For a big budget film, a January release date is usually a vote of no confidence by the movie studios. The first month of the year has historically been a dumping ground for films to quietly die, and until recently, it was also the month that Sony had selected for the upcoming adaptation of Stephen King’s The Dark Tower.

However, a new report originating from Deadline has Sony shifting The Dark Tower to a new release date on February 17, 2017. In 2017, February 17 falls just before Presidents Day weekend, a slot that Deadpool and Kingsman have both used as launching points on their way to becoming blockbusters. Nerdist has reached out to Sony for independent confirmation but at time of publication, has not received a response.

The Dark Tower took a major step forward earlier this week when King himself announced that Idris Elba had signed on to play the lead character, Roland Deschain, with Matthew McConaughey as his nemesis, the Man in Black. Mad Max: Fury Road actress Abbey Lee is also slated to star in the film as Tirana, though that has not been confirmed.

In King’s novel series, Roland is a Gunslinger attempting to travel across a wasteland to find the legendary Dark Tower while the Man in Black (who also goes by Walter Padick and Walter O’Dim) opposes him. King has indicated that the film will take place in “our day, in the modern world,” and begin in the middle of the story as opposed to a straight adaptation of the entire saga.

Even though The Dark Tower finally has its leads in place and a release date, there’s still a lot to be done in order to make its premiere next February. Director Nikolaj Arcel is expected to have cameras rolling for the film in April.

Are you happy to hear that The Dark Tower has escaped the January wasteland? Follow the man in black and leave a comment below!

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HT: Deadline

Image Credit: Donald M. Grant, Publisher, Inc.