Arguably the most ambitious project to emerge and not get made was Ron Howard's adaptation of The Dark Tower. The plan was to take Stephen King's multi-genre novels, develop them into a franchise of films connected by a television series. Universal saw the budget on that plan and politely declined, and then so did Warner Bros. Netflix also had a shot and turned it down. But Sony, always desperate for another franchise, has decided it's just right for them.
Sony is partnering up with Media Rights Capital to produce The Dark Tower, and they're giving Howard everything he's been asking for. Only now a new director will be sought with Howard moving into a producer role. Akiva Goldsman and Jeff Pinkner have penned a new script chronicling the adventures of gunslinger Roland Deschain as he battles evil on the way to the Dark Tower.
As for who could play Deschain, that won't be decided until a director has been set in place, but we've heard Javier Bardem and Russell Crowe mentioned as contenders in the past. [Deadline]
