April 26, 2019 - The Croatian Burlesque & Cabaret Festival will run again for its 3rd year in the beautiful city of Rijeka at the Botel Marina, boasting 40 performers from all over Europe, North America, New Zealand, and more! 

Celeste de Moriae is the Founder and Producer of the Croatian Burlesque & Cabaret Festival, who is also known as “The Face“. Celeste is also a Croatian performer based in Germany and has been a professional singer and burlesque dancer for more than 20 years combined.

A little snippet about Burlesque - originally it was a comically exaggerated imitation of something, especially in a literary or dramatic work; a parody. However, modern-day burlesque has an element of striptease, with other components involved, sometimes political, sometimes funny, and oftentimes… sexy. The connecting factor is that there is always some inclusion of striptease. Whether it is a performer simply taking off a single glove, or doing a sexy strip right down to pasties and a g-string, the possibilities on what you can do in Burlesque are endless.

Burlesque is not well known in Croatia, however, Celeste’s drive and determination are bringing awareness to this somewhat lost art. Popular in North America and in many parts of Europe, Croatia seems to be low on the radar regarding Burlesque and she wants people to know all about it.

There will be 3 nights of spectacular performances all divided into different categories according to the evening festivities.

May 23rd will be the “Let the Glitter Sparkle” night in which there will be a competition for the most classy burlesque performance. The winner will be chosen through a panel of judges and will be given the ‘Classy Award’. This night will be comprised of Classic style burlesque (think Dita Von Teese).

May 24th aptly named “Ship Ahoi!” will present Boylesque (yes, men identifying will be performing!) and the World of Diversity Awards where people will receive accolades for their originality.

And last but not least the 25th will be the “Rock your Robe! - The Gala” night and the amazing Neo-Burlesque Awards. Neo-Burlesque has a wider range of performance styles; the acts can be anything from classic striptease to modern dance to mini theatrical dramas which includes comedy as well.

To get a feel for what you can expect - here are a few of the performers that will be titillating all of your senses during the magical 3 days, including a performance from Burlesque Legend, Gabriella Maze from the US.

Tickets can be purchased through the website via email.

To read more about lifestyle in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page. 

As Morski writes on the 25th of April, 2019, over the Easter holidays, 28,500 guests stayed in Kvarner, accounting for 99,000 overnight stays, which is a massive 100 percent increase when compared to the same period back in 2018, according to the Kvarner Tourist Board.

According to the official data from the eVisitor system, 28,500 guests spent 99,000 nights in Kvarner over four Easter holiday days (from Friday to Easter Monday).

The numbers from not only last year, but also from 2016 and 2017 prove the fact that during the Easter season this year, Kvarner was visited by a record number of guests. Thus, this year, 37 percent more overnight stays were realised when compared to 2017, when the Easter holidays fell during the same period of April, and even more incredible 147 percent more than 2016 were recorded, when the Easter holidays fell earlier, at the end of March.

In more than 100 of Kvarner's hotels and in as many as 25 camps, as well as a large number of holiday homes and private apartments, guests from Germany, other parts of Croatia, Austria, Italy and neighbouring Slovenia made up large numbers. German guests realised 25 percent of the total number of overnight stays, while domestic guests and guests from Austria realised 14 percent of the total number of overnight stays, with guests from Italy making up 11 percent.

Most of the overnight stays were realised on the island of Krk (32,300), followed by the Opatija riviera (23,400), the island of Lošinj (15,500), the Crikvenica-Vinodolski riviera (10,000), Rijeka and its surroundings (6,300), on the island of Rab (5,500), the island of Cres (5,300) and Gorski Kotar (850).

Nearly half of the overnight stays (49,000) were realised in hotels across Kvarner, most of which open on the Opatija riviera. 23,000 overnight stays were spent in private accommodation and in camps, most of them on Kvarner's numerous islands, account for 22,000 overnights.

In the spirit of the Easter holidays, Kvarner's hosts across the region prepared a large number of events for guests, from traditional cultural and entertainment events to gastronomic, religious and nature-related activities.

''In the last eight years, if we only look at the [main tourist] season, we're talking about a jump of as much as 90 percent, while in terms of the total number of overnight stays for the same period we've seen an increase of 50 percent. This marked increase in the number of guests, both foreign and domestic, shows us that we have a well-established development strategy based on our activities and programs, with the emphasis on filling out the period outside of the main summer tourist season.

