The encyclopedia · Product & Design · Product decision · 2017
Sony bet a planned film-and-TV universe on one 95-minute Dark Tower adaptation
The film compressed Stephen King's eight-book series into a 95-minute runtime, opened to $19.5M, and the planned TV series and sequels were never made.
Sony Pictures · 2017-08-04
What happened
Sony spent nearly a decade in development on The Dark Tower, planning it as the opening film of a larger franchise that would continue across a television series, adapting Stephen King's eight-book saga with stars Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey attached to anchor the built-in multimedia universe.
The finished film ran under 95 minutes, compressing an sprawling multi-book story into a runtime critics said left it incomprehensible to newcomers and unsatisfying to longtime readers of the source material, after years of rewrites and re-edits during production.
The Dark Tower opened to $19.5 million, below its already-modest expectations, and closed with about $113 million worldwide against a reported $60-66 million budget — not enough to clear the 2-2.5x multiple films typically need to break even after marketing. The planned TV series and sequels were never produced.
Why it happened
- The studio committed to a multi-title franchise plan before a single film had proven the format could work.
- Years of rewrites and re-edits during production signaled the story wasn't ready, but the release date didn't move to match.
- Compressing eight books into under 95 minutes prioritized getting a first installment out over telling a complete story.
- Nobody scaled back the franchise ambitions after early tracking suggested a modest opening was likely.
The lesson
Planning the sequel and the TV spinoff before the first film proves itself just means more to cancel when it doesn't.
Aftermath
Sony shelved the planned Dark Tower television series and any further films. The adaptation became a frequently cited cautionary example of committing to a franchise before validating the first installment.
Sources
- The Dark Tower (film) — Wikipedia
- Forbes — Box Office: 'The Dark Tower' Is The Latest Failed Cinematic Universe
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