Matthew McConaughey wanted for villain part in Stephen King’s ‘The Dark Tower’

Sony is reportedly hoping to get Oscar winner Matthew McConaughey for The Dark Tower, an ambitious adaptation of the Stephen King series.

Sources told Variety that McConaughey has already received the script, but hasn’t made a decision yet. The Hollywood Reporter claims that McConaughey already met with director Nikolaj Arcel, but has yet to start negotiations.

Sony and Media Rights Capital want McConaughey to play the villain, Walter Padick, also known as The Man in Black.

The Dark Tower has been at the works for a decade and this is the closest it has ever gotten to actually being made. The project moved to Sony in April, and the hope is that the film will launch a franchise that will even include a companion TV series. Javier Bardem was attached in 2011, but has long since moved on.

Arcel, who co-wrote the Swedish version of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and directed the Oscar-nominated A Royal Affair, was picked to direct in June. Sony has scheduled a Jan. 13, 2017 release, which is a bit strange for a movie they hope will launch a franchise.

McConaughey was last seen in Interstellar. He did star in Gus Van Sant’s Sea of Trees, which was screened at Cannes. He just finished filming Stephen Gaghan’s Gold.