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‘The Dark Tower’ Trailer Features Two Major Stephen King Easter Eggs
If you’re a huge Stephen King fan (like me!), then you undoubtedly noticed two fairly huge easter eggs in the first trailer for The Dark Tower, which finally — after months of anticipation and growing concern — debuted online early this morning. Those less familiar with the SKU (the Stephen King Universe) may have missed the pair of references to two of King’s most iconic stories, both of which have also been adapted before.
As fans of The Dark Tower know, the seven-book series has heavy meta-textual elements that tie King’s entire literary universe together. Characters from novels like Salem’s Lot and Hearts in Atlantis have significant roles in The Dark Tower, which also features several references to other King characters and stories. So it’s not exactly surprising to see a couple of easter eggs pop up in the trailer for the long-developing film adaptation of the author’s most epic work.
First up is this framed photo of the Overlook Hotel from The Shining, spotted in the office of Jake’s therapist (click for larger version):
Moments later, another scene shows Jake coming across what appears to be a dilapidated carnival attraction in the woods, with a sign that says “Pennywise.” A giant hand rising from a statue buried in the ground (thank goodness) clutches a few balloons. It is, of course, a reference to It (the demon from that story makes an appearance in The Dark Tower novels):
Those are fairly major easter eggs, and even if you’ve never read the books and have only seen the previous adaptations of The Shining and It (the latter of which inspired a new film hitting theaters in September), these are pretty hard to miss. Given the myriad connections between King’s other stories and The Dark Tower, I wouldn’t be surprised if there are many, many more easter eggs to be found in the new film, which hits theaters on August 4.