Since the long-awaited feature film adaptation of Stephen King’s The Dark Tower finally started filming recently, first right here in Cape Town and then in New York, we’ve seen two batches of set pics respectively looking at Idris’ Elba’s gunslinger Roland Deschain and Matthew McConaughey as his villainous counterpart Randall Flagg aka The Man in Black. And through all those pics, I’ve been keeping my eyes peeled for one particular object. The same object I’ve been desperately asking everybody I know who worked on the movie locally about as well. The object? The Horn of Eld, which as may recall was rumoured to make an appearance. Here’s a refresher for those of you who can’t remember its significance.
The seventh and final book in the Dark Tower series concluded with Roland the Gunslinger reaching the Dark Tower, facing the villainous Crimson King, climbing the tower and… realizing that this is not the first time he’s completed this quest. In fact, he’s reached the Dark Tower many times, only to be sent back to the start of his journey by Gan, the godlike being that uses the tower as his physical form. And then Roland is shot backwards in time, back to the start of the first book in series, without any memory of having made the journey in the first place. The only difference is that he is now carrying the Horn of Eld, the family heirloom that he had abandoned at the Battle of Jericho Hill years earlier. The implication is that something has changed. This time, the journey may be different and Roland’s quest may actually reach a satisfactory conclusion.
The implication was that this movie was in fact not an adaptation, but actually a sequel picking right up where the books left off, showing this new version of Roland’s quest which will potentially actually be successful now that he has all the tools he needed on his previous attempts. And now we have some proof, courtesy of the latest round of New York set pics showing Elba’s Roland. And more specifically Roland’s gun bag which has something other than just ammo in it.
Yeah, that definitely looks like the Horn of Eld to many, and if so it confirms everything we’ve been speculating on this entire time. Not just that but it fully explains how some of the plot points we’ve been hearing, some of the casting decisions and the set pics are revealing characters and story details that are so different to the books. This is a new story now that will have similar beats, but it’s its own thing now. It’s a smart move by director Nikolaj Arcell and screenwriters Akiva Goldsman and Jeff Pinkner as it allows them to play in this much beloved world, but still do something original.
Of course this latest batch of set pics revealed more than just a horny Idris Elba (sorry, couldn’t resist) as it also showed off young actor Tom Taylor as Jake Chambers, the 11-year old boy from 1977 New York City who joins Roland on his quest after… well, I think I’ll keep back that spoiler.
You can see the rest of the pics HERE.
The Dark Tower is scheduled for release on February 17, 2017.
Last Updated: July 11, 2016
Original Heretic
July 12, 2016 at 08:07
I love this. If that IS the Horn of Eld, that means this is the next cycle. Which means they can change the story up as much as they want.
It’s dangerous, but it’s been working for Preacher.
Francois Knoetze
July 12, 2016 at 08:35
I am so excited for this. BTW dude. for those that have not read the books you should have stated Spoilers. Bec that last bit blew my mind right at the end.