EXCLUSIVE: Stephen King Confirms He's Writing for Mike Flanagan's Dark Tower Adaptation: 'It's Happening' - IGN Fan Fest 2025

Mike Flanagan, known for his successful adaptations of Stephen King's works such as Doctor Sleep and Gerald's Game, is set to bring King's epic fantasy saga, The Dark Tower, to life with a promise of staying true to the original novels. This commitment to authenticity is further bolstered by the revelation that Stephen King himself is actively involved in the project, contributing new material to ensure the adaptation remains faithful to his vision.

During an exclusive roundtable interview with IGN to promote his upcoming film The Monkey, King confirmed his participation in Flanagan's The Dark Tower project. He shared, "All I can say is it's happening. I am writing stuff now and I think that's all I want to say because the next thing you know, I'll stir up a bunch of stuff I don't necessarily want to stir up yet. I'm in process right now, and to say too much feels like a jinx." This news excites fans, as it promises an adaptation that will resonate deeply with the source material.

The Essentials: Stephen King's Dark Tower Multiverse

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The Dark Tower series, which King began writing in 1970 with the first novel The Gunslinger, is a deeply personal and celebrated work that spans nearly all of his fiction. King's involvement in Flanagan's adaptation could mirror his contributions to the Paramount+ limited series The Stand, where he added an epilogue to better conclude the story of Frannie Goldsmith. Given the vast and intricate mythology of The Dark Tower, the potential for King to expand and deepen the narrative is immense.

Flanagan's dedication to preserving the essence of King's work is evident in his previous statements. In a 2022 interview with IGN, he emphasized that his adaptation would closely resemble the books, stating, "It would look like the books" and "the way not to do The Dark Tower is to try to turn it into something else, to try to make it Star Wars or make it Lord of the Rings." Flanagan further elaborated, "It is what it is, what it is is perfect. It's just as exciting as all of those things and just as immersive. It's a story about a tiny group of people, all the odds in the whole world are against them, and they come together. As long as it's that, it'll be fine and there won't be a dry eye in the house."

This approach stands in stark contrast to the 2017 film adaptation of The Dark Tower, which received criticism for its deviation from the source material and its condensed narrative that shuffled events across King's seven novels.

While the release date and exact format of Flanagan's The Dark Tower adaptation remain undisclosed, fans have other Stephen King projects to look forward to. Flanagan's adaptation of King's short story The Life of Chuck is scheduled to hit theaters in May, and he is also developing a Carrie series for Amazon, based on King's 1974 novel.