We’ve got some major news coming out of ‘The Dark Tower‘ camp today: Two major characters won’t be featured in the film and one confirmation of a rumor. Not only did we learn which two characters won’t be featured in the film but a few other details of what was kept and cut from the novels has been shared as well. The following might be spoiler territory for some so if you want to go in clean turn back now!
First up the rumor confirmation. Ever since Stephen King sent out the following tweet:
The Dark Tower is close, now. The Crimson King awaits. Soon Roland will raise the Horn of Eld. And blow. pic.twitter.com/rqGSKM3dWL
— Stephen King (@StephenKing) May 19, 2016
We’ve had suspicions that either he had another book in the works or, more likely, that this was going to be a follow up to his novels. The Horn of Eld is an artifcat of great power that The Dark Tower gifted to Roland before sending him back into the past to once more follow a journey he has gone through for countless lifetimes on his quest to save it. Only for the first time, he will have the means to do so.
So when spoiler images were shown online that had what looked to be the Horn of Eld in Roland’s backpack it seemed as if this rumor was confirmed. Now it is official as director Nikolaj Arcel has gone on record saying that:
“The hardcore fans of The Dark Tower series will know that this is actually a sequel to the books in a way. It has a lot of the same elements, a lot of the same characters, but it is a different journey.”
Readers already know that Roland must tirelessly retry his journey until he gets it right and Arcel reflects that:
“It’s completely circular, cogs and wheels. Everything fits together. It has a great little power to it. It fits very well into the nature of the entire saga itself.”
So who won’t be showing up? Sadly it is Eddie Dean and Susannah. However, just because they won’t show up in the film doesn’t mean you shouldn’t hope that they do:
“They’re certainly out there. I think the entire story deserves to be told and should be told. I would certainly be disappointed in myself or my collaborators if we didn’t bring them in. They’re such a huge part of the story.”
King isn’t worried though as we all know that the pair weren’t introduced in the first novel:
“I’m fine with it. I know exactly where Akiva [Goldsman] always planned to bring them in and that’s cool with me.”
How does King feel about the rest of the adaptation of his most well known work?
“I’m 100 percent behind it — which doesn’t mean it necessarily will work, just that it’s a good way to try and to get into these stories.”
Speaking of the script and how attached King was to the project, co-writer Akiva Goldsman says that:
“All I can say is that Steve is our partner all the way through, so we don’t make a move without Stephen telling us, ‘That is The Dark Tower’ and when Stephen says, ‘It isn’t,’ which he has at times, we go, ‘Okay, let’s try something else.””
As this is his most epic of stories which ties so much of his work together, that should help everyone sigh in relief. In fact, he felt Roland was getting off on the wrong foot in one of the earlier drafts:
“I took a pen and cut Roland’s dialogue to the bone,” the author says. “The less he says the better off, and why not? Idris Elba can act with his face. He’s terrific at it. He projects that sense of combined menace and security. [Roland] is the Western hero, the strong, silent type: ‘Yep,’ ‘Nope,’ and ‘Draw.’”
Elba truly can pull off facial expressions and in all honesty Roland for the longest time was the strong, silent type. Even when he fully felt in touch with his partners later in the series he was still withdrawn from them. He had lost too much at that point to ever be fully open or whole with them.
What are your thoughts on Eddie and Susannah not making an appearance in ‘The Dark Tower’? Are you happy to hear confirmation that this is a sequel? Share your thoughts below!
‘The Dark Tower’ is set to open its doors in theaters everywhere on February 17th, 2017.
Sources: Entertainment Weekly
Stuart Conover is an author, blogger, and all around geek. When not busy being a father and husband he tries to spend as much time as possible immersed in comic books, science fiction, and horror! Would you like to know more? Follow him on Twitter!
