Stephen King Joins Mike Flanagan's Dark Tower: 'It's Happening' - IGN Fan Fest 2025

Mike Flanagan, renowned for his successful adaptations of Stephen King's works such as *Doctor Sleep* and *Gerald's Game*, has assured fans that his upcoming project, an adaptation of King's epic fantasy saga, *The Dark Tower*, will remain faithful to the original novels. This commitment to authenticity is further solidified with the news that Stephen King himself is joining Flanagan's creative team, known as the Ka-tet, to work on the project. In an exclusive interview with IGN, 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* stands as one of Stephen King’s most celebrated and personal creations, with the author beginning the first novel, *The Gunslinger*, back in 1970. The involvement of King in Flanagan's adaptation opens up numerous possibilities for enhancing the established narrative. King's previous contribution to the Paramount+ series *The Stand*—an epilogue that better concluded the storyline of central character Frannie Goldsmith—demonstrates his willingness to refine his work. Given the vast and interconnected nature of *The Dark Tower*, which intertwines with nearly all of King’s fiction, the potential for King to add depth to this universe is immense.

The new material King is crafting is expected to seamlessly integrate into Flanagan’s vision, especially since the director has emphasized his intent to stay true to King’s original text. In a 2022 interview with IGN, Flanagan stated, "it would look like the books" and warned against transforming the story into something akin to *Star Wars* or *The Lord of the Rings*. He 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 approach is particularly reassuring following the disappointment of the 2017 *Dark Tower* film, which rearranged elements from across King’s seven novels. While the release date and exact format of Flanagan's adaptation remain uncertain, the horror genre veteran continues to engage with King's universe. Flanagan’s adaptation of King’s short story, *The Life of Chuck*, is set to premiere in theaters in May, and he is also developing a *Carrie* series for Amazon, based on King's 1974 novel.