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Frank Darabont Says He Turned Down Stephen King’s Offer to Adapt The Dark Tower

He cites the saga’s internal focus as a years-long risk given its sprawling scope.

Overview

  • Speaking in a new IndieWire interview reported by Gizmodo, Darabont said King personally called to ask if he would take on The Dark Tower.
  • Darabont declined, calling the material “diabolically difficult” to adapt because much of the drama is internal and the story spans a vast arc.
  • He later told King he might reconsider, only to learn the project had already moved to another filmmaker.
  • Darabont corrected a lingering rumor by stating he turned King down, not the other way around.
  • Now directing two episodes of Stranger Things season five, he praised King’s influence on his career as other filmmakers, including Mike Flanagan, continue to pursue The Dark Tower after a poorly received 2017 film.