Matthew McConaughey and Idris Elba Confirmed for 'The Dark Tower'

It's official - The Dark Tower movie is being made starring Idris Elba confirmed as the gunslinger and Matthew McConaughey as the mystical foe known as the man in black. The news was officially revealed via Entertainment Weekly, and tweeted out by author Stephen King, who wrote the book series that this is based on. After years and years of rumors we finally have confirmed casting news for this highly-anticipated adaptation. Over the years names included Javier Bardem & Viggo Mortensen, Christian Bale, even Aaron Paul for a role. But those were all connected to earlier versions of this project, which is now in the works with producers Akiva Goldsman, Ron Howard, Brian Grazer, and Erica Huggins of Imagine Entertainment.

Here's the tweet from author Stephen King confirming the casting - plus McConaughey & Elba having fun:

It's official: The man in black fled across the desert and the gunslinger followed. #DarkTowerMovie @McConaughey @IdrisElba

— Stephen King (@StephenKing) March 1, 2016

.@McConaughey you have one new follower. #DarkTowerMovie https://t.co/5fSKF02C7I

— Idris Elba (@idriselba) March 1, 2016

.@idriselba come and get me, I look forward to it. #DarkTowerMovie https://t.co/4gxqm2GPo3

— Matthew McConaughey (@McConaughey) March 1, 2016

The Dark Tower movie is being directed by Danish filmmaker Nikolaj Arcel, of A Royal Affair and Truth About Men previously; from a screenplay adapted by Akiva Goldsman and Jeff Pinkner. "What Stephen King does best is mixing the everyday, or what you might call the mundane, with the fantastical," Arcel tells EW. "In my view, [The Dark Tower] novels are a mix between sci-fi and fantasy and modern times. That exact mix is so Stephen King." King says the movie will open with the first line from the first book. "It should start that way… I’ve been pretty insistent about that." As for Elba: "I had to go to Idris and tell him my vision for the entire journey with Roland and the ka-tet… He had a unique vision for who Roland would be." The film is now in pre-production with filming starting soon in the next few months. Expect more casting news soon.