Are you ready for another thrilling journey into Stephen King‘s dark and imaginative world? The Long Walk is the latest adaptation, following several others, including Carrie, The Running Man, and The Monkey. Today, Variety has the first look at The Long Walk.
The Long Walk is an intense survival story directed by Francis Lawrence, known for films like The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes. JT Mollner penned the script.
David Jonsson ( Alien: Romulus), Garrett Wareing (Ransom Canyon), Tut Nyout, and Charlie Plummer (“Spontaneous”), and Ben Wang co-star. Jordan Gonzalez, Joshua Odjick (“Welcome to Derry”), Roman Griffin Davis, and Judy Greer round out the cast. Mark Hamill also stars and will appear in the King adaptation, The Life of Chuck.
Published under King’s pseudonym Richard Bachman in 1979, The Long Walk is set in a future dystopian America ruled by an iron fist. The chilling premise revolves around a grueling annual walking contest. In this brutal competition, 100 teenage boys must embark on a non-stop journey, adhering to unforgiving rules. By the end, only one of them remains standing – alive – to claim a coveted prize. The story follows Raymond Garraty, a determined 16-year-old participant, and the diverse group of fellow walkers in his orbit, a mix of good, sinister, and intriguingly mysterious individuals, all united by the Long Walk’s sheer physical and psychological torment.
The film’s lead, the talented Cooper Hoffman, shared his insightful perspective on the story with Vanity Fair. “’The Long Walk’ is a metaphor for life, in my eyes,” Hoffman eloquently stated. “It’s a metaphor for any sort of hard thing you’re going through, whether it’s depression or anxiety or heartbreak or whatever. Sometimes in life, you want to stop walking, and that’s a really dark thought. But the second you acknowledge that and come to terms with it – and then keep going – that’s a really beautiful thing.” This quote hints at the deeper, more resonant themes that lie beneath the surface of this seemingly straightforward survival tale, suggesting a film that will explore not just physical endurance but also the resilience of the human spirit in the face of unimaginable adversity.
Lionsgate is bringing The Long Walk to the big screen, with its theatrical release slated for September 12, 2025.
