Only days ago, director J.J. Abrams said that he "will not be directing" Mission: Impossible IV, though he is still teaming with Tom Cruise in producing the movie. Now, Abrams has also pulled the plug on helming an adaptation of Stephen King's "magnum opus" novel series, The Dark Tower, about a gunslinging knight on a quest for the nexus of the universe.
Abrams had planned to develop the picture with fellow Lost co-creator Damon Lindelof after the two purchased the rights from King for $19. Abrams told MTV News:
The Dark Tower thing is tricky. It's such an important piece of writing. The truth is that Damon and I are not looking at that right now.
Beyond hinting at The Dark Tower being a difficult property to adapt, which is an understatement, Abrams did not give a specific reason for the decision. It's likely that he will simply be too busy working on the sequel to his highly successful revamp of the Star Trek franchise — and the seven other movies he is said to have in development — to work on such a massive undertaking.