‘The Dark Tower’ Movie Updates: Rough-Cut Version of Trailer Leaked Online; Ron Howard Answers Possibility of Directing Future Films

‘The Dark Tower’ rough-cut trailer was unofficially leaked online. It reportedly featured scenes with green screens and was of grainy quality. Meanwhile, Ron Howard finally addressed the possibility of directing future films in the cinematic series since he had always been attached to the fruition of the project.

According to Entertainment Weekly, an alleged rough-cut version of the trailer for director Nikolaj Arcel’s upcoming live-action adaptation of Stephen King’s popular fantasy novels of the same name has recently been leaked online. The footage featured Idris Elba’s main protagonist Roland Deschain a.k.a. the Gunslinger in action as well as Matthew McConaughey’s evil Man in Black.

The leaked trailer’s quality was reportedly grainy with footage stamped with a timecode in one corner. It was also full of green-screen shots without the addition of visual effects. Sony Pictures and production company MRC were requested for a comment but were yet to respond.

It was previously reported that some movie footage to be presented in this year’s Entertainment Weekly PopFest. The two-day EW PopFest celebration in Los Angeles is set to take place from October 29-30, 2016.

Tom Rothman, Chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment’s Motion Picture Group, revealed that the film’s official trailer would debut in December during an interview with Collider. Rothman also teased, “[The film] manages that rare feat of being very satisfying for fans because it’s deeply loyal to the underlying material and Stephen King’s mythology, but also, I think, introduces a whole bunch of new fans.”

Meanwhile, director Ron Howard was asked about the possibility of helming future films in the series during an interview with Cinema Blend. He replied, “I'm in the role of executive producer. Nick Arcel has done a terrific job on the [first] movie. I really... I've just recently seen a first cut, so he's still hard at work on it. But it's really impressive. He's done a great job.”

Howard continued, “Stephen King is really happy with what he's read, and knows about. And we do hope to take it on into television and, you know, I love that world. I love that universe. So I can't make any commitments, but I've stayed with that project all of these years for a real reason, and I hope to be as close to it as I can be.”

Howard is set to produce the upcoming film together with Akiva Goldsman, Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, and Stephen King. The 62-year old filmmaker is best known for directing award-winning films such as ‘Apollo 13’, ‘A Beautiful Mind’, and ‘The Da Vinci Code’.

‘The Dark Tower’ is an upcoming adventure-horror and fantasy film directed by Nikolaj Arcel. It is produced by Media Rights Capital, Imagine Entertainment, Sony Pictures Entertainment, and Weed Road Pictures. It is distributed by Columbia Pictures in the United States.

The film, based on the series of novels of the same name authored by Stephen King, is scheduled to be released on February 17, 2017.