No, your eyes aren't deceiving you. It's actually, really happening this time.

The much-delayed and long-awaited film adaptation of Stephen King's famous book series The Dark Tower has finally begun shooting, and the first photos of Idris Elba as The Gunslinger have been unveiled.

Elba is starring as Roland Deschain, aka the gunslinger, opposite Matthew McConaughey, playing his mystical foe: Randall Flagg - The Man in Black.

Nikolaj Arcel is directing, with Tom Taylor, Jackie Earle Haley, Fran Kranz, Abbey Lee Kershaw, Michael Barbieri and Claudia Kim also confirmed to star. Rumours that Breaking Bad's Aaron Paul would be given the role of Eddie Dean have, sadly, so far proved unfounded.

Previous adaptations helmed by JJ Abrams and Ron Howard failed to get off the ground, but it looks like this one is definitely going to go the distance.

The Dark Tower will be in cinemas 17 February 2017

(Images: Noble/Draper)