Stephen King’s “The Dark Tower” Film Gets Idris Elba, Matthew McConaughey

Several attempts have been made to translate Stephen King’s epic series onto the big screen, but this time, its for real.

King’s dark fantasy/sci-fi world in The Dark Tower is actually confirmed, and with two big actors cast for the protagonist and antagonist. Idris Elba will play the gunslinger, Roland Deschain while Matthew McConaughey will portray the dark and mysterious villain, known as the man in black.

Elba and McConaughey are already getting into character, even on Twitter.

.@McConaughey you have one new follower. #DarkTowerMovie https://t.co/5fSKF02C7I

— Idris Elba (@idriselba) March 1, 2016

.@idriselba come and get me, I look forward to it. #DarkTowerMovie https://t.co/4gxqm2GPo3

— Matthew McConaughey (@McConaughey) March 1, 2016

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, King spoke about his journey writing this series. The Dark Tower spans eight novels, as well as numerous other tie-ins, short stories, and even a prequel comic series released by Marvel. “The thing is, it’s been a long trip from the books to the film,” King said. “When you think about it, I started these stories as a senior in college… and finally, this thing is actually in pre-production right now. I’m delighted, and I’m a little bit surprised.”

The movie’s co-writer is Nikolaj Arcel, who is a Danish writer and director known for his work on A Royal Affair and the Swedish version of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. Arcel is a fan of King’s work himself, saying, “What Stephen King does best is mixing the every day, or what you might call the mundane, with the fantastical. In my view, [The Dark Tower] novels are a mix of sci-fi and fantasy and modern times. That exact mix is so Stephen King.”

The Dark Tower is still in pre-production, with a lot of work left to do before its projected release date of January 2017. Many details are uncertain, such as which books might be covered in the film (although there is a lot of speculation). But one thing that King was certain about? The first line of the first book will be the opening for the movie. And if you have never read the series, King tweeted these lines in his official announcement of the film.

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

— Stephen King (@StephenKing) March 1, 2016

Are you excited for The Dark Tower film? Have you read all eight novels from the series? Let us know in the comments!