NEWS RELEASE
UNIVERSAL PICTURES AND NBC UNIVERSAL TELEVISION
ENTERTAINMENT TO MAKE FILM TRILOGY AND
TELEVISION SERIES BASED ON STEPHEN KINGS
EPIC SERIES OF NOVELS
THE DARK TOWER
Academy Award® Winners Akiva Goldsman, Ron Howard and
Brian Grazer Will Produce the Three Films and the TV Series
Based on The Dark Tower
UNIVERSAL CITY, CA, September 8, 2010 – Universal Pictures Chairman Adam
Fogelson and Co-Chairman Donna Langley—along with Jeff Gaspin, Chairman, NBC
Universal Television Entertainment and Angela Bromstad, President, Primetime
Entertainment, NBC & Universal Media Studios—today announced that Universal
Pictures and NBC Universal Television Entertainment have acquired the rights to produce
three films and a television series based on the seven epic novels, short stories and comic
books from Stephen King’s The Dark Tower.
Ron Howard will direct the first film and the first season of television, which will be
written by Goldsman. Goldsman will produce the film through his Weed Road Pictures
with Howard and Grazer for Imagine Entertainment. Howard, Grazer and Goldsman will
executive produce the television series for Universal Media Studios. Kerry Foster will
executive produce the first film for Weed Road Pictures along with Todd Hallowell and
Erica Huggins for Imagine Entertainment.
“I’ve been waiting for the right team to bring the characters and stories in these books to
film and TV viewers around the world,” said King. “Ron, Akiva, Brian along with
Universal and NBC have a deep interest and passion for the The Dark Tower series and I
know that will translate into an intriguing series of films and TV shows that respect the
origins and the characters in The Dark Tower that fans have come to love.”
The Dark Tower is Stephen King’s opus of seven bestselling novels with, to date, more than
30 million copies sold in 40 countries. The novels incorporate themes from multiple
genres including fantasy, science fiction, horror and adventure. After the series was
completed, a prequel of comic books based on one of the characters was also published.
“Building a franchise home for The Dark Tower is an exciting opportunity for this studio,
and we’re thrilled that Stephen has entrusted us to bring his beloved novels to the big
screen,” said Fogelson.
“Stephen King is a brilliant storyteller who creates imaginary worlds that resonate with the
broadest audiences across ages and demographics,” said Gaspin. “We are thrilled to
partner with our colleagues in the film division and Brian, Ron and Akiva to bring
Stephen’s vision to the largest audience possible through this innovative multi-platform
collaboration.”
Howard, Grazer and Goldsman are planning for the first film in the trilogy to be
immediately followed by a television series that will bridge the second film. After the
second film, the television series will pick up allowing viewers to explore the adventures of
the protagonist as a young man as a bridge to the third film and beyond.
“We are excited to have found partners at Universal who understand and embrace our
approach to King’s remarkable epic,” said Howard. “By using both the scope and scale of
theatrical filmmaking and the intimacy of television we hope to more comprehensively do
justice to the characters, themes and amazing sequences King has given us in The Dark
Tower novels. It might be the challenge of a lifetime but clearly a thrilling one to take on
and explore.”
“The worlds of Stephen King’s The Dark Tower series are richly detailed, inter-locking and
deeply connected,” said Goldsman. “By telling this story across media platforms and over
multiple hours—and with a view to telling it completely—we have our best chance of
translating Roland’s quest to reach The Dark Tower onto screen. We are proceeding with
tremendous excitement, fidelity to the source material and, quite frankly, no small amount
of awe at this opportunity.”
“King has created the most visually enthralling places and characters in The Dark Tower,”
said Grazer. “The synergy created across all the media divisions of our partners at NBC
Universal to tell this remarkable story is ground-breaking and invigorating. This project
will be one of the most exciting and challenging that I will have ever worked on and I am
thrilled to be a part of it.”
About Universal Pictures
Universal Pictures is a division of Universal Studios (
www.universalstudios.com). Universal Studios is part of NBC Universal. NBC Universal is one of the world’s leading
media and entertainment companies in the development, production and marketing of
entertainment, news and information to a global audience. Formed in May 2004 through
the combining of NBC and Vivendi, NBC Universal owns and operates a valuable
portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a premier motion picture company,
significant television production operations, a leading television stations group and worldrenowned
theme parks. NBC Universal is 80% owned by General Electric and 20% owned
by Vivendi.
About NBC Entertainment
NBC Entertainment develops and schedules programming for the network’s primetime,
late-night, and daytime schedules. NBC’s quality programs and balanced lineup have
earned the network critical acclaim, numerous awards, and ratings success. The network
has earned more Emmy Awards than any network in television history.
NBC’s roster of popular scripted series includes critically acclaimed comedies like Emmy
winners The Office, starring Steve Carell, and 30 Rock, starring Alec Baldwin and Tina Fey.
Veteran, award-winning dramas on NBC include Law & Order: SVU, Parenthood, Friday
Night Lights and Chuck. Unscripted series for NBC include the hits The Biggest Loser, Celebrity
Apprentice, and America's Got Talent. NBC is # 1 in late night's key ratings races with The
Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Last Call with Carson Daly, and
Saturday Night Live. NBC Daytime's Days of our Lives consistently finishes among daytime’s
top programs in the valuable women 18-34 category. For more information visit
www.nbc.com. Contacts:
Universal Pictures:
Kori Bernards (818) 777.7216/kori.bernards@nbcuni.com
NBC Television Entertainment:
Rebecca Marks (818) 489.7779/rebecca.marks@nbcuni.com
