Dark Tower to air on HBO, producer says

Despite its troubles, the adaptation of Stephen King's The Dark Tower book series is still standing -- on the small screen, at least.

Producer Brian Grazer told MTV News that the television portion of the project -- which, overall, is to include a TV series and three movies -- will run on HBO.

We're going to do with HBO, Grazer said. We'll do the TV with HBO, and we'll do the movie with... to be determined. We'll do it right.

After delaying production, Universal Studios dropped the project altogether in July due to budget concern. According to Grazer -- who's been working on the project with Ron Howard -- the budget has been trimmed substantially, and he remains confident that the movies will emerge from a new studio with its integrity intact.

We're going to do that movie. We've lost $45 million out of the budget, Grazer said. When people say no to you enough, then you have to lose money, which we've done without harming the scope of the film.

The producer also remains confident that Javier Bardem, who was attached to star in the movies prior to Universal dropping them, is still up for playing gunslinger Roland Deschain.

HBO did not respond for comments.