Warning! Major SPOILERS for The Dark Tower Books 1-3!

The directors of Novocaine have a completed script for the Stephen King novel Eyes of the Dragon. The book was published in 1984 and was written as a fairytale for King’s daughter. While not one of the main entries in King’s Dark Tower series, it shares similarities, including names like King Roland the Good, and his advisor, the wizard Flagg, compared to Roland Deschain and Randall Flagg. Much like Roland and Flagg in The Dark Tower, their counterparts in Eyes of the Dragon are at odds as Flagg tries to bring down the royal family in the medieval fantasy.

In an interview with The Kingcast, directing duo Dan Berk and Robert Olsen reveal they have a completed script for an Eyes of the Dragon movie. The movie is inspired by the framing structure of The Princess Bride, which would have a narrator reading a copy of the book to a child. Furthering its connection with The Dark Tower, the story would be read to Jake Chambers, one of the main protagonists of King’s epic series. Jake dies in the first novel, The Gunslinger, but is later saved by Roland, creating a paradox.

This makes Jake believe he is going mad as he is both alive and ᴅᴇᴀᴅ. The Eyes of the Dragon script juxtaposes Jake’s story in New York in 1977 with one of the characters in the book, Prince Thomas. The story takes place between the second and third novels in The Dark Tower and the movie would end with Jake returning to Mid-World by finding a rose in a vacant lot, a major plot point from The Dark Tower. The directors detail the movie would have significant Easter Eggs, but would be accessible to new audiences as well.

Berk: And when we sat down to try to adapt the book, just ’cause we loved it so much, we were like, okay, well, a straightforward adaptation just doesn’t feel like it is gonna work for this because people are used to like, Game of Thrones and other traditional, just straightforward fantasy things. So what we ended up doing is like kind of Princess Brideing it or Never Ending Story it. But basically, our story, it takes place in New York City in 1977 and it is Eyes of the Dragon being read to a little boy by the name of Jake Chambers, by his nanny Greta. You’re sort of cutting in and out of this New York City brownstone.

Olsen: And so you get that little bit of Never Ending Story vibes of like, oh my God, is the evil of this book kind of like coming in and out a little bit. You know, to really nerd out, the Jake Chambers post-death in The Gunslinger, when he’s in 1977 New York and he’s being like, “why am I having these weird visions, what’s going on?”

Berk: Yeah, basically our movie takes place in between The Drawing of the Three and The Wastelands.

Olsen: In a way that is not, only if you’re the real [fans] you’re gonna notice it. The movie itself works as, this fun kind of fairytale being read to a boy story, but like for those in the know, you know, it’s got that little…

Berk: And it’s fun because it ends with him in the vacant lot seeing the rose. So it’s like the movie ends with him disappearing and you’re like, “Oh, where’d he go?” And then you’d pick up Dark Tower at movie three or whatever.

What This Means For Eyes Of The Dragon

The Script Presents An Interesting Idea

Eyes of the Dragon can be divisive for some readers. While many appreciate the novel as something unique, others feel that King strayed too far from what they were used to reading. This came during a time when King was writing hit after hit in the ’80s and even wrote Misery in part as a response to the reception to Eyes of the Dragon.

Eyes of the Dragon is intrinsically linked to The Dark Tower, but connecting Jake to the overall story cements that even further. Jake’s visions of a stoic wanderer on a journey, the Man in Black, and glimpses of the Tower fit in perfectly with the fairytale. This structure would help differentiate the story from other fantasy shows and movies, like Game of Thrones, to which audiences have become accustomed.

Our Take On The Eyes Of The Dragon Script

The Idea Elevates The Story

While The Dark Tower was made into an abysmal movie in 2017, and Eyes of the Dragon never got off the ground as a show for Hulu, the future is looking bright. Frequent King collaborator Mike Flanagan is currently working on a Dark Tower series, although this is likely still far out from releasing as he is working on multiple other projects.

Berk and Olsen were careful not to share details about the status of the movie and are uncertain if King has even read their script. But the idea of tying these two stories together is fascinating, so hopefully, it’s something that can gain some traction. Combining them not only has the added bonus of Dark Tower connections, but it also elevates King’s original story. If Novocaine is a success, I’d love to see this Eyes of the Dragon script revisited.

Source: The Kingcast

Stephen King

Discover the latest news and filmography for Stephen King, known for The Dark Tower series, The Stand, IT, The Shining, Carrie, Cujo, Misery, the Bill Hodges trilogy, and more.

Birthdate

September 21, 1947

Birthplace

Portland, Maine, USA

Notable Projects

The Shawshank Redemption, The Shining, It, The Stand, Misery, The Dark Tower, Mr. Mercedes, Carrie

Professions

Author, Screenwriter, Producer, Director, Actor