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

Mike Flanagan's highly anticipated adaptation of Stephen King's The Dark Tower promises unwavering fidelity to the source material. Flanagan's proven track record with King adaptations, including Doctor Sleep and Gerald's Game, already instilled confidence, but now there's even stronger assurance: Stephen King himself is involved.

IGN exclusively revealed that King is actively contributing new material to Flanagan's project. In an interview promoting The Monkey, King confirmed his participation, stating, "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."

Exploring the Vastness of King's Dark Tower Multiverse

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The Dark Tower, a cornerstone of King's oeuvre (with The Gunslinger initially penned in 1970), is ripe for expansion. King's previous contributions, such as the epilogue for Paramount+'s The Stand, demonstrate his willingness to enhance his existing narratives. The sheer scope of The Dark Tower, encompassing much of King's fictional universe, presents countless opportunities for enriching the story.

Flanagan's commitment to faithfulness aligns perfectly with King's involvement. Flanagan previously stated in a 2022 IGN interview that his adaptation would remain true to the books, emphasizing, "it would look like the books" and rejecting deviations, stating, "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 commitment contrasts sharply with the 2017 film adaptation, which drew criticism for its disjointed narrative.

While the release date and format of Flanagan's adaptation remain undisclosed, he has several King projects underway, including a film adaptation of The Life of Chuck (slated for May release) and a Carrie series for Amazon, based on King's 1974 novel.