Of the potential blockbusters left this summer, The Dark Tower is the one that may have the most question marks. Sure, it's based on revered material, Stephen King's 8-volume epic that combines fantasy, sci-fi, and Western elements. But the trailers thus far haven't been too impressive, despite Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey locked in a battle of good vs. evil.
Perhaps this new "preview" will do the trick? It focuses on Elba's Roland Deschain aka The Gunslinger, who must prevent the evil Man in Black from reaching The Dark Tower. After years were spent trying to condense the massive amount of material, director Nikolaj Arcel (A Royal Affair) was brought in to try and wrangle all of the various elements, and the approach was to do what is essentially a sequel, although aspects of the books are still included. Here's the synopsis:
There are other worlds than these. Stephen King’s The Dark Tower, the ambitious and expansive story from one of the world’s most celebrated authors, makes its launch to the big screen. The last Gunslinger, Roland Deschain (Idris Elba), has been locked in an eternal battle with Walter O’Dim, also known as the Man in Black (Matthew McConaughey), determined to prevent him from toppling the Dark Tower, which holds the universe together. With the fate of the worlds at stake, good and evil will collide in the ultimate battle as only Roland can defend the Tower from the Man in Black.
The Dark Tower arrives on August 4th.
