It was one of the most ambitious plans ever concocted within the realms of entertainment: a trilogy of movies surrounding two seasons of a TV show, all based on author Stephen King‘s popular book series, The Dark Tower.

The project had Ron Howard set to direct and Akiva Goldsman set to write the first movie and first season of the show—which would fill in story details and bridge the first two movies—and Oscar winner Javier Bardem attached to star in all three movies and the first season of the TV show (the second season being a prequel that would require a younger actor).

Then it all came to a screeching halt when Universal decided they didn’t want to commit to the tremendous project. Now it looks like a brand new home has been found, but will it be the massive adaptation it once was, or will it be trimmed down?

According to Deadline, Warner Brothers is now very close to reaching a deal with producers Howard, Goldsman, and Brian Grazer. At the moment the deal looks like it will at least give Howard the chance to direct the first movie in early 2013, and they can go from there with the other movies and TV series if they decide it’s worth it.

It’s been said that HBO could be the right fit for the show, and, being WB’s sister company, it makes all the sense in the world. Add to that the cinematic quality of much of HBO’s programming and it’s a match made in heaven.

Whether Bardem will still star or not is not yet known and will only depend on whether his schedule allows it or not.

In the very least, it looks like fans of King’s seven-book Dark Tower series will at least get a movie based on the first book, The Gunslinger, which is better than nothing. But considering how perfectly this seems to set up with HBO, one has to imagine we’ll see more than that.

[Source: Deadline]