Howard, Grazer to adapt 'Dark Tower' books

LOS ANGELES, April 30 (UPI) -- Hollywood director Ron Howard, producer Brian Grazer and screenwriter Akiva Goldsman will try to bring Stephen King's "The Dark Tower" novels to the big screen.

The Hollywood Reporter said the rights to the seven-book fantasy Western series have reverted back to author King after J.J. Abrams' Bad Robot production company held them briefly and couldn't figure out how to adapt them.

Howard, Grazer and Goldsman are in talks to start the series as a film that could then lead into a television drama, the entertainment industry trade newspaper said.

The trio has previously worked on the movies "A Beautiful Mind," "Cinderella Man," "The Da Vinci Code" and "Angels & Demons."