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

Mike Flanagan, renowned for his successful adaptations of Stephen King's works like *Doctor Sleep* and *Gerald's Game*, has promised to remain faithful to the expansive narrative of King's epic fantasy saga, *The Dark Tower*. This commitment to authenticity is further bolstered by the news that Stephen King himself is joining Flanagan's creative team, known as the Ka-tet, for this ambitious 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* is one of King's most cherished and personal projects, which he began writing in 1970 with the first novel, *The Gunslinger*. King's involvement in Flanagan's adaptation is significant, especially considering his past contributions, such as the epilogue he wrote for the Paramount+ limited series *The Stand*. Given the vast and intricate mythology of *The Dark Tower*, which connects nearly all of King's fiction, the possibilities for King to enrich his established universe are endless.

King's new material is expected to seamlessly integrate into Flanagan's adaptation, as Flanagan has vowed to adhere closely to King's original text. In a 2022 interview with IGN, Flanagan emphasized that "it would look like the books" and warned against transforming *The Dark Tower* into something akin to *Star Wars* or *Lord of the Rings*. He further stated, "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 a welcome relief following the 2017 *Dark Tower* film, which received criticism for its disjointed narrative pulled from various parts of King's seven novels. While the release date and exact format of Flanagan's adaptation remain uncertain, fans can look forward to his other King-related projects. Flanagan's adaptation of King's short story, *The Life of Chuck*, is slated for a theatrical release in May, and he is also developing a *Carrie* series for Amazon, based on King's 1974 novel.