Stephen King's Dark Tower - McConaughey Offered Villain Role

Stephen King is one of the most adapted of all modern authors, with movies and TV shows based on his novels dating back four decades. One title that fans have wanted to see on the screen for many years is his fantasy epic The Dark Tower. A film version finally is finally moving ahead, and it has now been reported that Matthew McConaughey has been offered a key role.

According to Variety, McConaughey is Sony's first choice to play Walter Padick, aka the Man in Black, the demonic sorcerer who is the story's central villain. The Oscar-winning Interstellar star has been sent the script, but it is not yet confirmed if he will take the role.

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.