This morning has brought us the glorious gift of Sony's The Dark Tower trailer, from which we've pulled a selection of almost 50 images to show off the goods. Now I get into the really fun part of breaking this whole thing down. That means talking about all aspects of Idris Elba's Roland Deschain, a.k.a. the Gunslinger, from his look, to his gunslinging skills, to his badass stare. It also means taking apart the movie's version of the Man in Black, as brought to life by Matthew McConaughey. And it includes a discussion of Tom Taylor's young and fearless Jake Chambers, who acts to ground the audience in Stephen King's wild, other-worldly story.

Speaking of other worlds, this trailer breakdown will also dive into Mid-World, the inhabitants that live there, and the history that has unfolded in the world that has moved on, so some story spoilers will undoubtedly be touched upon. But for superfans of King's books, this should be a fun ride. And I'm sure to miss something here or there, so feel free to share your own discoveries in the comments below!

Also starring Katheryn Winnick, José Zúñiga, and Dennis Haysbert, The Dark Tower opens August 4th.

Here’s the plot synopsis for The Dark Tower:

Jake Chambers (Tom Taylor) is a young 11-year-old adventure seeker who discovers clues about another dimension called Mid-World. Upon following the mystery, he is spirited away to Mid-World where he encounters the lone frontiersman knight Roland Deschain (Idris Elba), who is on a quest to reach the ‘Dark Tower’ that resides in End-World and reach the nexus point between time and space that he hopes will save Mid-World from extinction. But with various monsters and a vicious sorcerer named Walter Padick (Matthew McConaughey) hot on their trail, the unlikely duo find that their quest may be difficult to complete.

Let's get into it!

Idris Elba as the Gunslinger

Now's as good a time as any to comment on the casting of Elba as Roland Deschain. The endlessly charming and charismatic actor rarely gets a chance to play a warm and friendly character; see Luther, The Wire, and the Thor movies. Perhaps it's because he plays a hard-nosed, no-nonsense badass so well. That's what's needed to play Roland, a sort of emotionally detached tragic hero who keeps friends and allies at arm's length in a misguided attempt to protect them (and himself) while also allowing destiny to play out in service to the Beam. Elba's got this.

Here's what Elba had to say about King's writing and Roland's arc (via Complex):

Roland Deschain in particular is a character that has a massive, massive journey throughout the book series. Whether you have read the books or not, you are going into a rich, well-thought-out world, where you will meet incredible characters.

Despite his hard-ass, stoic nature, Roland does eventually take on a sort of father-figure role for the world-hopping Jake Chambers. This is an interesting way to introduce viewers to the characters of The Dark Tower since King's story starts off with Roland on his solo mission to hunt down the Man in Black and find the tower. The trailer teased the relationship that will grow between Roland and Jake throughout the film, though it remains to be seen just what their fate is in this particular turn of the wheel.

It should go without saying that Roland brings a particular set of gunslinging skills to The Dark Tower. These come from a lifetime of practice with guns that are basically an extension of Roland's own body, mind, and heart, and play a huge part in the story's mythology. Thankfully, this trailer teases some of the more fun aspects of Roland's gunplay, like speed-reloading and trick-reloading that defies physics but is a hoot to watch.

Here's what Elba told Complex about his gun training:

Interestingly enough at the time I was training to be a professional K1 fighter so was locked into a hard training schedule and gun training around that. Turned out naturally I have a good aim! I used a variety of guns to practice with in rehearsals, but actually in production, we only used one type of gun.

It looks like we'll get to see Roland use some of those gun skills not just on the Man in Black, but rather on what I presume are the henchmen of New York crime boss Enrico Balazar and his right-hand man, Jack Andolini. Or these could just be some faceless villains set upon Roland by the Man in Black. The conflict with the crime syndicate features Roland and Eddie Dean, who is not expected to appear in The Dark Tower, so maybe this scene is just a nod to that moment in "The Drawing of the Three."

It would have been a massive misstep not to include the Gunslinger's Creed or Litany, or at least a nod to it, in this first trailer. Luckily, Elba gets to deliver the following lines made famous by King:

I do not aim with my hand; He who aims with his hand has forgotten the face of his father. I aim with my eye.

 

I do not shoot with my hand; He who shoots with his hand has forgotten the face of his father. I shoot with my mind.

 

I do not kill with my gun; He who kills with his gun has forgotten the face of his father. I kill with my heart.

As is the way of things in Roland's world,  "forgetting the face of your father" is a ritualized saying that basically means, "I have shamed myself," or, "I have strayed from the path." Literally, we see the face of Roland's father, Steven Deschain, a.k.a. Roland the Elder, as played by Dennis Haysbert.

What's interesting about this reveal--beyond the fantastic casting decision--is that we'll likely get to see a flashback of some sort that reveals a bit of Roland's past. Initially, we thought that was only going to be glimpsed in the TV series follow-up, so perhaps this is setting up more story to come. I'm all for it, though I'm assuming this scene is here simply to humanize Roland a bit more.

