Stephen King Reveals His Favorite Easter Egg in ‘The Dark Tower’

It doesn’t take a Stephen King super-fan to spot the two major easter eggs in the first trailer for The Dark Tower, but as Constant Readers (King’s nickname for his loyal fanbase) can tell you, that’s probably just the tip of the iceberg. King’s epic novel series is, among other things, a riveting piece of meta-fiction that ties all of his works (and worlds) together, so it’s inevitable that this summer’s highly-anticipated film adaptation will have more than a few easter eggs for casual fans and Constant Readers alike to discover — and King himself is giving you a head start.

King didn’t play coy when IGN asked for his favorite easter egg in The Dark Tower:

If viewers who are familiar with my work look very closely, they might see Cujo. Keep an eye out for Cujo in New York City.

Cujo is the eponymous rabid St. Bernard from King’s 1981 novel, which was adapted into a horror film released in 1983. With King’s tip, we now know of at least three easter eggs in The Dark Tower, including the two featured in the trailer: A photo of the Overlook Hotel from The Shining, and the remnants of an amusement park with a sign that reads “Pennywise” and a half-buried statue of the demonic clown from It.

Stephen King’s literary universe makes the MCU look like a bunch of under-achievers by comparison, and The Dark Tower has massive easter egg potential for a film adaptation. King’s seven-novel series brings together characters and elements from other books like The Stand, Insomnia and Salem’s Lot — some are briefly mentioned, others make cameo appearances, and a few have substantial parts to play in King’s epic story. Ultimately — without spoiling anything — The Dark Tower brings the author’s entire bibliography together in really poignant and thoughtful ways.

Cujo, The Shining, and It are three of King’s most famous stories, so those are likely the most recognizable (and accessible) easter eggs. I can’t wait to see some of the more obscure and clever references hidden throughout the film.

The Dark Tower stars Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey, and hits theaters on August 4.