Mike Flanagan still waiting on Dark Tower TV green light
Mike Flanagan is still struggling to secure a production green light for his long-awaited The Dark Tower TV series, even with Stephen King's approval of the Season 1 script. The filmmaker has called the saga his "Holy Grail," but says it remains one of the most complicated properties he has ever tried to launch.
Key Takeaways
- Mike Flanagan has King's seal of approval on the Season 1 Dark Tower script, yet production remains stalled.
- He told Entertainment Weekly the property is far more complex to green-light than anything else in his career.
- His immediate priority is the Carrie miniseries for Amazon Prime Video under a multi-year deal.
- The Dark Tower is not part of that Amazon deal, though Flanagan has signaled Prime Video could back it later.
- His stated plan calls for five seasons followed by two standalone movies.
According to reporting via Yahoo Entertainment / IGN, Flanagan's update makes clear the series is still far from a sure thing. Fans hoping for a definitive screen take after the poorly received 2017 film will have to wait.
Why is Mike Flanagan's Dark Tower series stuck?
Flanagan, known for Netflix hits such as The Haunting of Hill House, The Haunting of Bly Manor, and Midnight Mass, has chased this Stephen King fantasy saga for years. He has described The Dark Tower as his "Holy Grail" project.
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, he called it "one of the most complicated properties to get started," adding that getting the green light is "a much longer and more involved process than anything else I've ever approached in my life." King's approval of Season 1 is a major win—but not the same as a start date.
Where does Carrie fit into Flanagan's King plans?
Right now, Flanagan's focus is Carrie for Prime Video, developed under the multi-year Amazon deal he signed earlier in 2026. That adaptation is expected to arrive in fall 2026.
The Dark Tower sits outside that deal for now. Flanagan has indicated Prime Video could eventually support the tower saga, but Carrie comes first. The broader vision remains ambitious: five seasons of television, then two standalone films.
Could Insomnia be Mike Flanagan's next King move?
While Dark Tower waits, industry chatter has also floated Stephen King's 1994 novel Insomnia as a possible later Flanagan project. There is no confirmation from Flanagan or King. The book's mix of aging, sleeplessness, grief, and cosmic stakes has drawn comparisons to the emotional tone of his past King work.
Insomnia also ties into Dark Tower mythology, which is why some outlets see it as a natural companion piece if the larger saga ever moves. For readers tracking sleep, aging, and long-form storytelling culture, more coverage lives in our Longevity & Biohacking section.
After the 2017 Dark Tower movie starring Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey was widely panned, Flanagan argued, "We can't let that be the final word." Whether studios agree soon enough is still the open question.