There is a new Dark Tower television series coming based on the novel series by Stephen King. Sam Strike has signed on to portray the lead character. Here is everything you need to know about Strike and the Amazon Prime television series.
This will have nothing to do with the movie that came out starring Idris Elba as Roland and Matthew McConaughey as the Man in Black. However, it does have a connection to that movie behind-the-scenes.
Who is Sam Strike from The Dark Tower?
Sam Strike was cast to play Roland in The Dark Tower for Amazon Prime. This is a major change from the movie, where Idris Elba portrayed the Gunslinger.
While the movie and TV series were supposed to be interconnected and Elba would bookend the series about his younger self, that has changed and the two now have no on-screen connection.
Strike will portray a young Roland, reliving the adventures from his youth.
Sam Strike got his start in the U.K. where he starred in the soap EastEnders. He portrayed Johnny Carter as a regular in the series for 122 episodes.
He came to America and got some quality roles, starting with playing the murderous lead character in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre prequel Leatherface.
He used that to get some guest star roles in Timeless and Mindhunter before hitting it big with one of the lead roles in Nightflyers as Thale. That show is based on stories by George R.R. Martin (Game of Thrones) and airs on Syfy.
— Sam Strike (@SamStrike) March 21, 2019
What is the new Dark Tower series about?
The Dark Tower on Amazon Prime is supposed to be more loyal to the Stephen King books than the movie was.
It will tell the story of Roland as a younger man with his friends Cuthbert and Alain, as well as the woman he loves, Susan Delgado. Also involved is the Man in Black, who McConaughey portrayed in the movie.
In the TV show, he is going by the assumed named Marten Broadcloak, and Jasper Pääkkönen (BlacKkKlansman) signed on for that role.
Glen Mazzara (The Walking Dead) will serve as showrunner.