The director of "The Dark Tower" adaptation for Amazon discussed the specifics of adapting the cult novel series.
Mike Flanagan, who is working on "The Dark Tower" series for Amazon MGM Studios, shared details about the degree to which the upcoming adaptation will adhere to Stephen King's books. In the Kingcast podcast, the director explained that a completely literal adaptation is impossible because Amazon does not own the rights to all the characters featured in the cycle.
The "Dark Tower" saga unites characters and elements from many of King's works, the rights to which belong to different studios. For example, Randall Flagg and Father Callahan are associated with the adaptations of "The Stand" and "Salem's Lot", the rights to which belong to Warner Bros..
According to Flanagan, the appearance of such characters is not completely excluded, but will require complex negotiations on licenses between studios, which could significantly delay the process.
Nevertheless, the director intends to rely on the multiverse structure of "The Dark Tower" and admits that some characters may be replaced by their alternative versions. So, if the rights to Callahan cannot be obtained, his role in the narrative may be performed, for example, by Abra Stone from "Doctor Sleep" or Dick Hallorann from "The Shining."
According to Flanagan, a separate difficulty is the many cultural and media references that permeate the original. Some of them will not be possible to use in the series due to copyright. The director emphasized that it is important for him not to quote verbatim, but to convey the very idea of the endless interweaving of worlds.
A separate challenge is the numerous cultural and media references of the original. Some of them cannot be used on television due to copyright restrictions. Flanagan believes that the adaptation should primarily convey the idea of the endless interweaving of worlds, rather than specific quotes.
He notes that, although fans will surely like the deep references, the series should be understandable to viewers who are not familiar with King's books. According to him, the structure of the cycle itself contributes to this: the first book begins simply — Roland Deschain pursues the Man in Black through a lifeless desert, and then the world gradually expands, acquiring characters and cross-connections.
Earlier, Flanagan had already spoken about large-scale plans to adapt "The Dark Tower". He intends to start with five seasons of the series and complete the story with two feature films.
"For me, "The Dark Tower" is a dream project. A story that unites everything. This is a journey that lasts a lifetime and existence itself."
The release date for the first season has not yet been announced.
