'The Dark Tower' director just confirmed a big rumor about the movie

The impending kickoff to Comic-Con International in San Diego next week has prompted studios to unleash a flurry of updates on some of the convention’s most-anticipated movies, and that rush of news has included some additional info — and images — from the upcoming adaptation of Stephen King’s The Dark Tower.

Along with offering up a set of new images featuring stars Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey, the most recent updates also confirm a long-standing rumor about the film, as well as revealing how involved King has been in developing the project’s script.

“I took a pen and cut Roland’s dialogue to the bone,” King told Entertainment Weekly. “The less he says the better off, and why not? Idris Elba can act with his face. He’s terrific at it. He projects that sense of combined menace and security. [Roland] is the Western hero, the strong, silent type: ‘Yep,’ ‘Nope,’ and ‘Draw.'”

As for that rumor that The Dark Tower Movie would serve as a sequel of sorts to the books, continuing the story for those who read King’s saga while simultaneously telling a stand-alone story for newcomers, director Nikolaj Arcel confirmed that theory for fans.

“The hardcore fans of The Dark Tower series will know that this is actually a sequel to the books in a way,” revealed Arcel. “It has a lot of the same elements, a lot of the same characters, but it is a different journey.”

As if that wasn’t enough to whet fans’ appetites for The Dark Tower, the studio also released
(via Entertainment Weekly) some official photos of both Elba and McConaughey from the film, as well as Tom Taylor as Jake Chambers, the 15-year-old boy who could determine the fate of two worlds.

The first chapter in a multi-film saga, The Dark Tower is scheduled to hit theaters February 17, 2017.