The Dark Tower movie: Stephen King confirms that Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey will star in film adaptation of book series

New role: Idris Elba will star in The Dark Tower
Dave Benett
Jennifer Ruby1 March 2016
The Weekender

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Stephen King has confirmed that Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey will be starring in the big screen adaptation of The Dark Tower.

The prolific horror author announced the news on his Twitter account on Tuesday afternoon, writing:

“It's official: The man in black fled across the desert and the gunslinger followed. #DarkTowerMovie @McConaughey @IdrisElba.”

Elba, thought to be playing Roland Deschain, otherwise known as the gunslinger, who hunts for the tower.

Oscar-winner McConaughey will play ‘the man in black’, the mysterious sorcerer who features in the fantasy-horror series.

Elba was quick to confirm the news of his role, tweeting to his co-star: “.@McConaughey you have one new follower. #DarkTowerMovie.”

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To which McCanaughey replied: “.@idriselba come and get me, I look forward to it. #DarkTowerMovie.”

The film, which is entering production now, is being directed by King’s co-writer Nikolaj Arcel.

Over the last decade, the film has passed through a number of studios and directors, before finally reaching the production stage.

King recently told Entertainment Weekly: “It's been a looong trip from the books to the film.

“When you think about it, I started these stories as a senior in college, sitting in a little shitty cabin beside the river in Maine, and finally this thing is actually in pre-production now. I'm delighted, and I'm a little bit surprised."

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