The performances at this year's fairs and presentations on our strongest markets - Germany, Austria, Italy and Slovenia - gave us a good insight into the beginning of this tourist year and what those employed in tourism in Kvarner can expect,'' stated dr.sc. Irene Peršić Živadinov.

Make sure to follow our dedicated lifestyle page for much more.

April 25, 2019 - After defending the Croatian championship, Dinamo will try to do the same in the Croatian Cup against Rijeka next month.

Just how close are we to a real digital Croatia? The answer is unclear and as varied as ever, but some Croatian cities have shown promise with some rather impressive and encouraging results.

As Novac/Gradonacelnik.hr writes on the 23rd of April, 2019, although more and more cities are gradually digitising their business and investing in smart city solutions, and some of the most advanced have almost completely switched to doing solely digital business, generally speaking, Croatian cities are only in the very early stages of the much needed digital transition, just as Croatia is, as a country, at the very bottom in Europe in terms of the digital readiness of general society and the economy.

As the methodology for ranking cities in terms of digital readiness is only at its very beginning even at the European level, stories and analysis of the "smart city" concept development here in Croatia are still very much based on individual experiences, examples and projects.

That is why, in order to gain a real elementary insight into the digitalisation of Croatia's services and the communication of the country's many city administrations with citizens, experts from Apsolon, a consulting company specialising in digital business development, has undertaken the very first major study of the ''digital readiness'' of twenty of the largest cities across Croatia. This study, according to project manager and smart management director at Apsolon, Ivana Novoselec, is the basis for the further development of research tools and methodology that will track the development and progress of Croatia's cities on an annual basis.

In its study, Apsolon divided the cities into three categories - large (Zagreb, Split, Rijeka, Osijek), middle (Zadar, Velika Gorica, Slavonski Brod, Pula and Karlovac) and smaller cities (Sisak, Varaždin, Šibenik, Dubrovnik, Bjelovar, Kaštela, Samobor, Vinkovci, Koprivnica, Đakovo, Vukovar.)

The digital readiness index at Apsolon was set based on several criteria - the availability of e-services (the number of administrative services and their digitalisation rate in Croatia), the availability of site service information and the development of unified services for making payments in the city, then came the availability of city data, the level of citizen participation in decision making and communication channels between the city administration and citizens, ie, the availability of data and time in which citizens receive answers to their various questions. At this stage, Apsolon hasn't entered into the internal processes in Croatia's city administrations, but rather focused on what services are offered to the city's citizens and how long such things typically take.

After this type of indexing and ranking, the title of the ''digitisation champion'' among the Croatian cities was awarded to the City of Rijeka, thus confirming its status as the best city in the Smart City category which it won last year. Apsolon pointed out that the City of Rijeka has achieved the greatest advances in the systematic raising of the quality of its services, but also the opening of data and communication channels to citizens.

"Rijeka as the most advanced city in Croatia in terms of digitisation and is characterised in particular by the emphasis on openness and communication with its citizens. Its administration is oriented towards clear communication (a very clear centralised e-services approach with well-organised access to all automated services and available forms), openness and participatory management," said project manager Ivana Novoselac.

In many categories, especially those relating to the functional aspects of digitisation (advanced digital services, e-citizen connectivity, etc.), Rijeka is followed closely by the City of Zagreb.

The city of Pula is the most advanced middle-size city in Croatia, which also presents its services and available information to its citizens in a systematic and very detailed way, raising standards in terms of transparency and interaction with citizens, and is certainly a champion among cities with between 50.000 and 100.000 inhabitants.

In relation to the criteria relating to specific functional and technological solutions, Karlovac, Velika Gorica and Zadar follow. For the City of Karlovac the large number of available administrative procedures on its website and responses to citizens' inquiries are generally quick made it stand out from the crowd.

Among the small cities in Croatia, there is no distinctly dominant digital champion, but according to research findings in different aspects of digitisation, Dubrovnik, Samobor, Sisak, Koprivnica and Varaždin appear to be the most successful ones, according to this research. Among the prominent representatives of this category, Dubrovnik is strategically trying to profile as Smart City and has a high quality City Card, e-Visitor platform, is very active on social networks and it continuing to develop innovative application solutions. When it comes to the number of digitally available services, Koprivnica ranks above all.

