Nikolaj Arcel to Write & Direct Stephen King's 'The Dark Tower'
Wed, June 3, 2015 
Word came out yesterday that Nikolaj Arcel - who wrote the Swedish version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and directed the Oscar nominated Best Foreign Film, A Royal Affair - is in negotiations to helm what would be the first entry in Stephen King's long in-development The Dark Tower series for Sony Pictures and Media Rights Capital. Arcel will do a rewrite from the film's original script.
This isn't the first time we've heard movement on this project as over the past few years there's been such things as a film trilogy coinciding with a TV series (in which Ron Howard would have directed all), Javier Bardem or Russell Crowe playing the role of Roland Deschain, as well as Universal and HBO taking on the lofty financing for the massive undertaking.
Now with Sony Pictures on-board (led by new studio head Tom Rothman) to co-finance with Media Rights Capital, their trying to get the project off the ground by focusing on just one film first. The project's original director (Ron Howard) and producer (Brian Grazer) still remain involved to get the series made, but in what has always been the case with The Dark Tower series being adapted for the silver screen: keep your hopes in-check.
Personally, it doesn't inspire much confidence that those involved landed a foreign director who has little-to-no clout in ensuring their artistic vision becomes a reality. On top of the fact, Tom Rothman is overseeing the project, a studio bigwig who is widely-known to meddle with filmmakers and cause problems, resulting in disasters such as X-Men Origins: Wolverine.
Keep in mind though, Ron Howard and Brian Grazer are heavily involved which does inspire much confidence (see Apollo 13, A Beautiful Mind).
We'll keep you posted on more developments as this project moves forward.
Source: Deadline
Reader Comments (8)
I, for one, will remain hopeful
My experience is that there is, you know, surprisingly, always hope.
Beautiful reference from an amazing Doctor!
Indeed.
I am and always will be the optimist, the hoper of far-flung hopes and the dreamer of improbable dreams.
Quoting me now are you?
Well, you are eminently quotable.
I try.