Production has begun on the massive adaptation of Stephen King‘s magnum opus, The Dark Tower. The film is shooting in New York and the first set pic of Matthew McConaughey as the Man in Black has popped up online. Take a gander below.
“Black” is definitely the operative word here; McConaughey is decked from head to toe in menacing obsidian. It’s a very cool, classic bad guy look and I dig it. It’s certainly a far cry from the denim jacket version we’ve seen before in The Stand, but that was Randall Flagg and this is Walter Padick but they are two forms of the same person but not really and… look, this Dark Tower stuff will make your head spin. McConaughey looks awesome and that’s all that needs to be said.
It’s been clear from the few bits of story that we know that this adaptation is going to be vastly different from the source material. There’s a school of thought that believes these changes might actually tie into the continuity of the book. If so, we could be seeing an adaptation that’s more of a continuation or “retelling” of the story fans are so familiar with. That might ruffle some feathers but as someone who isn’t as deeply familiar with the books — I’ve only read The Gunslinger so please forgive my perceived ignorance — the idea of a reconfigured story that won’t necessarily spoil the source material is enticing.
It’s great to see Stephen King stories coming back to mainstream cinema in a big way. Between this and It, I’m feeling pretty proud to have so many of the author’s books on my bookshelf. And yes, I will get around to reading The Dark Tower. Probably not in time for this film’s February 17 release but I’ll do it soon. Promise!
