More than three years after it was first announced, Mike Flanagan’s ambitious adaptation of Stephen King’s The Dark Tower is finally showing signs of progress — and both the director and the author remain fully committed to bringing the sprawling fantasy epic to life.
Flanagan, who initially revealed plans for the series in 2022, provided a welcome update during a recent interview with ComicBook. While the project is still in development, Flanagan assured fans that work has never stopped behind the scenes.
“It’s not that I’ve put it down,” he said. “It’s just that the thing is so big — it’s like building an oil tanker. We’ve been moving it forward this whole time. That’s how big it is. It’s constantly in the works. And you better believe as often as you guys may want to ask about it, Stephen King is asking me about it more, and I’m not gonna let him down.”
King himself has been one of the project’s most vocal champions. In 2025, the legendary author described Flanagan’s vision for The Dark Tower as “perfect” and even hinted he might contribute material — though he later appeared to walk back that statement. Nevertheless, his continued enthusiasm signals strong creative alignment between author and adapter.
A Massive Undertaking
Flanagan’s version of The Dark Tower is based on King’s eight-book fantasy saga — a genre-crossing epic that connects many of the author’s other works. The series also includes a novella and the children’s book Charlie the Choo-Choo. When Flanagan first took on the project, he envisioned it as a five-season series for Prime Video. With both Amazon and King backing the adaptation, the final scope could grow even larger.
A Busy Slate for Flanagan
Flanagan’s steady progress on The Dark Tower is all the more impressive considering his packed creative schedule. Since announcing the project, he has released The Fall of the House of Usher miniseries and The Life of Chuck, another King adaptation. He is also attached to a Prime Video adaptation of Carrie, King’s debut novel.
Widely regarded as one of modern horror’s most prolific writer-directors, Flanagan has built a reputation for deeply atmospheric storytelling. His past work includes acclaimed adaptations of Gerald’s Game (2017) and Doctor Sleep (2019), as well as original projects like Hush (2016), The Haunting series, and Midnight Mass (2021).
Given his track record and deep understanding of King’s universe, Flanagan is considered a natural fit to adapt The Dark Tower. Though it’s unclear when production will officially begin, his latest comments suggest the long-awaited series is inching closer to becoming a reality.
And for fans still hoping to erase the memory of the widely panned 2017 Dark Tower film adaptation, Flanagan’s slow-but-steady approach may be the second chance the story deserves.
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