Matthew McConaughey as the Man in Black

A man of many names, The Man in Black is Roland's nemesis and a very, very complex character in the mythology of The Dark Tower and even in King's seemingly unrelated stories. A truly evil sorcerer and ambassador of the Crimson King, the history of the Man in Black and the Gunslinger goes back a long, long way. The Dark Tower movie finds us in the middle of their feud.

Here's how McConaughey described his villainous, shapeshifting, portal-hopping character (via Fandango):

“He kills in all kinds of ways. Sometimes it’s out of boredom; sometimes it’s by exposing hypocrisies. A lot of his powers have to do with mind control. He can put a thought in someone’s head and they can impose themselves. He has a great line in the trailer – “Death always wins.” The deck is stacked against humanity and he takes delight in it.”

The quote about the deck being stacked against humanity is a curious one, especially since the books feature a scene between Roland and the Man in Black in which the villain uses a unique deck of tarot cards to foretell Roland's future. I'm not sure how this will play out in the movie (if at all) since the trailer teases a more traditional showdown between the two. But as McConaughey confirms, not every moment we see of the Man in Black, a.k.a. Walter Padick, should be taken literally:

"[Sometimes] Walter is literally there, and other times I'm just f**kin' with him, shapeshifting, getting into his mind."

So is Walter actually here in New York City as we know it? Maybe, maybe not, but he certainly plays an important role in our world in the books. How much of that story will crossover with the movie remains to be seen; McConaughey described the film as "an amalgamation of quite a few different books. If you know the books you’ll recognize where we put different things together. This is the first chapter in a series of stories that if people show up, we have a lot more to tell."

And McConaughey wants to continue telling it, both on film:

"Others have passed by my desk -- others that were franchises that were off the ground [already]. [I was being] offered roles in sequels, but for me I felt like I was looking for the right one. [With The Dark Tower] I can get in on the ground floor; I can have ownership and authorship and introduce a possible franchise. [For me], that’s more attractive than being on something that's already successful.

And, possibly, the TV series:

Yes, I am somewhat involved, but to what extent we’re still figuring that out.

The Dark Tower certainly sets up McConaughey's character to have a much deeper story in the long run, as teased by this quick image of Walter paying homage to his master, the Crimson King. If the Crimson King is the driving force behind the destruction of order in the known universe--as symbolized and quite literally held together by the Dark Tower itself--Walter is his tool and weapon used to achieve this throughout the known worlds.

However, here's what Elba told Complex when asked what his favorite new word or phrase from The Dark Tower was:

Crimson King—because I am going to take him down.

Shots fired.

The above image moved by relatively quickly in the trailer and, unless you were looking for it, you may have missed the colored sphere, presumably in his hand. I'm guessing this is part of the Wizard's Rainbow, a collection of 13 glass balls created by Maerlyn to sow chaos in the world. There are a lot of connotations and powers connected to each sphere, including demons, a curse that saps the wielder's life, an ability to peer into other worlds and times, and physical abilities like levitation and telepathy. While 12 of the colored orbs were tied to the Twelve Guardians of the Beam, the 13th--the Black Thirteen glass seen above--represents the Dark Tower itself. It also acts as a communication device between the Man in Black and the Crimson King. There's a lot of mythology packed into this solitary image.

Here's where the movie takes a few more liberties with the Man in Black's powers and abilities. This showdown looks to be a rather Hollywood-version of the more mental game of cat and mouse that Roland and his nemesis carry out in the book. That's fine; moviegoing audiences need a little spectacle thrown in, especially in a summer blockbuster. I just hope some of the quieter moments of King's tale make it to the screen.

Tom Taylor as Jake Chambers

Jake Chambers plays a huge part in the story of The Dark Tower, and in the more personal story of Roland himself. However, the early books in the series focus on the Gunslinger as the protagonist while this trailer makes it seem like audiences will come to see the many worlds of The Dark Tower through the eyes and experiences of Jake, at least for starters. That's an interesting route to take and it's certainly an easier learning curve than dropping viewers into a vast desert wasteland populated only by the occasional hermit's hut and a solitary door.

It falls very short of describing Jake's journey to say that he suffers some severe mental trauma throughout the story, but the trailer offers a glimpse of at least some of that pain. Jake's visions of the Gunslinger and the Man in Black are analyzed by Dr. Hotchkiss (José Zúñiga) in the trailer--a scene in which a Beam Quake (or attack on the Dark Tower) plays out, not to be confused with King's penchant for gifting creepy kids with telekinetic powers--but superfans are surely doing an analysis of their own.

There's a lot to unpack in that artwork and I'm sure I didn't catch all the references. The obvious ones are there--The Gunslinger, the Man in Black, the Dark Tower, possibly the Crimson King himself--but there are also other structures, one of which may be the Algul Siento, also called Blue Heaven and the Devar-Toi. A deep cut here, but this site was occupied by telepaths called Breakers who are tasked with breaking the Beams holding up the Dark Tower, on behalf of the Crimson King. Don't expect to see the famous battle that takes place here just yet.

There are also a variety of humanoids and creatures drawn in these vision scribblings, some of which might be Slow Mutants, or some other Mid-World abomination. More on them later. There are also other drawings (ahem) that might refer to other members of Roland's new ka-tet, or "group of people summoned by ka, or destiny." Time will tell.

