Ambitious adaptation has run into budgetary complications.
Deadline and THR are both reporting that the upcoming adaptation of Stephen King’s ‘The Dark Tower’ has hit a snag.
According to Deadline, Universal Pictures has put pre-production staff for ‘The Dark Tower’ on hiatus until they find ways to bring down the budget of the ambitious adaptation. While, THR says that Imagine Entertainment president Michael Rosenberg is vehemently denying the project has been put into turnaround.
“The Dark Tower is not in turnaround; there are issues and on-going budget discussions with almost every film in development.”
The groundwork for the project has already been laid with plans to adapt King’s series of books into three films with two TV components between the movies. Ron Howard will direct with Javier Bardem is attached for the role of gunslinger Roland Deschain. In April, Mark Verheiden came aboard to co-write the TV component writer-producer Akiva Goldsman.
A decision is to be expected soon on whether to move forward, seek additional financing partners or cancel the project entirely. Two months ago, Universal pulled the plug on Guillermo del Toro’s horror project ‘At the Mountains of Madness’ with Tom Cruise attached.