The Long Walk: Stephen King Movie To Be Directed by Francis Lawrence

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The Long Walk: Stephen King Movie To Be Directed by Francis Lawrence

The Long Walk movie adaptation has found its director, with THR reporting that Francis Lawrence is in final talks to direct the upcoming film.

The report also mentions that Lionsgate has acquired the rights to the film, with J.T. Mollner set to write the script. Lawrence is best known for his directorial work on The Hunger Games franchise, with Francis having directed The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, both Mockingjay films, as well as the recently released The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes.

The Long Walk was originally being developed by New Line, with director André Øvredal and writer James Vanderbilt attached to the project for years. However, the rights to the project lapsed in 2022, and with Lionsgate now having acquired them, they will look to start over with a fresh group behind them.

What is The Long Walk about?

Originally released in 1979, The Long Walk is the first novel that King ever wrote. It’s a dystopian horror that tells the story of a future America ruled by a totalitarian regime and a walking contest known as the Long Walk, which tasks boys walking above four miles per hour without rest. The last one standing gets whatever he wants for the rest of his life. Despite the high stakes, the boys form an unlikely camaraderie along their journey.

Adaptations for the film have been attempted at various points throughout the past 40 years. In the late 1980s, George A. Romero was approached to direct a film based on the book, but it never happened. In 2007, Frank Darabont acquired the rights to make a movie, but that also never transpired.