Mike Flanagan is planning on making changes to Stephen King’s story in his adaptation ofThe Dark Tower, and he’s the only person I trust to do so.Mike Flanagan’sDark Toweradaptationhas been in development since 2022, though the writer/director/producer has been busy on various projects, including the upcoming Stephen King adaptation,The Life of Chuck. He’s also developing titles likeClayfacefor DC, a new adaptation ofCarrie, and a fresh take onThe Exorcist.
Mike Flanagan’s best shows include titles likeMidnight Mass,The Hauntingseries, andThe Fall of the House of Usher. He’s become synonymous with his work in horror, and he’s already adapted multiple Stephen King books. Recently, Mike Flanagan discussed how he would need to makechanges toThe Dark Towerdue tothe rights to various Stephen King characters, such as Father Callahan, being held by different companies. However, this issue highlights a broader challenge in adapting this show.
Mike Flanagan Can Change The Dark Tower Without Damaging Its Identity
Mike Flanagan Understands Stephen King’s Material & Viewerbase
The Dark Toweris a massive story that’s beenpraised for weaving in various Stephen King characters, fromIt’sPennywise toThe Stand’sRandall Flagg toSalem’s Lot’sKurt Barlow. It’s the intersection between King’s stories, and in a sense, one of the most important for an adaptation to get right. In the interview, Mike Flanagan points out that some of those characters won’t be available. For example, Warner Bros. owns the rights toItandSalem’s Lot, so characters from those books would be off limits.
If anyone else were to talk about changingThe Dark Towerin any way, I’d be concerned. Mike Flanagan’s plan seems solid, though, ashe evidently knows enough about Stephen King’s books to understand what audiences will be looking for. He usesInsomniaas an example, stating that the average audience member might not catch a reference to the book anyway. Therefore, he can alter the story, offering Stephen King fans a character from a different book that Amazon would have the rights to use.
Mike Flanagan Has Proven To Be A Stephen King Adaptation Expert
The Life Of Chuck Is Mike Flanagan’s Recent Success
If there’s anyone who could successfully weave Stephen King stories interchangeably (aside from King himself), it’s Mike Flanagan.Flanagan is currently working on his fourth adaptation of a Stephen King novel, outside ofThe Dark Tower, and has established himself as a faithful adapter of the legendary author’s work. He’s delivered some of the most popular horror TV shows of the decade, and whileThe Dark Towerwill undoubtedly be his most daunting task yet, he’s the only screenwriter who could do it justice.
Why The Dark Tower Is So Hard To Adapt Straightforward
The Dark Tower Was Always Going To Require Some Changes
The Dark Toweris a tricky series to adapt, regardless of the additional Stephen King characters. As Mike Flanagan says, the story begins with a simple concept: one man in pursuit of another. The Gunslinger traverses a desert with the intent of catching up with the Man in Black. There’s no immediate exposition to explain his motivation or to explain what type of world this story is set in. All of that is added later on.Audiences will be confused at the start, but their curiosity will hopefully be enoughto keep them going.
Mike Flanagan knows how to care for Stephen King’s material, and it’s clear he’s thinking through the series as a long-term project
It would be easy for a studio to take this story and dilute it, revealing how the world works immediately, cushioning audiences with exposition. However, likeWestworld,Lost,orSeverance, this story works best with audiences dropped right into it, forced to reckon with numerous mysteries. Mike Flanagan knows how to care for Stephen King’s material, and it’s clear he’s thinking through the series as a long-term project, planning ahead for potential obstacles.The Dark Toweris one of the most challenging fantasy series to potentially adapt, but it appears to be in safe hands.
