Legendary author Stephen King confirms that he will be writing new material for Mike Flanagan’s Dark Tower. The Dark Tower has been adapted once before in a 2017 movie that flopped in theaters and failed to connect with audiences. King’s magnum opus follows Roland Deschain and his companions across eight novels and one short story on their quest for the Dark Tower. Flanagan has previously directed King adaptations of Gerald’s Game and Doctor Sleep. He is currently working on translating other King stories including a Carrie TV series and the upcoming Life of Chuck.
In a roundtable interview at IGN Fan Fest 2025, King confirms he is writing new material for The Dark Tower series. King responds to a question asking if he would be writing anything similar to how he wrote the finale for The Stand series in 2020. While King is careful not to share too much information, he does state that he is writing, but does not detail what extent his involvement in the adaptation will be. Check out his quote below:
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.
What This Means For The Dark Tower
King Is A Thrilling Addition
King has never strayed far from The Tower. The main series ran for decades, beginning in 1978 and concluding in 2004. The Dark Tower acts as a nexus point for many of King’s works, connecting many of his worlds under one umbrella. During the years he was actively writing the novels and beyond, he has sprinkled references to Mid-World and The Tower across his bibliography. A prominent recent example came in Gwendy’s Final Task in 2022, which contained overt references to The Tower.
Unlike The Stand, King is probably not writing a new ending to The Dark Tower yet, although as readers know, it would be a fascinating prospect.
Flanagan’s Dark Tower is already an exciting project. The writer/director has already proven himself to have a deep reverence for King’s work, and continues to do so with his upcoming projects. King has plenty of experience writing for film and television throughout his career, but his work on The Stand is particularly interesting as he was able to write a new finale for his novel. It remains to be seen what his additions to The Dark Tower will be, but they may offer King a chance to add new parts to the journey.
Our Take On King’s Addition
This Only Adds To The Anticipation
At this point, unlike The Stand, King is probably not writing a new ending to The Dark Tower yet, although as readers know, it would be a fascinating prospect. Since Flanagan’s proposed show would last for multiple seasons, and potentially movies as well, King is likely not writing a new ending to the series this early into production. However, King being involved in directly writing new material for The Dark Tower since 2012’s The Wind Through the Keyhole is incredibly exciting. Although updates have been slow to come out, this major update only adds to the anticipation for the series.
Source: IGN
The Dark Tower
The Dark Tower is a multimedia franchise based on Stephen King’s epic series of eight novels. The story follows Roland Deschain, the last of the Gunslingers, as he embarks on a quest to reach the Dark Tower, a mystical structure that stands at the center of all worlds and realities. The series blends elements of dark fantasy, horror, science fiction, and Western genres. Over the years, the franchise has expanded beyond the original books to include a film, comic books, and upcoming TV adaptations, making it one of King’s most ambitious and interconnected works.
- Upcoming TV Shows
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The Dark Tower
- Character(s)
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Roland Deschain, The Man in Black, Jake Chambers, Eddie Dean, Susannah Dean, Oy, The Crimson King, Stephen Deschain, Sayre, Tirana
Summary
The Dark Tower is a multimedia franchise based on Stephen King’s epic series of eight novels. The story follows Roland Deschain, the last of the Gunslingers, as he embarks on a quest to reach the Dark Tower, a mystical structure that stands at the center of all worlds and realities. The series blends elements of dark fantasy, horror, science fiction, and Western genres. Over the years, the franchise has expanded beyond the original books to include a film, comic books, and upcoming TV adaptations, making it one of King’s most ambitious and interconnected works.