Marvel Comics

With Reporting by Josh Horowitz

The day will come when moviegoers get to scale "The Dark Tower," the genre-bending epic from legendary author Stephen King — even if that day isn't coming as soon as some would like.

Speaking with MTV News on behalf of the new thriller "A Good Marriage," based on his novella of the same name, King spoke at length about what — and when — we can expect from the upcoming adaptation of "The Dark Tower."

The novel series follows gunslinger Roland Deschain's grueling quest to find the fabled Dark Tower, a place where all universes connect. Movement on the adaptation has oscillated from very fast to very slow, with Ron Howard attached to bring the story to life using a combination of feature films and TV seasons.

"I love it because it's so innovative — the idea of using the front story as theatrical tent pole movies, and using the back story of when the characters are a little bit younger as a TV thing," King said. "To be able to shoot both at the same time, and use these big sets for TV — it's a very innovative idea."

In this case, however, innovative is synonymous with tricky. Howard's ambitious "Dark Tower" plans date back more than four full years, with major studios like Universal and Warner Bros. passing on the pitch to tell Roland's story across the big and small-screens — even with Oscar-winning actor Javier Bardem attached at one point.

"He was perfect," King said of Bardem. "We were this close to green light. You know how it is in Hollywood. Things puff up like mushrooms after a rainfall — then, all at once, they're gone."

But make no mistake: "Dark Tower" isn't gone. King isn't surprised that the project has been "slow-walked," and that many fans are skeptical it'll even see the light of day — but he's patient, and he's confident, that it'll see the light of day.

"It took me 35, 36 years to write 'The Dark Tower.' I can wait [for the movie]," King said. "We've been close a couple of times. I'm content to see what happens. Sooner or later, it'll show up."