‘The Dark Tower’: Idris Elba, Ron Howard in a Photo From the Set
Ron Howard, Idris Elba, and ‘Dark Tower’ director Nikolaj Arcel on the set in NYC (Photo: Ron Howard/Twitter)
After what’s felt like an eternity of false starts and phony casting rumors, filming has finally begun on the long-anticipated movie adaptation of Stephen King’s The Dark Tower, a seven-novel series (eight, if you include the most recent mid-story installment) about a legendary cowboy from an alternate universe on a quest to save his dying world. With production in full swing in New York City, Ron Howard, one of the project’s long-time champions, has shared a new photo from the set of its hero, played by Idris Elba, in full Western gear.
Related: Aaron Paul Says He Spoke With Stephen King About ‘Dark Tower,’ Loves Teasing the Internet
Last week, producer Howard tweeted a photo of himself with director Nikolaj Arcel and Elba in Manhattan, with the actor still dressed as his character Roland Deschain, a gunslinger intent on tracking down the mysterious Man in Black (played by Matthew McConaughey). Although this snapshot doesn’t show all of Elba’s costume — you can see Elba in full Deschain mode here, along with images of McConaughey in his own swanky evil garb here — it does suggest that Howard, who’s long sought to bring King’s books to the screen, is an on-set presence for the forthcoming film.
I joined @idriselba & director Nikolaj Arcel in #NYC for #DarkTowerMovie production Dream Team 4 a Dream Project pic.twitter.com/X3REnQDf7b
— Ron Howard (@RealRonHoward) July 2, 2016
Given that it won’t be a straight adaptation of King’s first fantasy series installment, but rather a combination of elements from numerous parts of the franchise, some fans remain wary of The Dark Tower until some actual action footage is provided. While those die-hards eagerly await a first trailer, however, Elba is already lining up his next endeavor, with reports indicating that, once he’s done playing Roland Deschain, he’ll move behind the camera for his first feature-directing gig on Yardie, a crime saga about a young man who rises up from the streets to become a drug kingpin.
There’s no official start date yet for Yardie. The Dark Tower is due in theaters on Feb. 17, 2017.
Idris Elba can next be seen in ‘Star Trek Beyond’: Watch a trailer:
