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

Mike Flanagan's upcoming adaptation of Stephen King's epic fantasy saga, The Dark Tower, is set to be a faithful representation of the novels. With Flanagan's proven track record in adapting King's works such as Doctor Sleep and Gerald's Game, fans can rest assured that the essence of King's story will be preserved. Adding to the excitement, IGN has exclusively revealed that Stephen King himself is joining Flanagan's team, known as the Ka-tet, to ensure the project remains true to its source material.

In a roundtable interview promoting The Monkey, King hinted at his active involvement in The Dark Tower project. When asked about contributing new material, akin to his work on 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." His involvement promises to enrich the adaptation with new content that aligns seamlessly with the original novels.

The Essentials: Stephen King's Dark Tower Multiverse

20 ImagesThe Dark Tower is one of King's most celebrated and personal works, with the first novel, The Gunslinger, beginning in 1970. King's involvement in Flanagan's adaptation could take various forms, given the expansive nature of the Dark Tower series, which intertwines with nearly all of King's fiction. His past contribution to The Stand limited series, where he wrote an epilogue to better conclude Frannie Goldsmith's storyline, suggests he may similarly enhance The Dark Tower with new material.

Flanagan has emphasized his commitment to staying true to King's vision, stating in a 2022 interview with IGN, "it would look like the books" and that "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." He 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 is a welcome relief following the 2017 film adaptation of The Dark Tower, which starred Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey and was criticized for its disjointed narrative pulled from various parts of the novels.

While the release date and final format of Flanagan's The Dark Tower adaptation remain undisclosed, Flanagan continues to engage with King's universe. His adaptation of King's short story The Life of Chuck is scheduled for a theatrical release in May, and he is also developing a Carrie series for Amazon based on King's 1974 novel.