Report: Idris Elba frontrunner for ‘The Dark Tower’ lead
Holy crap. How do you get me to give a futz about an adaptation of The Dark Tower? Cast Idris Elba.
“The Dark Tower” may have found its gunslinger: Deadline reports that Idris Elba is the frontrunner for the role of lead protagonist Roland Deschain in the film adaptation of Stephen King’s novel series. The article states no deal is done, and no one involved would comment on the story.
A fan-favorite due to roles such as BBC crime drama “Luther,” there has long been support for Elba as a potential candidate to take over from Daniel Craig as James Bond. The role of Roland Deschain could place him at the head of a different franchise, as Sony Pictures and Media Rights Capital hope for “The Dark Tower,” based on a series of eight western-fantasy novels, to be the first of multiple films.
Matthew McConaughey is currently in talks to play The Man In Black, one of the series’ villains. Directed by Nikolaj Arcel (“A Royal Affair”), “The Dark Tower” has a release date of Jan. 13, 2017.