Matthew McConaughey and Idris Elba confirmed to star in Stephen King's The Dark Tower

Matthew McConaughey and Idris Elba are confirmed to star in a blockbuster new adaptation of Stephen King's The Dark Tower. 

The casting had been long rumoured, but King has now taken to Twitter to confirm the news:

It's official: The man in black fled across the desert and the gunslinger followed. #DarkTowerMovie @McConaughey @IdrisElba

— Stephen King (@StephenKing) March 1, 2016

First published in 1982, The Dark Tower is an eight-book series and begins with The Gunslinger. It tells the story of Roland Deschain, the last gunslinger. He has been chasing after his long-time enemy "the man in black" for many years across a barren desert and the novel follows him as he journeys. 

Elba will play Deschain, while McConaughey will play the man in black. Nikolaj Arcel, director of A Royal Affair and Truth About Men, is attached to direct the movie.