Summary
The Long Walkscreenwriter JT Mollner promises a faithful and R-rated Stephen King adaptation, promising they “didn’t pull any punches.” Directed by Francis Lawrence (The Hunger Games) with a screenplay written by Mollner, the forthcoming film is based on the 1979 novel by King which follows a group of teenage boys forced by an authoritarian regime to compete in a brutal walking contest until one is left standing.The Long Walkcastincludes Cooper Hoffman, David Jonsson, Garrett Wareing, Tut Nyuot, Charlie Plummer, Ben Wang, Jordan Gonzalez, Joshua Odjick, Roman Griffin Davis, Mark Hamill, and Judy Greer.
In an interview withCinemaBlend,Mollner spoke at length about the upcoming adaptation ofThe Long Walk,promising a faithful and R-rated adaptation of King’s 1979 novel that doesn’t “pull any punches.” The screenwriter says the movie maintains the “brutality and the seriousness of the book,” resulting in a “very hardcore, disturbing and somewhat controversial movie.” Read his full comments below:
The great thing about this is that Francis, this is a true… I mean, it’s not a low budget movie, but it’s not as big of a budget as he normally works on with big franchises like the Hunger Games and stuff. So this is a true passion project for him. He wanted to do it the right way, a faithful way. And he knew that meant it was gonna be a very hardcore, disturbing and somewhat controversial movie. And that’s the movie I was interested in writing. Stephen King also was very committed and determined for Francis to make a rated R film, one that honored the book and stayed true to the book.
We didn’t really pull any punches. Most of the stuff that you remember being tough to take in the book still exists. And there are some tweaks made to update it that I think are smart… But I’m very happy with the adaptation as a Stephen King fan. I’m really happy with what we did with it. And even the studio notes that came in and, and the feedback from everybody, everybody was on the same page as far as staying true to the brutality and the seriousness of the book.
What To Expect From The Long Walk
Mollner Teases The Brutality To Come
For those familiar withKing’s novel, it’s not difficult to imagine the brutality the upcoming adaptation will contain. In the book, 100 teenage boys enter a contest and walk continuously at a speed of 4 miles per hour. If they fall below this speed, they receive a warning, and after three warnings, they are shot dead. Since the competition continues until one walker remains,nearly all 100 boys are killed throughout the story. The novel navigates both the physical and psychological challenges of the grueling walk, but also delves into dark aspects of human nature.
Every Upcoming Stephen King Movie & TV Show Adaptation
There are many more upcoming Stephen King movie adaptations that are currently in development, some of which are expected for a 2024 or 2025 release.
Filming started on July 24, andThe Long Walkset photosshow an array of 1970s-style military vehicles, trucks, and cars – suggesting a period setting. King’s novel takes place in a future dystopian America, though it was first published in 1979 andthe story is frequently interpreted as an allegory for the Vietnam War– depicting young men being sent to their deaths. With Mollner promising a faithful adaptation, it’s likely the movie will maintain its future dystopian setting alongside elements indicative of the 1970s.
Other than adaptingThe Long Walk, Mollner also wrote and directed theupcoming horror movieStrange Darling, whichKing has seen and called “a clever masterpiece.“The respect clearly goes both ways between Mollner and King, with the screenwriter promising a faithful adaptation of the novel that also makes some smart tweaks to the source material. Considering how much King respects Mollner’s work, he was entrusted to deliver a faithful rendering ofThe Long Walkthat captures its brutality and serious tone.
The Long Walk
Cast
Adapted from Stephen King’s first novel, The Long Walk follows 100 teenage boys forced into a walking contest at four miles per hour or face lethal consequences.
