time,” he said. “It’s never stopped moving. It just moves at its own oil-tanker pace.”
He described the series as “very much on the table” at Amazon, but said doing the story his way “requires an enormous commitment from a studio.”
He also pointed to the tangled rights behind the saga. “The way the Dark Tower universe is connected, you’ve got characters in there that are all over the place when it comes to studio ownership,” Flanagan said.
Why the Dark Tower series is not locked in at Amazon
Flanagan and producing partner Trevor Macy acquired the Dark Tower rights before they signed with Amazon. Flanagan said in 2022 that the rights were “carved out” of the Amazon deal.
That is why the series has no official home yet. Flanagan announced the rights deal in December 2022, with plans for a multi-season adaptation. He has described a roadmap of five seasons plus two feature films.
What it means for fans
The property has a rocky screen history. The 2017 film starring Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey was panned by critics. Flanagan has said he does not want that movie to be the final word on King’s story.
Flanagan’s King credits include Gerald’s Game, Doctor Sleep and The Life of Chuck. He also wrote the script for the upcoming Exorcist reboot, which recently added John Leguizamo to its cast.
Background on King’s saga
King published the first Dark Tower novel, The Gunslinger, in 1982. The series of eight novels blends Western, horror, science fantasy and dark fantasy around a gunslinger’s quest to reach the tower at the center of King’s multiverse.
What’s next
Carrie, Flanagan’s modern-day take on King’s debut novel, premieres Oct. 7 on Prime Video, with all eight episodes dropping at once. Flanagan directs four of them. Summer Howell stars as Carrie White, with Samantha Sloyan, Amber Midthunder and Matthew Lillard in the cast.
The Dark Tower series stays in development without a release date.
Prime Video has other projects in the pipeline, including the Neagley renewal for season 2. Horror fans can also look ahead to R.L. Stine’s Afraid of Clowns, headed to Tubi in 2027.
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