Samobor, which is particularly active on social networks and is the category winner for social networking, has a very comprehensive and interactive website which separates the site accordingly and has adjusted all of the information for citizens and for visitors, as well as separating foreign visitors from domestic ones.

It should also be noted that Bjelovar is extremely proactive in the field of the digitalisation of its administration, it is working on applicative transparency solutions as well as on internal digitalisation processes. What is particularly commendable is Bjelovar's focus on the digitalisation of its internal processes.

Make sure to follow our dedciated lifestyle page for much more.

Click here for the original article by Novac/Jutarnji/Gradonacelnik.hr

April 21, 2019 - The 30th round of the Croatian First League was held on April 19 and 20 because of the Easter weekend. It was a rather exciting round that saw Dinamo clinch the Croatian championship title for the 20th time, and Hajduk pull a massive upset and huge win against Rijeka at Poljud. 

Istra 1961 v. Osijek (1:0)

Istra and Osijek opened the 30th round in Pula on Friday, April 19, 2019, in front of 763 fans. 

While the first half went without goals, it was Istra’s Mierez to score with two minutes to go, shocking Osijek for the 1:0 victory. 

Istria is currently in 9th place with 21 points, while Osijek is in 3rd with 50. 

Slaven Belupo v. Dinamo (0:1)

Belupo and Dinamo met on Friday, April 19, 2019, in front of 1,882 fans in Koprivnica. 

It was another game without goals in the first half, though Dinamo’s Gojak managed to score three minutes into the second half for 0:1, which was the final score of the game. With this win, Dinamo also claimed the Croatian championship title for the 20th time. 

Slaven Belupo is in 8th place with 26 points, while Dinamo is in first with 79. 

Rudeš v. Lokomotiva (1:2)

Rudeš and Lokomotiva met on Saturday, April 20, 2019, at Kranjčevićeva street stadium in Zagreb in front of 100 fans. 

Karačić scored first for Lokomotiva for 0:1, though Štrkalj equalized with a penalty in the 32nd minute for 1:1. Rakić retook the lead for Lokomotiva in the 80th minute for 1:2, which was the final score of the game.

Rudeš remains in the last place with 10 points, while Lokomotiva is in 5th with 47. 

Inter Zaprešić v. Gorica (2:2)

Inter and Gorica met in Zaprešić on Saturday, April 20, 2019, in front of 1,224 fans. 

Inter scored first thanks to Serderov in the 13th minute, while Lovrić scored a penalty for Gorica 10 minutes later to equalize. Gorica was given another penalty which Zwolinski nailed in the 58th for 1:2, though Šimunec equalized for Inter in the 80th for 2:2. 

Inter is currently in 7th place with 28 points, while Gorica is in 6th with 46. 

Hajduk v. Rijeka (4:0)

Hajduk and Rijeka met at Poljud to close out the 30th round on April 20, 2019, in front of 14,752 fans. 

Hajduk’s Jurić scored already in the 2nd minute of the famous ‘Adriatic Derby’, forcing the crowd into a frenzy. Hamza Barry scored for 2:0, and it was 3:0 at the half thanks to a goal in the 45th minute by Caktaš. 

But Hajduk wasn’t done yet, and Caktaš scored again in the 50th for 4:0, completely stunning Rijeka and, quite honestly, all Hajduk fans. 

Hajduk is currently in 4th place with 50 points, while Rijeka is in second with 56. 

You can see the full table here. 

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page. 

April 20, 2019 - For the second season in a row, the Major League Soccer (MLS) in the United States boasts one Croatian player. Namely, the 30-year-old Damir Kreilach, who is the former Rijeka captain, plays in the shirt of Real Salt Lake and faces football superstars like Ibrahimović, Rooney, and Schweinsteiger.

Damir Kreilach scored last week for Real Salt Lake in their win against Orlando in the seventh round of the US championship. He returned after a red card suspension and was the second goal scorer in the 2:1 victory. Kreilach spoke to HRT from the United States.

“We're a little weaker in the championship; this is our second win. There has been a lack of luck, and I also had a red card... but now we are back to winning, and I hope this will continue. Our primary goal is to fight for the playoffs, we have a good team, and I believe we can do it."

