Frequent Stephen King Collaborator Reveals Why He Turned Down The Icon’s Infamous Dark Fantasy

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A frequent collaborator with Stephen King recently shared that he declined the chance to adapt one of the author’s most requested stories. King’s work has been adapted into more films and TV shows than almost any other writer – in 2025 alone, there were six major releases, including adaptations of stories like The Monkey, The Long Walk, Life of Chuck, The Running Man, Welcome to Derry, and The Institute. Despite this, there’s one particular King story fans desperately want to see adapted again, but they disliked the previous movie version.

You won’t believe this, but Frank Darabont – who worked with Stephen King on The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile – was actually asked to direct The Dark Tower movie! I read an interview with him on IndieWire, and he said he turned it down. Apparently, Stephen King himself called him and asked if he’d be interested, and Darabont just didn’t feel it was the right project for him at the time.

Frank Darabont Rejects Chance to Direct The Dark Tower

For the past decade, Frank Darabont has largely stepped away from directing, but he made an exception for the final season of Stranger Things, agreeing to direct two episodes. He explained he’d only return to directing for a project he truly loved, which is why he took on this opportunity. While he was at it, Darabont also clarified why he never directed The Dark Tower.

There’s a story going around that Stephen King didn’t want Frank Darabont to direct The Dark Tower, but Darabont says it’s the other way around. He explained that King actually approached him multiple times about the project, and on this occasion, asked if he’d be interested in directing it. Darabont declined, though, because he had strong reservations about taking on the adaptation.

Darabont said he was deeply honored by the offer, but also hesitant. He felt the story was very internal and complex, potentially taking a decade to adapt successfully. Given the difficulty of the project and his own exhaustion, he ultimately decided against it.

Darabont explained that he told Stephen King he appreciated the offer, but ultimately declined it. They spoke again a couple of years later, and Darabont inquired about the progress of The Dark Tower. King mentioned someone else was working on it now, which Darabont suspects is why King later thought he’d turned the offer down.

Fran Darabont Remains One Of Stephen King’s Best Collaborators

Before he became a famous director, Frank Darabont began his career working with Stephen King. In 1979, he became one of the first filmmakers to create a “Dollar Baby” film – a low-budget adaptation King allows for a small fee – following Jeff Schiro’s adaptation of The Boogeyman. Darabont’s short film, The Woman in the Room, impressed King so much that King offered him the chance to direct Rita Hayworth and The Shawshank Redemption. Darabont successfully secured funding for the project, which is now considered one of the greatest films based on a Stephen King story.

Stephen King approached Frank Darabont about adapting The Green Mile even before the story was published as a six-part book series. Darabont agreed, and the resulting film was critically acclaimed and received Oscar nominations. Darabont later adapted another King novel, The Mist, and made a significant change to the ending. King was so impressed with the film’s dark conclusion that he praised it, noting that each generation needs a film with a similarly bleak ending.

As a huge fan of Stephen King adaptations, I’m really excited about the news that Mike Flanagan is potentially tackling The Dark Tower for TV. He’s someone who clearly gets King – he did a fantastic job with Doctor Sleep and Gerald’s Game, and even his non-King work like The Haunting of Hill House and Midnight Mass is brilliantly atmospheric. Plus, he’s already working on a Carrie series, so he’s clearly diving deep into King’s universe, which gives me a lot of hope for how he’d approach The Dark Tower.

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2025-12-22 02:41