The Dark Tower has been in the works for some time now, with the Idris Elba-led movie finally set for release in mid-2017. Based on the Stephen King series of novels of the same name, Elba will play Roland Deschain, a man known to long-time Dark Tower fans as The Gunslinger. Matthew McConaughey stars opposite Elba as the Man in Black; not somebody who has Deschain’s best interests at heart.

Those who have read the Dark Tower series have been promised a movie adaptation for some time now, with reports back in 2007 revealing how J. J. Abrams was attached to produce and direct. However, they were let down when – in 2010 – Abrams revealed he was no longer going to pursue a big screen release for the series. Reports then came out that Universal Pictures would be taking the reins, delivering a trilogy of movies and collection of television episodes to bridge the gap in-between movie releases - but again, things broke down and Dark Tower was put on the backburner. Fortunately, Sony Pictures Entertainment decided to step in and fast-track the project with a reworked script and new director in the form of Nikolaj Arcel, and filming started earlier this year on April 12, 2016.

Rumours have been circulating that the first official trailer for the film is set to drop at any point around Christmas, and it looks as if the film's promotional game is now being stepped up. Sony Pictures has now tweeted a brand new promo image for the movie, which you can see below:

The Dark Tower - Roland and Jake

Featuring Elba’s character alongside young actor Tom Taylor as Jake Chambers and the quote ‘May your days be long upon the Earth’, the image is all in red aside from the white writing, hinting at a violent and chaotic journey. Chambers is a complicated character who is pulled into Deschain’s world and forced to become a part of the struggle between good and evil.

The appetite for news about The Dark Tower is at an all-time high, so if this image is all we’re going to get this week there could be many sorely disappointed. While it’s nice to see two of the series’ integral characters decked out in their movie regalia, Sony Pictures are going to have to do better if they’re hoping to get tongues wagging and people talking.

With that being said, we’re only at the start of the week, so the image could be just the beginning of a series of new promotional releases that will eventually culminate with the release of the first official trailer. We certainly hope so, as The Dark Tower has the potential to be one of the bigger movie events of 2017.

Source: Sony Pictures

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