After 150 appearances in the jersey of Rijeka and Union Berlin, the Croatian midfielder is in his second MLS season. He signed for Real Salt Lake in February 2018.

“I am very happy, very pleased, and I think I made the right move by going to the MLS. One beautiful thing is that I have been introduced to a new culture. I was convinced of everything I was told about the American league.”

Last season's West Conference quarterfinals, Real Salt Lake kicked out Los Angeles FC - and they even crushed LA Galaxy in the championship - just one of the world-famous names.

“The league is organized at a high level, stars such as Zlatan Ibrahimović, Wayne Rooney, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Carlos Vela also raise the league to even higher quality. The Americans want to make a nice story out of the MLS, the infrastructure is great; this is confirmed by the excellent training centers where we have preparations.”

The MLS is made up of 24 clubs, 12 in the Western and Eastern Conference. Real Salt Lake won the championship ten years ago, their games each week played in front of a sold-out stadium with 20,000 seats.

“According to some statistics, the interest in football here grows year after year. That's an indicator of what Americans want to make of football. In Utah, or Salt Lake, there are many kids playing football every step of the way.”

Kreilach’s best season concluded with 15 goals and five assists - excellent statistics for a midfielder. He has also become an audience favorite.

“My motto is work, work and work alone. When I get on the pitch, my first goal is to give one hundred percent. I am very happy that the fans have recognized this and it is certain that this is still my guide in my career moving forward.”

The US did not compete at the World Cup in Russia last year, but most Americans cheered for Croatia.

“Most of my teammates cheered for us in the final. They saw what Croats could do with will and desire, effort and quality. The performance of our team was inspiring to them; it was the first time in 30 years they were left without the tournament.”

Damir Kreilach's contract with Real Salt Lake is good until the winter of 2020, so what then?

“I definitely have the desire to go back to Rijeka and hopefully lift a trophy.”

Kreilach left Rijeka in 2013.

“It was not easy for me to leave Rijeka, the club that gave me everything. I felt that same family atmosphere at Union Berlin, the great synergy with the supporters. I say, you never know, it's hard to plan, but I'd like to come back to my home club.”

Rijeka has since moved to Rujevica stadium. However, a Chinese investor could soon begin building a new stadium in Kantrida.

“I did not play at Rujevica, but I would like to play at the new Kantrida! This is, unfortunately, an unforeseen goal that is not easy to accomplish. Every Rijeka fan dreams of returning Rijeka to Kantrida. Even though Rujevica is a top camp, the Kantrida stadium connects Rijeka and its people. What Damir Mišković did with the club, few can do. The club has risen to the European level, a big congratulations to the players and coach Kek, but also the fans who are always at the club, in good and bad moments.”

His ultimate dream was to play in the jersey of the Croatia national team.

“Frankly, while I was at Union Berlin, I thought about it. Every player who puts on their boots has the desire to one day wear a national team jersey. That was my wish. Now I'm 30 years old, and I do not think about it anymore. We are the World Cup finalists, it's a big deal, and we have top players in top clubs.”

One thing is for sure - wherever he is, Kreilach still has a lot left to show. 

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page. 

This year, the B2Run Business Race is part of the international B2Run family! Thus, the Croatian edition of the race has made its mark on the world map, as businesspeople from Zagreb, Osijek, Rijeka, and Split will run under the same name as more than 250,000 participants from eleven countries around the world. Recall, in the past four years, this race was held in four Croatian cities - Zagreb, Osijek, Rijeka, Split - which saw more than 20,000 runners from about 800 Croatian companies, reports Dalmatinski Portal on April 18, 2019. 

The HT B2Run race will open in Split this year on Thursday, April 25, at 6 pm - and the Dalmatian capital will also be the first B2Run business race this year in the world! The Split race will feature 750 runners from 54 companies. The race traditionally begins on the Riva, and runs through the whole city on the route: Riva (start) - towards Sv. Frane - Trumbićeva obala - Obala kneza Branimira - Šetalište Ivana Meštrovića - entrance to Vila Dalmacija - Šetalište Ivana Meštrovića - Obala kneza Branimira - Trumbićeva obala - finish on the Riva. 

