Breaking new ground in storytelling, Universal Pictures and NBC Universal Television Entertainment will adapt Stephen Kings novel series "The Dark Tower" into a feature film trilogy and a network television series that will jointly chronicle the epic tale.

Ron Howard ("Da Vinci Code") will direct the first feature film and Season 1 of the television series based on scripts from Akiva Goldsman ("I Am Legend," "Fringe"). Brian Grazer of Imagine Entertainment will produce with King and Goldsman.

Simultaneously filming a feature with a television series is an unprecedented undertaking. Only Peter Jackson took a similar path when he treated "The Lord of The Rings" as a single project.

What Peter did was a feat, cinematic history, Howard said in an interview with Deadline. The approach were taking also stands on its own, but its driven by the material. I love both, and like whats going on in TV.

"With this story, if you dedicated to one medium or another, theres the horrible risk of cheating material. The scope and scale call for a big screen budget. But if you committed only to films, youd deny the audience the intimacy and nuance of some of these characters and a lot of cool twists and turns that make for jaw-dropping, compelling television.

"Weve put some real time and deep thought into this, and a lot of conversations and analysis from a business standpoint, to get people to believe in this and take this leap with us. I hope audiences respond to it in a way that compels us to keep going after the first year or two of work. Its fresh territory for me, as a filmmaker.

A fusion of fantasy, horror and western genres, "The Dark Tower" includes seven books and follows Roland Deschain -- the last of a knightly order of gunslingers -- in a quest to save the world and secure the key to the nexus of all universes.

Goldsman brought "The Dark Tower" adaption option to Howard and Grazer following the exit of J.J. Abrams ("Star Trek," "Lost") and Damon Lindelof, who initially purchased the film rights to the series but failed to crack a satisfactory adaption.

"The Dark Tower" will begin with a feature film and will be followed by the first season of the television series, which serves as the bridge to the second feature. After that sequel, the television series picks up again with Deschain as a young gunslinger. The final film follows a mature Deshain as he completes his journey.

"We will certainly be looking to maximize both creative and fiscal opportunities by creating one enterprise that encompasses TV and movies," Goldsman explained. "Some of the shooting will likely encompass both platforms, and that has never been done before. It's thrilling, we feel like kids in a candy story."

"We have a clear view of what we want to do, and were lucky to have a company with the nerve to back us up on this venture, Howard said.

King is now working on an eighth book, which centers on events that occur midway in the series.