Stephen King fans know – there are other worlds than these.
In Entertainment Weekly’s new Comic-Con cover, they’re venturing into the heart of the mythic structure that binds this multiverse together – delivering an exclusive look at the long-awaited film adaptation of King’s The Dark Tower.
EW spent a week on the set in Cape Town, South Africa, watching as this genre mash-up of sci-fi, fantasy, horror, Westerns, and old-fashioned mythology came together. Now, they’re opening the door to this other realm for fans to step through.
The saga spans eight novels (so far), assorted short stories and comic books, and has played out over three and a half decades. The new movie picks elements from throughout these writings to assemble a new take on the story of Roland the Gunslinger (Idris Elba) and his pursuit of the sorcerer known as the Man in Black (Matthew McConaughey), who intends to collapse the tower and rule the ruins and chaos alongside a sinister force known as the Crimson King.
For those new to the epic tale, this issue will serve as a trusty primer to guide you through the devastated territory of Mid-World, a place that has “moved on,” where the apocalypse has already struck in its march toward our own.
King’s readers have invested years of their lives following the quest of Roland and his “ka-tet” (or fate-forged family), so while anticipation is high for the Feb. 17 film, anxiety among fans is also intense. There’s pressure to get this story right, even as the filmmakers say they had to change key elements to make the premise work as a film. This issue will provide the first details about how they deconstructed the Tower in the hope of building a whole other cinematic universe from its pieces.
HERE is what you’ll find inside the issue which will be at newsstands on Friday!