All the participants of the Croatian HT B2Run race will also run for prizes. Prizes are awarded at the national level after the end of the last race in Zagreb and at the local level after the completion of each of the four races. Awards will be given in various categories including NajFit and KreatTim, the fastest craft, association or club, and the fastest large, medium and small company. All the participants will enter the national final of the fastest runners, the quickest CEO, the fastest state institution, IT firm, beverage producer, food producer, media team, the fastest ‘young lions’, the most motivated team and the best support team. For each of the categories, there are also attractive prizes such as travel insurance, sportswear, food and drink awards, and more.

Among the runners will be 44-year-old Marin Koceić, the winner of last year's B2B RUN race in the male category of big companies and the famous Croatian triathlete from Ericsson Nikola Tesla.

“We have a strong and good team. Wherever Ericsson Nikola Tesla competes in full, we want to win. The B2Run is a superior race, as far as organization and atmosphere are concerned. Everything works as it should,” Koceić said.

Up to now, Marin has worked on almost all the releases of the HT B2Run Business Race, which proved to be a useful tool for building corporate culture, employee satisfaction, business community connectivity, and encouraging employees to adopt healthy living habits. Last year he won the 5k in 16 minutes and 40 seconds which is among his best results in that regard.

"I'm not sure if I will break my record this year, but regardless of it I always have the chance to compete in this race in Split with my colleagues," added Koceić, who also emphasized the value of running and moving:

“In the 21st century, because of their sedentary lifestyle, many are turning to run because it is the easiest way to be active. People want to stay in nature and take care of their health. This race is great because it encourages business people and business colleagues to socialize, move, entertain.”

The HT B2Run race this year distinguishes itself from its previous charity thanks to its main partner HT. All the runners of the HT B2Run business event this year will participate in a significant running humanitarian challenge - in the city that records the fastest running time, Hrvatski Telekom will launch a digital literacy program for the local population through free educational workshops in city libraries.

After Split, the B2Run business race will continue in three other Croatian cities - Rijeka on May 23, Osijek on June 12 and Zagreb on October 3rd. The competition in Split was organized in cooperation with the Split Triathlon Club.

You can read more about the business run here. 

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page. 

In the upcoming summer flight schedule, which is from March 31 to October 27, 81 new routes will operate to Croatian airports, including regular, low-cost and charter lines, from 24 world markets, reports Dalmatinski Portal on April 15, 2019. 

Additionally, the first week of the summer flight began with a record 252 flights, which displayed a 30 percent increase compared to the first week of the summer flight schedule last year. Most of the flights in the first week were recorded at the airports in Zagreb, Split, and Dubrovnik.

“New airlines and increasing the number of rotations are, among other things, the result of the activities of the Croatian Tourist Board. We collaborate with airline companies through strategic promotional campaigns in important markets, aiming to position Croatia as an attractive and well-connected year-round destination. We are particularly pleased with the new intercontinental line between Philadelphia and Dubrovnik, which joins Croatia and the United States market for the first time in 30 years,” said Croatian Tourist Board director Kristjan Staničić, adding that this year he has strategic marketing partnerships with tour operators and over 40 million kuna was provided to airlines.

Looking at the markets, most of the new lines, or 14 of them, are from German cities, followed by 12 new lines from the UK market, 8 lines from France, 5 lines from Italy, and 4 lines from the Netherlands. Analyzing the summer flight schedule by the number of rotations, most rotations are planned between Croatia and Germany, the UK, France, Austria, and Switzerland. Most new lines will fly to airports in Zadar, Split, Dubrovnik, Pula, and Rijeka. Most Croatian airports this year also recorded an increase in the number of rotations when looking at the previous season, and according to the absolute number of new rotations, the Zadar airport has a 25 percent increase, while Pula follows with a 7 percent increase and Dubrovnik with 4 percent.

When looking at airlines, most new routes were launched by Ryanair, namely 15 of them, followed by eight new lines from Volotea, six new lines from TUI and five new easyJet lines.

To read more about travel in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page.

April 15, 2019 - The 29th round of the Croatian First League was held from April 12 to 14, 2019. The fight for the ‘Top 4’ on the table is getting even more exciting, as Hajduk jumped over Lokomotiva to fourth place thanks to a massive win on Sunday. 

Check out our round 29 recap below. 

