Movies
‘The Dark Tower’ Has Locked Down Jake Chambers
Things are moving at locomotive pace for the film adaptation of Stephen King’s The Dark Tower (barring unsubstantiated rumors) with both Matthew McConaughey and Idris Elba having confirmed roles as “The Man in Black” and Roland, respectively. Abbey Lee (Mad Max: Fury Road) also has a confirmed role, although it’s not clear what it is.
Now there are rumblings over at Variety that Tom Taylor, a newcomer to the scene, has been cast as Jake Chambers, the spiritual son of Roland.
The Dark Tower will be released on February 17th, 2017 and is being directed by Nikolaj Arcel based on a script from Akiva Goldsman and Jeff Pinkner.
Movies
Netflix’s ‘Gears of War’ Adaptation Will Tell Origins of Delta Squad
The first plot details have finally arrived for Netflix’s upcoming feature adaptation of Gears of War, and it sounds like it’s venturing into prequel territory.
Matt Booty, Xbox’s executive vice president and chief content officer, provided EW with more insight into the feature adaptation while speaking on the state of Xbox at its 25th anniversary, revealing that it’s set before the video games.
Netflix’s Gears of War will tell “the origin story of Delta Squad, a ragtag crew of soldiers who wage a desperate war for survival against the Locust, a race of subterranean creatures set on destroying humanity,” according to the official description.
“The game really is about the bonds between teams. It’s about brotherhood at its core,” Booty told EW. “When you go visit the studio, their tagline is ‘Never Fight Alone.’ So when you think about that for a dramatic narrative, it’s a pretty good starting point.”
Jon Spaihts (Prometheus, Doctor Strange, Dune) pens the new adaptation, with David Leitch (Deadpool 2, Bullet Train) set to direct.
The 2006 game is set “on a planet on the brink of societal collapse when a monstrous threat in the form of underground creatures known as the Locust take humanity to the verge of extinction. Delta Squad, a ragtag fireteam led by disgraced sergeant Marcus Fenix, is now charged with leading humanity’s last stand.”
The game’s popularity launched a franchise that includes several spin-off and sequel games, comic books, and novels. Gears of War: E-Day, the sixth game in the main series, will arrive as an Xbox console exclusive on October 6.
Netflix acquired Gears rights back in November 2022 with grand plans for the IP; the streamer hopes to also launch an animated series.