Stephen King's Dark Tower - Idris Elba in Talks for Lead Role

Despite all the movie and TV adaptations of Stephen King's books that have been released over the years, his fantasy epic The Dark Tower remains a key book that has taken its time to reach the screen. But the movie version is moving ahead--last month it was reported that Matthew McConaughey was to take on the main bad guy role, and now news has emerged of the actor that producers hope to cast as the lead.

According to Deadline, Pacific Rim star Idris Elba is in talks to take on the part of gunslinger Roland Deschain. While Elba has not officially signed on yet, the site reports that he is first choice for producers at Sony. Elba is also known for his roles in hit TV shows Luthor and The Wire, as well as movies like Prometheus, Thor, and this year's highly acclaimed Beasts of No Nation.

The film is scheduled for a January 13, 2017 release, and will be directed by Danish filmmaker Nikolaj Arcel. There are plans for this to be the first of an ongoing franchise, which will also potentially encompass TV shows. The picture has had a long development process, and had passed between several studios before ending up at Sony.

The Dark Tower encompasses eight novels, written between 1982 and 2012. The books blend classic western themes with horror, sci-fi, and fantasy, and many of King's other novels connect to the ongoing story.