Instant Alert: Matthew McConaughey and Idris Elba are starring in an epic Stephen King sci-fi movie — here's everything we know about it

MANAGE SUBSCRIPTIONS   |   UNSUBSCRIBE   |   VIEW ONLINE   Matthew McConaughey and Idris Elba are starring in an epic Stephen King sci-fi movie — here's everything we know about it by Anjelica Oswald on Mar 2, 2016, 2:21 PM Advertisement After nearly a decade of scrapped film and TV plans, Stephen King's "The Dark Tower" series is officially hitting the big screen. In a tweet Tuesday, King confirmed that Idris Elba would be playing the gunslinger and Matthew McConaughey will portray his foe, the man in black.  King began the fantasy/sci-fi series as a senior in college and published the first novel, "The Gunsligner," in 1982.  Thirty-four years later, the series consists of eight novels and spans a number of comic books and short stories.  The series follows gunslinger Roland Deschain on his mission to save a dying world (and other realms) from the threat of the man in black, a sorcerer who often goes by other names including Walter Padick or Walter O'Dim.  Nikolaj Arcel will serve as the director for the film adaptation (for now it's just one film), which is slated for January 13, 2017.     SEE ALSO: RANKED: Every superhero TV show on right now, from best to worst Idris Elba ("Luther," "Beasts of No Nation") was cast as the gunslinger, Roland Deschain. His mystical nemesis, often referred to as "the man in black," will be portrayed by Matthew McConaughey. The movie will begin filming in South Africa in mid-April. Source: Entertainment Weekly See the rest of the story at Business Insider   Share the latest business news with your network: Email sent to:   |   Manage your email preferences   |   Unsubscribe Terms of Service   |   Privacy Policy Business Insider. 150 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10011