British actor Idris Elba is currently in talks with the producers of Stephen King's "The Dark Tower" series for the lead role of Roland Deschain. According to Deadline, there is no official announcement yet, although Elba is currently the top candidate to play Roland.
Recent discussions by the producers narrowed down the choice of who will play Roland to Elba and Academy Award-winning actor, Javier Bardem ("No Country for Old Men"). Bardem previously expressed interest in the role when the project was still under Universal Pictures, according to Collider. He wasn't attached to the project since confirmation depended on his availability. Elba, on the other hand, may have just been waiting for the right time to consider it. According to The Wrap, Elba was recently tapped to star alongside Tom Cruise in a reboot of "The Mummy" franchise. He passed on the film and waited for Matthew McConaughey to advance in his negotiations before actively considering the role. Both actors are reportedly keen on working together. McConaughey is also in negotiations for the role of Walter O'Dim, aka the Man in Black, the main antagonist in the series and arch-nemesis of Roland.
Elba has recently been shortlisted by the Screen Actors Guild for a Best Supporting Actor nomination for his performance in Cary Fukunaga's "Beasts of No Nation". He is no stranger to playing a charismatic combination of gritty, intimidating, heroic, and flawed characters. His best works to date include his portrayal of Stringer Bell in the original HBO TV series, "The Wire", as Detective John Luther in BBC One's "Luther", and as Nelson Mandela in the 2013 biopic, "Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom". The offer to play Roland came in the wake of speculations that he is being considered to replace Daniel Craig in a new series of James Bond films.
"The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger", will be the first in a series of films based on The Dark Tower novels by veteran author, Stephen King. The novels revolve around the character Roland Deschain and his quest for the Dark Tower - the hub of the universe which connects to different worlds. Roland must get to the Tower before evil forces invade and destroy it, ending all of existence. Roland is the last remaining member of a knightly order called the "Gunslingers", who are the peacekeepers, diplomats, and guardians in the land of Gilead.
Danish director and screenwriter Nikolaj Arcel ("A Royal Affair", "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"), is set to helm the first film in the series. He is also working on a rewrite of the screenplay with Anders Thomas Jensen ("The Duchess"). They are working on the last draft of the script submitted by Akiva Goldsman ("A Beautiful Mind") and Jeff Pinkner ("Lost"). Producers include Goldsman, Pinkner, Ron Howard, Brian Grazer, Eric Huggins, and Stephen King. Sony Pictures is fully on-board as distributor in what would be the start of a global franchise, as declared by Sony Chairman Tom Rothman.
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