The Dark Tower: Watch Thrilling Trailer for Stephen King Adaptation

Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey face off in both a desolate desert and the frenzied streets of New York in the first trailer for The Dark Tower, an adaptation of Stephen Kings expansive, genre-breaking saga.

In the film, set in an alternate universe, Elba plays the last of the samurai-like Gunslingers. When an adolescent boy from New York manages to jump dimensions into the Gunslingers world, the boy is told about the Dark Tower, the structure that protects both worlds. He also learns of the man who wants to destroy the tower, a devilish entity played by McConaughey.

Like the novels themselves, The Dark Tower adaptation straddles the lines between horror, science fiction and westerns, with the Gunslingers incredible marksmanship on full display throughout.

I do not kill with my gun. I kill with my heart, the Gunslinger says at the end of the trailer, moments before without looking he shoots down an assailant from a great distance through multiple obstacles.

The first look at the thriller nabbed the approval of King, who tweeted, The Dark Tower trailer is here. And its awesome. The film arrives August 4^th.