Javier Bardem officially signs on to star in The Dark Tower

Javier Bardem (No Country For Old Men, Biutiful) has now officially signed a deal to star as Roland Deschain in the movie and TV adaptations of Stephen King’s The Dark Tower series of books. The unique and ambitious project will see King’s novels adapted into a trilogy of films, with each one being followed by a TV mini-series.

The story follows Deschain, the last living member of an order known as ‘Gunslingers’ on his quest to find the fabled Dark Tower. He journeys through a land, which shares many characteristics with the American Old West but has magical aspects too, in search of a way to save his broken, dying world.

Ron Howard (A Beautiful Mind, The Da Vinci Code) will be directing the first film, with production said to be starting in September for an expected release in May 2013. The huge franchise will then continue with the first of the TV series.