One aspect I'm thrilled to see make it into The Dark Tower is the House on Dutch Hill, a foreboding domicile that acts as a hidden (and guarded) doorway into Mid-World. You can clearly see the technology at work behind the otherwise unassuming structure of the house, now laid bare thanks to holes in the walls. The sci-fi styled portal is a departure from the old-fashioned doors from the books, but it works for a moviegoing audience.

This looks to be Jake's first trip to the parallel world, though in the books, he first ventures here by way of a much more violent passing. That's not to say that his battle with the demon guarding the door won't be a tough one...

It's difficult to tell exactly what's going on in this sequence, but essentially, the house itself is attacking Jake as he is trying to enter the door to Mid-World. We can guess that he makes it, thanks to Jake's adventures alongside Roland in the dying world, but whether or not he defeats the demon known as the Plaster Man on his own remains to be seen.

I love this shot, just because it so simply establishes that Jake is not in Kansas New York City or even on Earth anymore.

This shot of Jake and Roland sharing a meal lit by oil lamps is part tongue-in-cheek commentary on the prevalence of guns in America and part tease of a fantastic sequence that features Roland venturing into our world for the first time and being amazed at the plenty that awaits him.

I had to include this shot of Jake and his mom, Laurie (sometimes Megan) Chambers (Katheryn Winnick). In the books, Jake's mom is ... not the best person, having a tendency to sleep around and have affairs. Her lullabies also have a habit of terrifying Jake and worsening his already horrific nightmares. It's unclear just what sort of character Winnick will play in the film or how much she'll be featured.

It's clear that, though Jake appears to be in peril throughout much of the film, he's enjoying his adventure. That's keeping in spirit with the books, though a harrowing journey awaits the young traveler. In this scene, a bandit (of some sort) attempts to kidnap Jake, only to be put down by a remarkable shot by Roland, saving him in the nick of time. Roland, it seems, will do whatever he can to protect young Jake Chambers ...

The Doors to Mid-World

Now that we've entered the door to Mid-World, the world of Roland Deschain that "has moved on." Though clearly a beautiful landscape, we also see that Mid-World was once a civilized world of technology and cityscapes, but has long since fallen into decay. That idea is at the center of The Dark Tower's overarching story and it's on display in visual form here.

We see neither the Mohaine Desert nor the Western Sea that frames Roland's journey in early tomes, but perhaps some of these shots are of the Cyclopean Mountains that Roland and Jake traverse in their quest for the Man in Black. If that's the case, that is a big tease for certain plot points that might be in store for our heroes.

In addition to the decrepit appearance of Mid-World, we get a number of shots of the Dark Tower itself, and the Beams that support it, coming under attack or straight-up being destroyed. I'm assuming that these are visions of some sort, either on Jake's part or Roland's, since the destruction of the Dark Tower would pretty much be the end of everything. Still some very cool visual shots, though.

In some shots that are difficult to make out, we can see Jake Chambers facing down an amorphous red mist in the middle of the forest, possibly the Willow Jungle. I'm not sure if this is the demon Oracle that Roland (ahem) deals with in order to get some answers, but it would be best if he stepped in to save Jake here, regardless. There's also the possibility that this is the movie's take on a "thinny" or thin place between worlds, but I'm going with the demon hypothesis.

Other critters that are hard to make out follow below. They certainly look vicious, though these might just be two shots of the same monster. Is this supposed to be the Guardian Shardik? I kind of hope not ...

There are also humanoid antagonists in The Dark Tower, though their identity has yet to be confirmed. If Roland and Jake are indeed moving through the Cyclopean Mountains, it'd make sense to see them come into conflict with the Slow Mutants who live in the subterranean mine below. However, these violent folks are probably either the Can-Toi, a.k.a. Low Men, or the Taheen. Either way, they're pretty creepy and should provide lots of moving targets for Roland.

Stephen King's Shared Universe

Here's where we touch on the few instances of King story crossovers as they appear in the trailer for The Dark Tower:

This quick shot from Dr. Hotchkiss' office reveals a stack of psychology books (and others) next to a curious little statue (if it has symbolic meaning, it eludes me), but the King Easter egg is this framed photograph of the Timberline Lodge, better known as the Overlook Hotel from The Shining.

Another quick shot reveals Jake walking through an abandoned carnival (creepy) that advertises Pennywise the Clown (creepier) and his signature balloons (creepiest), infamous nods to It.

Also, the previously mentioned House on Dutch Hill is also related to the House on Neibolt Street featured in It, as both creepy structures have similarly creepy wallpaper.

As McConaughey told Fandango, his character, who appears in quite a few iterations across King's many stories, might just crossover into other adaptations:

Yes, that is very much still something we’re open to discussing — [the] great thing about Walter is he shows up in these other different things. He’s everywhere. If this is a success, the opportunities are endless. I’d love to explore that.

So keep an eye out for more McConaughey as he takes over the King Shared Cinematic Universe!

I'm sure I missed a few tidbits from King's many stories, so if you know any, feel free to share them in the comments!