Amazon Passes On 'Dark Tower' Pilot, Leaving Producers To Shop The Series Elsewhere

Apparently, no matter how hard they try, there is one Stephen King property that just isn’t destined to be a hit. After the film was a big box office disappointment, it appears that the series based on the “Dark Tower” novels is also getting scrapped over at Amazon.

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According to Deadline, a series based on the various novels in the “Dark Tower” series written by King has been passed on after Amazon reviewed the pilot that was produced. The report claims that producers will take the two scripts that were written and shop them to other platforms.

While no cast was officially announced, apparently Amazon’s “Dark Tower” series included actors Jasper Pääkkönen as the Man in Black and Sam Strike as the lead, Roland Deschain. Other unconfirmed cast included Michael Rooker, Jerome Flynn, and Joana Ribeiro.

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Amazon’s “Dark Tower” varied greatly from the film that was released a couple of years ago and tells the story of the gunslinger, Roland Deschains, as he first begins to develop his skills and acquires his signature weapons in his battle against the Man in Black. The novels are seen as King’s attempt at grand fantasy fiction, combining various genres and creating an epic that actually ties together a lot of the author’s other works.

In terms of projects with King’s name attached, “Dark Tower” has long been thought of as the one that has the biggest potential as a franchise. However, it’s clear that Amazon doesn’t believe that the series it was presented with is worth it, especially considering the streamer isn’t short on high-concept, big-budget fantasy offerings including series based on “The Lord of the Rings” and “The Wheel of Time.”

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The idea that “Dark Tower” is dead and won’t ever come back is silly. As mentioned, King is a hot commodity right now and studios are killing each other to land the rights to his stories. And in terms of name recognition amongst fans, “Dark Tower” might be the biggest story left in the author’s works.