Javier Bardem has officially signed on to star as Roland Deschain in Ron Howard and Brian Grazer's adaptation of Stephen King’s The Dark Tower , surprising literally nobody.
This is no normal casting news however, as the project is planned as an ambitiously huge franchise.
As well as a trilogy of films, the story will continue through three TV miniseries that are planned to follow each film.
The New York Post quotes a source as saying: “Bardem has signed on to the first movie and the miniseries, but the intention is that he will star in all three movies and each of the TV series.
"It's an enormous deal for any actor, but Bardem was always the first choice.”
The Old West-inspired fantasy epic sees "Gunslinger" Deschain on a journey to find the mythical Dark Tower, with the hope of saving civilization.
Production on the first film looks likely to start this September with Howard directing.
The first of the TV series will follow and then the franchise will continue inexorably, into the distant future, seen only by whatever alien race conquers us humans.