Osijek v. Rudeš (2:0)

Osijek and Rudeš opened the 29th round at City Garden Stadium on Friday, April 12, 2019, in front of 791 fans. 

Osijek scored their first goal of the game early thanks to Kleinheisler in the 11th minute. Marić was able to up Osijek’s lead in the 42nd minute for 2:0, which was the final result of the game. Marić did have the chance to make it 3:0, though he missed a penalty in the 82nd. 

Osijek is currently in 3rd place with 50 points, while Rudeš remains in last with 10. 

Istra 1961 v. Dinamo (0:4)

Istria and Dinamo met in Pula on Saturday, April 13, 2019.

Ademi scored Dinamo’s first goal in the 20th minute, which was followed by Oršić’s goal for 0:2 in the 44th minute. Olmo increased Dinamo’s lead in the 65th for 0:3, which was followed by another goal by the Spaniard in the 73rd for 0:4. 

Istra is in 9th place with 18 points, while Dinamo remains in first place with 76 points. 

Rijeka v. Inter Zaprešić (7:0)

Rijeka and Inter met at Rujevica on Saturday, April 13, 2019. 

Halilović opened Rijeka’s scoring fest with a goal in the 27th minute. Puljić increased Rijeka’s lead in the 41st for 2:0, and scored a penalty 3 minutes later for 3:0. 

Acosty scored Rijeka’s fourth goal at the start of the second half, followed by a Pavičić goal in the 58th for 5:0. Puljić scored his hat trick in the 88th for 6:0, and secured Rijeka’s blowout win with his fourth goal of the game in the 91st. 

Rijeka is currently in 2nd place with 56 points, while Inter is in 7th with 27.

Gorica v. Slaven Belupo (4:3)

Gorica and Belupo met in Velika Gorica on Sunday, April 14, 2019. 

Belupo was the first to score with a goal by Krstanović in the 9th minute, though Gorica equalized in the 27th minute thanks to Ndiaye. Gorica took the lead in the 34th minute after Lovrić scored, and increased their lead to 3:1 thanks to Dvorneković. 

Mateus brought Belupo new life after scoring in the 62nd minute for 2:3, and Krstanović equalized in the 86th for 3:3. However, Zwolinski scored a late-game winner for Gorica in the 90th minute (4:3). 

Gorica is currently in 5th place with 45 points, while Belupo is in 8th with 26. 

Lokomotiva v. Hajduk (0:1)

Lokomotiva and Hajduk met on Sunday, April 14, 2019, in Zagreb to close out the 29th round. 

The game was the battle for 4th place, and Hajduk prevailed. Though the first half went without goals, Hajduk’s Jairo scored in the 80th minute for 0:1 and the win. 

Lokomotiva has dropped to 6th place with 44 points, while Hajduk has jumped to 4th with 47 points. 

You can see the full HNL table here. 

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.  

Numerous articles have been written about the many projects of filming international blockbuster TV shows and movies in Croatia. Game of Thrones was the first one in the recent years that started the trend, and now it seems that not a week goes by without another major show being filmed in Croatia. And today we report that another highly anticipated show made by one of the biggest showbusiness companies in the world, Amazon's The Dark Tower (based on the series of novels by Stephen King) will be filmed in Croatia soon!

And not only that, but the show's production is actively searching for extras! The filming of the show's pilot should take place in Rijeka in the period between May 22nd and June 14th of this year. The production agency in charge of casting has posted on their Facebook profile that they still need some extras for the pilot (not disclosing which show it's for, but Novi list reported that it's about The Dark Tower). They've already done one round of auditions, but in the second they are looking for ethnic adults, strong, athletic men and women, nurses, people with dwarfism or extremely high people, people with musical experience (trumpets, drums) and people with dancing experience.

The fee is not as high as one might expect, it's 185 kuna for a day's work for "regular" extras, 375 kuna if you're an extra with a task, and 400 kuna for extras from various ethnic groups.

Not much is known about the production of the series, as Amazon is keeping the details close to the vest. It is supposed that Sam Strike and Jasper Pääkkönen will be in the leading roles, and Glen Mazzara, an industry veteran, is supposed to have the position of the showrunner.

The Dark Tower is a series of 8 novels written by Stephen King over 40 years, and it follows an epic battle between the Gunslinger and a Man in Black.