Stay Connected
Atlanta Black Star/Culture
CultureEditor's PicksEntertainment

Idris Elba Lands Major Role in Stephen King’s ‘Dark Tower’ Franchise, Reactions Vary

Posted byBy Ricky Riley | Published on: CommentsComments (1)

idris-elba-the-dark-tower-01-600x350

Actors Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey have been cast as the two leads in the upcoming fantasy franchise, The Dark Tower.

The book series consists of eight books that stretch across Stephen King’s entire oeuvre and incorporates various genres, such as western, fantasy, sci-fi and dimension-hopping.

The story focuses on the main character, the last gunslinger, Roland Deschain. He is on a journey to a mysterious tower that acts as the center of the universe, while a man from his foggy past chases him across a barren landscape.

The film has been in development limbo for five years or more. (There were rumors that Ron Howard and Guillermo del Toro might direct, but those possible hires fell through.) At the moment, the film only has its two main leads.

The news broke from King himself via Twitter.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, “His reveal came in a familiar form for fans of the series, which launched with 1982’s The Dark Tower; the tweet quoted the first line of that first book, referencing the novel’s antagonist Randall Flagg (the man in black) and hero, Roland Deschain, the gunslinger in question.”

Fans of the series noted that this particular production would be almost impossible to complete because of the size and scope of the universe. Others noted that Elba’s race would be a problem on Twitter.

https://twitter.com/RazorCrusade/status/704721317791035393

However, Facebook users were different.

tumblr_inline_o3dae8yTjp1rikxih_500tumblr_inline_o3daig2kTf1rikxih_500tumblr_inline_o3dagzkDOO1rikxih_500tumblr_inline_o3dag5dbR81rikxih_500tumblr_inline_o3daf7vnJ61rikxih_500

In fall of 2015, Elba was the victim of racist vitriol on social media because there were rumors of him becoming the next James Bond after Daniel Craig. According to fans, Bond is “supposed” to be white. The irony is that real Black people — like Michael Jackson for example — are routinely cast as white even though their Black heritage is documented. The fact that a white fictional character is cast as a POC upsets fans even when the author or creator supports the decision.

tumblr_inline_o3dakm8mOO1rikxih_500

Some fans — well before the casting news — already had issues:

The Dark Tower is scheduled for release January 2017.

Democracy needs journalism it can trust.

This election season, the stakes are higher than usual — and so is the pressure on newsrooms to soften their coverage, stay quiet, or just disappear. Independent reporting, the kind that answers to readers instead of advertisers or political pressure, matters more in a moment like this, not less.

For over 14 years, Atlanta Black Star has stayed independent and reader-funded. We have no corporate owner and no shareholders telling us what to cover or how to cover it. That independence is also our biggest vulnerability: nothing protects it except readers choosing to fund it directly.

Newspaper ad revenue has fallen more than 80% since 2005, and local newsrooms are closing at a rate of roughly two a week nationwide. When outlets go under in a moment like this, it's rarely the independent, reader-funded ones that get to stick around.

We know a request for support isn't why you came here. But without readers choosing to fund this work directly, the depth of reporting we can do at home and abroad shrinks along with everyone else's. If you're not in a position to give, that doesn't change how much we value you as a reader.

If you are able to, a recurring contribution does more for us than a single one-time gift, because it lets us plan the next investigation instead of just the next invoice. It takes about 30 seconds, no long form, no account. Thank you for continuing to support independent journalism and freedom of the press.

Give once Give monthly Support another way

Related Stories

Back to top