Much-awaited Stephen King adaptation The Dark Tower will involve a television series exploring the lead-up to the film's events.

The film's director Nikolaj Arcel has been involved in the creation of the series.

"I was part of writing the pilot, like the first season ideas and the pilot and the second episode. It's gonna be awesome," the filmmaker told IndieWire.

Arcel said "We're going back in the past. It's very, very closely adhering to King's fourth novel Wizard and Glass and parts of The Gunslinger novel.

"That was exciting to be even more like, 'Okay, now we're going to be able to even lift lines directly, or like [write] characters exactly as they are'. Which, as a fan, was exciting in a different way."

Idris Elba has agreed to repeat his role as The Gunslinger a.k.a Roland Deschain in the spin-off show. Tom Taylor is also expected to return to play Jake Chambers.

Meawhile, the film is set to be released in Irish cinemas on August 18.