'The Dark Tower': First look at Idris Elba, Matthew McConaughey

LOS ANGELES, July 15 (UPI) -- The Dark Tower is giving fans a first glimpse of Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey.

The 43-year-old British actor and 46-year-old American star debut as Roland Deschain and Walter Padick, aka the Man in Black, in the July 22 issue of Entertainment Weekly.

"When we meet Roland he's a bit lost," Elba told the magazine. "He's been walking around for a long time, so he definitely feels like a man who's... coiled."

The Dark Tower is based on the Stephen King book series of the same name. The novels follow Deschain, the last of a knightly order known as "gunslingers," as he pursues the Man in Black and searches for the fabled Dark Tower.

"There's a mystical element to him," Elba added of his character. "He's about 200 years old. He's been around for a long time, and has a deep-rooted connected with the [supernatural] nature of the film."

Danish director Nikolaj Arcel will direct the adaptation, with King as producer. The movie opens in theaters Feb. 17, 2017, with potential sequels and a companion TV series to follow if the film is successful.

"I love it because it's so innovative," King previously told MTV. "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."

Arcel's movie is adapted from the first novel, The Gunslinger, but will pull material from the other seven books. The director said he focused the film around themes of sacrifice, friendship and "how we carry around our past."