We are two and a half weeks away from the release of The Dark Tower. An adaptation of Stephen King‘s science fiction/fantasy/horror novel series, the film is meant to be the first in a franchise for Sony. Today, after months of rumors, an official running time for the film has been revealed. According to The British Board of Film Classification, the movie will run a solid 95 minutes.
That seems a bit short for the inaugural entry in a potential epic franchise. On one hand, it gives this King fan pause. After all, this already clearly is not an overly faithful adaptation of the novels. Adding a short running time on top of that makes me worry that the property will be too watered down. On the other hand, given how bloated most blockbusters are these days, perhaps a breezier, shorter running time on one could be a good thing?
If I’m being completely honest, I do not have much hope for this film as an adaptation. At this point, all I’m expecting is a somewhat entertaining sci-fi/western hybrid that contains an interesting cast and a few familiar concepts. The previews thus far at least look like it might deliver on that front. Speaking of trailers, Sony recently released a new international preview for the film. Check it out…
