LOS ANGELES, March 1 (UPI) — Stephen King has confirmed that actors Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey will star in the upcoming film adaption of his 1980s novel series, “The Dark Tower.”
King took to Twitter to share the news, writing, “It’s official: The man in black fled across the desert and the gunslinger followed. #DarkTowerMovie @McConaughey @IdrisElba.”
Elba will play Roland Deschain, the Gunslinger, while McConaughey will play villain Randall Flagg, or the Man in Black.
Elba further confirmed the news on Twitter, mentioning his famous co-star. “You have one new follower. #DarkTowerMovie,” he wrote.
“Come and get me, I look forward to it,” McConaughey replied on the social media site.
It is uncertain which books from the “Dark Tower” series the upcoming film will focus on, but co-writer and director Nikolaj Arcel said the story will “take place in our day, in the modern world,” according to Entertainment Weekly.
King also chimed in, telling ET “[The movie] starts in media res, in the middle of the story instead of at the beginning, which may upset some of the fans a little bit, but they’ll get behind it, because it is the story.”
“The thing is, it’s been a looong trip from the books to the film,” King said.
“When you think about it, I started these stories as a senior in college, sitting in a little [expletive] 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.”
