It took forever for someone to finally get around to making a film adaptation of Stephen King’s epic book series, “The Dark Tower.” Originally the film was set for release in February, but technical problems caused delays. While there was a leaked draft trailer doing the rounds a while back, giving people a teaser of what was to come, fans were waiting impatiently to see the official trailer for the film.

Many fans of the book series want to know if Idris Elba is up to the task of playing their hero in the film. It certainly looks like he is. The following is a breakdown of what happens in the trailer, which can be viewed below.

Even King himself is impressed. He took to Twitter to say the trailer is here and that "it's awesome."

The Gunslinger, ready to defend the Dark Tower

The trailer opens with the Gunslinger, Roland of Gilead (played by Idris Elba), shooting his pistols. We are introduced to the fact that for thousands of generations, the Gunslingers were knights, sworn to protect us from the coming of the dark. We then see a young boy, Jake (played by Tom Taylor) waking suddenly in bed in New York City. He is then seen seated with a therapist who asks him about his so-called visions.

Jake explains that he sees a tower, a Man in Black (played by Matthew McConaughey) and the Gunslinger.

His therapist (played by José Zúñiga) tells him these are just dreams, telling Jake they are not real. As he says this, the room starts shaking, as if in an earthquake.

Jake steps through a magic portal into Roland’s world

Flash forward and we see Jake standing in front of a building, with a picture he has drawn from his visions of that building in his hand.

Jake says there’s another world out there, he knows there is. We now see him inside the building and looking at a magical portal opening in the wall. Jake steps through into a devastated world (which has “moved on”) and is met by the Gunslinger, pointing a pistol at his head.

Roland asks Jake who he is, to which Jake replies, “It’s you,” saying “you’re a Gunslinger, right?” The Gunslinger replies that there are no Gunslingers anymore.

Why does the Man in Black want to destroy the Dark Tower?

Jake asks the Gunslinger why the Man in Black wants to destroy the Dark Tower, to which Roland replies that the tower protects both their worlds and that if it falls, hell will be unleashed. Speaking of the Man in Black, Jake asks if he is like the devil, to which Roland replies to the negative, saying he is much worse.

We then flash to the Man in Black himself, who tells Roland that he can’t stop what is coming and that death always wins.

Jake tells the Gunslinger that while his world may be gone, his isn’t and that should Roland let the Dark Tower fall, billions of people would die.

Roland asks Jake if they have bullets and guns in his world, to which Jake replies that he is going to like Earth – a lot. Both the Gunslinger and Jake then head through a portal to New York City where they meet with the ominous Man in Black. He asks Roland if he has told the boy that everyone that walks with him dies by his hand.

The Gunslinger goes on to tell Jake that he will kill the Man in Black, for both of them. We then see an action sequence between the Gunslinger and the Man in Black, where the Gunslinger points his gun, reciting words that readers of “The Dark Tower” series of books will know well.

The Gunslinger doesn’t aim with his hand, he aims with his eye. He does not shoot with his hand, he shoots with his mind. He does not kill with his gun, he kills with his heart.

Now Stephen King fans and lovers of fantasy and adventure films just have to wait until “The Dark Tower” is released in theaters on August 4.
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