Stephen King’s The Dark Tower started in 1978 and the epic narrative – revolving around the antagonist Man In Black and protagonist The Gunslinger – includes novels, short stories and comic books.
Now, in the movie version, Man In Black (also known as Walter) is brought to life by actor Matthew McConaughey. In an interview transcript provided by Sony Pictures, the Oscar-winning actor says King’s books were a good reference in helping him create the character. But the 47-year-old Texan also let his imagination take over.
“There was a whimsy and a joy with which that character enjoyed the chaos and the anarchy. I like to imagine Walter as almost like an anime character, something unbelievable and not of this world.”
McConaughey said he has done a lot of “earthy dramas” and was ready to move on to fantasy. Although there had been offers, he held out until The Dark Tower. “I thought The Dark Tower was original. And I liked the idea that I could get in on a film that could be a franchise, and get in on the ground floor, where I could create a character and be his author, and be the first one in the series. I hope that’s what happens.”
The Dark Tower is currently showing in cinemas.
