There Were 2 Big Stephen King Easter Eggs in 'The Dark Tower'

Stephen King has written a truly absurd number of horror classics, but especially observant fans have no doubt noticed that he likes to weave connections between his many stories. A town or minor character from one novel will often pop up in a more major way in a seemingly unconnected work, for instance. Well, it looks like the long-awaited film adaptation of The Dark Tower is going to bring at least a hint of these connections to the big screen, as the first trailer featured two major Easter eggs shouting out two of King’s most famous stories.

First, when Jake Chambers visits a therapist in New York and something shakes the building, we see a framed photo of the Overlook Hotel on the doctor’s shelf. You might remember this ominous hotel as the setting of The Shining. For reasons that are too complicated and little spoilery to get into here, Jake and The Shining’s protagonist, Danny Torrance, are very similar, though it’s more of a fun detail rather than a major plot point in either story.

Then, we see Jake stumble through what looks like an abandoned theme park, and we see the sign “Pennywise,” the terrifying clown villain who haunts the town of Derry in It. Like The Shining, It includes some oblique references to The Dark Tower.

Chances are these are just fun shout-outs — it’s doubtful that we’re about to get an expanded Stephen King Cinematic Universe — but they’re pretty fun and true to the original spirit of the story. Chances are there will be more references to other King stories and movies that fans will have to keep an eye out for when The Dark Tower hits theaters on August 4.