Stephen King Joins Mike Flanagan's Dark Tower: 'It's Happening' - IGN Fan Fest 2025

Mike Flanagan, renowned for his adaptations of Stephen King's works like *Doctor Sleep* and *Gerald's Game*, has promised that his upcoming project, an adaptation of King's epic fantasy series *The Dark Tower*, will stay true to the novels' intricate narrative. With Flanagan's track record of fidelity to King's original works, fans can rest assured that *The Dark Tower* will reflect the essence of the books. Adding to the excitement, IGN has exclusively revealed that Stephen King himself has joined Flanagan's creative team, known as the Ka-tet, to ensure the adaptation remains as authentic as possible.

In a roundtable interview promoting *The Monkey*, IGN inquired if King would be interested in contributing new material to Flanagan's *The Dark Tower* project, similar to his involvement in the 2020 Paramount+ series *The Stand*. King responded, "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."

King's involvement is particularly significant given *The Dark Tower*'s status as one of his most cherished and personal creations, with the first book, *The Gunslinger*, begun in 1970. His previous contribution to *The Stand* added an epilogue that enriched the storyline of Frannie Goldsmith, a character King felt was underserved in the original novel. Given *The Dark Tower*'s vast and interconnected universe that spans nearly all of King's fiction, there are countless opportunities for King to enhance the narrative further.

The Essentials: Stephen King's Dark Tower Multiverse

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Whatever new content King is crafting will seamlessly integrate into Flanagan's adaptation, which the director has promised will adhere closely to King's original text. In a 2022 interview with IGN, Flanagan emphasized that "it would look like the books" and cautioned against altering the essence of *The Dark Tower* to resemble other franchises like *Star Wars* or *Lord of the Rings*. He 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 commitment to authenticity offers reassurance after the 2017 film adaptation of *The Dark Tower*, which starred Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey and was criticized for its deviation from the source material.

While the release date and format of Flanagan's *The Dark Tower* remain uncertain, fans can look forward to his other Stephen King adaptations. *The Life of Chuck*, based on King's short story, is set to premiere in theaters in May, and Flanagan is also developing a Carrie series for Amazon, based on King's 1974 novel.