If you were eagerly waiting for Mike Flanagan’s Dark Tower series, an adaptation from Stephen King's novels (which would include the tiny cowboy hat), then get ready to have some bad news: the show is still a long way off. Mike Flanagan, the creator of horror projects like Doctor Sleep and The Haunting of Hill House, continues to remind fans that The Dark Tower is big, complicated, and time-consuming.His honesty is pleasant, as it demonstrates that he is concerned about getting Roland’s world right. The plain fact of it, however, is that you are not likely to see the series anytime soon.Why Mike Flanagan says the Dark Tower series will take a long timeDirector Mike Flanagan - Source: GettyMike Flanagan is not completely overlooking The Dark Tower project; he is merely acknowledging it as an overwhelmingly complicated one. At the Motor City Comic Con, Mike Flanagan told ScreenRant that it is going to take “a long time” to complete the Dark Tower series.Since the world Stephen King created is huge, comprising eight volumes, hundreds of related tales, and various tones, Flanagan does not want to make anything seem false to the original. It translates to hours of writing, extensive world-building, and a lot of preparation.Mike Flanagan is also occupied with other works, such as Carrie, another Stephen King adaptation, which makes his schedule busier.The positive side of this is that such a slow pace is likely to result in having a richer and more faithful adaptation rather than a hastened version. The bad news? Fans will have to wait. Anticipate slow and steady growth, not early release dates.What’s actually happening now View this post on Instagram Instagram PostMike Flanagan continues to mention that the Dark Tower show has always been in development, but the actual updates are very scarce. He has been occupied with other projects by Stephen King, such as his new Carrie adaptation. That assists him to remain in sync with King’s style; however, it is taking his attention off The Dark Tower.The people in the industry claim that Flanagan has something big in mind, perhaps five seasons, possibly a few movies to complete the entire story of Dark Tower right. Such an arrangement requires a lot of writing, casting, and, above all, a large streaming service that will be happy to support it.In the meantime, the participation of Stephen King has been puzzling. Other reports made it appear that he could be a writer of the show, but that is not true. King is not writing episodes, and thus Flanagan must take up a challenging aspect of adapting the novel alone yet make King content with the direction.How fans should feelFeeling disappointed? Totally valid. Feeling hopeful? That’s fair too. It will be best to remain realistic about how much time it will take to get into The Dark Tower adaptation and remain enthusiastic about what it could become.You could also be occupied until the real shooting starts: reread the books with a new mindset, watch other Stephen King adaptations to understand how they tackled difficult stories, or watch the works and series of Mike Flanagan himself, as his mood, emphasis on character, and slow-paced tension would suit The Dark Tower very well.And, when authentic updates are eventually provided, they will be more worthwhile. A well-crafted Dark Tower series, with patience, could turn out to be an amazing television series. A rushed one would certainly prove to be disappointing. Keep the cowboy hat close, but do not plan a watch party just yet.For more such insights on The Dark Tower adaptations, keep following SoapCentral.