Stephen King’s inaugural novel, The Long Walk, has been transformed into a film for the big screen, and the renowned author implemented one significant alteration to its script.
King, a household name in literature, is known for works like Carrie, It, and more recent titles such as The Outsider and The Institute. Many of his stories have found their way into television and cinema. Now, the first novel he ever wrote, The Long Walk, is set to hit theaters this September.
Written during his college years under the alias Richard Bachman, The Long Walk was actually completed around eight years before Carrie, his debut published book, came out in 1974.
The narrative unfolds in a dystopian United States, where a strict authoritarian government rules over the country.
Every year, 100 teenage boys are chosen to engage in a punishing competition. They are required to maintain a pace of no less than three miles per hour for as long as possible.
Once they receive three warnings, they face execution on the spot by armed forces.
This relentless ordeal continues until there is only one boy left standing. The victor earns ‘The Prize’ – essentially, anything his heart desires for the rest of his life.
The film is directed by Francis Lawrence, known for The Hunger Games and I Am Legend, and features performances by Mark Hamill, Cooper Hoffman, David Jonsson, and Garrett Wareing.
Producer Roy Lee discussed the single piece of feedback King provided after reading the screenplay during an interview with ScreenRant.
In the book’s original version, the boys needed to maintain speeds of four miles per hour. However, King later reconsidered this detail.
Lee explained: “[King’s] like, ‘Can you change it from four miles per hour to three?’ Because that’s what was written in the book. He goes, ‘There’s no way that you could walk four miles an hour for that long.'”
He continued, saying: “That was the only initial note when he gave back. The ending was what it is, and he was like, ‘I love it. But I think you need to reduce the speed.'”
Certainly a reasonable request from the ‘King of Horror.’
Prior to its release, audiences were subjected to an endurance challenge in an immersive screening event.
At this special event, attendees were required to keep up with the characters’ demanding pace—walking on a treadmill at three miles per hour for the film’s entire 108-minute duration. Falling behind meant facing ejection from the cinema.
Horror film aficionado Josh Levesque was among the invitees and shared his experience on TikTok. He mentioned that he ‘crushed it,’ with the support of other horror enthusiasts motivating each other, though not all participants completed the challenge.
In the comments, Levesque noted that only two attendees did not see the movie through to the end. One participant stumbled with just five minutes remaining.
The treadmill concept was well-received by other social media users.
“Maybe ‘movie gyms’ would actually motivate me to get in shape,” one individual commented, while another added: “What a wild idea, love it!”
A third user shared: “I’ve watched horror movies while on the treadmill. It’s actually surprisingly easy to zone out and forget you’re walking.”
Could you handle the challenge?
The Long Walk is slated for theatrical release on Friday, September 12.