Peter Kramer / AP Photo
Get ready for some heavy doses of Stephen King: Universal Studios and NBC Universal have signed a deal to turn the author's The Dark Tower—a gigantic novel series—into both a feature-film trilogy and network TV series. Ron Howard will direct the first film as well as the first season of the TV series, which will start shortly after the first film is released. His Imagine Entertainment partner, Brian Grazer, will produce and Akiva Goldsman will write both the first season and the movie. Howard and Goldman said a release of this magnitude had never been attempted before, and Howard said he was inspired by Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy to give it a shot. The Dark Tower is the story of the last living member of a knightly order of gunslingers who must find the Dark Tower to save humanity.