Over six months ago, we announced that Francis Lawrence, the director behind The Hunger Games, would be adapting Stephen King’s The Long Walk. Recently, Lawrence was also confirmed to direct the sequel Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes: Sunrise on the Reaping.
Now, we have fresh updates on his Stephen King adaptation. Deadline reports that Cooper Hoffman from Licorice Pizza and David Jonsson from Rye Lane are in discussions to star in the film.
The Long Walk, published in 1979 under King’s pseudonym Richard Bachman, presents a dystopian world where 100 teenage boys compete in the grueling “Long Walk”.
The rules are stark: maintain a speed above 4 miles per hour, receive three warnings in an hour and you’re shot dead, and the last one standing wins anything they desire for life. It’s a terrifying blend of The Hunger Games and Squid Game, making Lawrence the ideal director for this intense thriller.
This adaptation has a history of near misses, having passed through the hands of filmmakers like George A. Romero, Frank Darabont, and André Øvredal.
After years of delays, it seems The Long Walk is finally on the brink of realization. While there’s no set timeline for filming or release yet, Lawrence’s commitment and the involvement of Hoffman and Jonsson suggest that the project is moving forward.
As we await further developments on The Long Walk, fans can look forward to seeing David Jonsson in Fede Alvarez’s Alien: Romulus, which hits theaters on August 16.
With Lawrence’s proven track record in dystopian films and a strong cast, The Long Walk promises to be an exciting adaptation worth the wait. Stay tuned for more updates as this long-awaited project progresses.