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

Mike Flanagan’s upcoming adaptation of Stephen King’s The Dark Tower promises unwavering faithfulness to the source material. Flanagan’s proven track record of bringing King’s works to life, evident in films like Doctor Sleep and Gerald’s Game, further solidifies this commitment. Adding to the excitement, IGN exclusively reveals that Flanagan has enlisted a powerful ally: Stephen King himself.

In an interview promoting The Monkey, King confirmed his involvement, 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."

The Essentials: Stephen King's Dark Tower Multiverse

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The Dark Tower, a cornerstone of King’s oeuvre, began with The Gunslinger in 1970. King’s contribution to Flanagan’s adaptation remains shrouded in some mystery, though his previous work on the The Stand epilogue offers a glimpse into his potential involvement. Given The Dark Tower’s vast scope encompassing much of King's fictional universe, the possibilities for enriching the established narrative are immense.

Flanagan’s commitment to fidelity is reassuring, especially considering the 2017 film adaptation’s less-than-stellar reception. In a 2022 interview with IGN, Flanagan emphasized his intention to remain true to King’s vision, stating that the adaptation "would look like the books" and that deviating from the source material would be a mistake. He further explained, "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."

The release date and format of Flanagan’s The Dark Tower adaptation remain undisclosed. However, Flanagan has several other King projects in the works, including the upcoming film adaptation of The Life of Chuck (due in May) and a Carrie series for Amazon, based on King's 1974 novel.