The 2017 film adaptation of Stephen King‘s Dark Tower, which faced a troubled production with multiple director and cast changes, opened to disappointing reviews and box office results. Despite its failure to launch a franchise, King expressed support for the movie, encouraging fans to watch it on Netflix before it departs the platform after November 30.
Film’s Struggles and Cast Details
Directed by Nikolaj Arcel and starring Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey, the Dark Tower struggled to find success after years of development challenges. Originally, Ron Howard was set to direct but ultimately stayed on only as a producer. In retrospect, Howard admitted dissatisfaction with the film’s final form, hinting it strayed too far from King’s original novels. In contrast, Stephen King praised screenwriter Akiva Goldsman, saying,
“did a terrific job in taking a central part of the book and turning it into what I thought was a pretty good movie.”
– Stephen King, Author
The story centers on a boy named Jake Chambers, played by Tom Taylor, who experiences visions of a dark tower from another reality. He partners with the tower’s disillusioned protector to confront the evil Man in Black, a warlock aiming to use Jake to destroy the tower and unleash chaos.
Reception and Financial Performance
The film had a reported budget of $65 million but earned just under $115 million globally, with only $50 million coming from domestic theaters. This made it one of the most prominent Stephen King adaptations to flop commercially, even surpassing initial expectations of failure set by previous adaptations. Critics responded poorly, reflected in a 16% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The site’s sardonic consensus reads,
“Go then, there are other Stephen King adaptations than these.”
Stephen King Projects and What’s Next
Despite Dark Tower’s reception, 2023 has been eventful for Stephen King enthusiasts, with multiple adaptations released, including The Life of Chuck, It: Welcome to Derry, The Monkey, and The Long Walk. Fans are also anticipating Edgar Wright’s take on The Running Man, adding to a mixed but steady flow of King-related content.
Mike Flanagan is currently developing a new television adaptation of The Dark Tower, aspiring to deliver a more faithful and expansive portrayal of King’s complex universe, aiming to redeem the story’s earlier missteps and captivate audiences alike.
With The Dark Tower movie leaving Netflix on November 30, viewers interested in this unique, if flawed, adaptation have limited time to watch a film defended by its original creator amid a landscape of ongoing Stephen King adaptations.
