‘The Dark Tower’ is considered Stephen King’s crowning achievement, which is quite an accomplishment considering his prolific body of work.  The epic story is finally coming to the big screen, but the saga– which melds Westerns, Arthurian legends and Tolkien-esque fantasy– may have to face some unexpected competition: five spandex-clad, helmet-wearing “teenagers with attitude.”  Yep, ‘The Dark Tower’, as of now, will be facing off with the ‘Power Rangers’ at the box office.  And it isn’t a prime summer date, which is when most big budget spectacles are typically released.  These two very different movies are dueling over January 13th, 2017.

This is unusual, as major releases are usually released during the summer– a time period that is ever expanding as big movies tend to hit earlier and earlier each year– or at Christmas time, when families are gathered and school is out.  January 13th is the second Friday of 2017, not really a notable date however you look at it, as everyone is back at work or school and feeling the pinch from holiday overspending and worn out from all the festivities, shopping and indulging.

‘The Dark Tower’ has been in development for many years.  The first book in the series came during King’s publishing heyday, in 1982, but the series has sprawled over the decades with the last book, ‘The Wind Through The Keyhole’ arriving in 2012.  The book series borrows heavily from various genres, and centers on Roland Deschain, the last gunslinger who is on a quest through a fantasy land to find the title structure which is believed to be the nexus of all realities.  Considering that there are eight novels in the series (and that Stephen King’s novels are long a.f.), Columbia Pictures must be eying this as a potential franchise launcher, which makes the remote release date seem an odd choice.

The same could possibly said for Lionsgate’s ‘Power Rangers’, a reboot of the early 90s kids’ show, featuring five teenagers selected to defend the Earth from monster-creating witch Rita Repulsa.  This franchise has weathered several generations of young fans, with the first batch now in their twenties, primed for a serious, more action-oriented spin.

Both movies seem like they would be huge investments with a lot of box office potential, including the likelihood of sequels.  This chilly winter release doesn’t exactly seem like a resounding vote of confidence.

What do you think?  Is this a bad sign for these two movies?  Will they wind up competing with one another?  If so, who will come out on top?  Can ‘The Dark Tower’ shoot down the ‘Power Rangers’?  Or will Megazord stop the gunslinger and crush his precious tower?  If you had to choose, which flick would you pick?

Source: Cinema Blend