After many unsuccessful attempts at being bought to life on the big screen, we finally have our first look at The Long Walk, the feature adaptation of Stephen King 1979's novel from The Hunger Games and Constantine director Francis Lawrence.
Vanity Fair has debuted some preview stills from the upcoming dystopian horror film which is set to hit theaters on September 12.
Starring in The Long Walk are Cooper Hoffman (Licorice Pizza), Charlie Plummer (Spontaneous), Judy Greer (Jurassic World), Mark Hamill (Star Wars, The Fall of the House of Usher) and David Jonsson (Alien: Romulus).
Written by JT Moller (Strange Darling), The Long Walk‘s synopsis reads as follows:
“In the near future, where America has become a police state, one hundred boys are selected to enter an annual contest where the winner will be awarded whatever he wants for the rest of his life. The game is simple – maintain a steady walking pace of four miles per hour without stopping. Three warnings, and you're out – permanently.”
Speaking with VF on the similarities between The Long Walk and The Hunger Games (itself an adaptation of Suzanne Collins' similarly dystopian YA novel series), Lawrence teased that The Long Walk has “a scrappier, grittier feel”, as well as explicit violence.
Various studios have tried to get The Long Walk made over the years, but Lionsgate secured the deal with Lawrence at a time when King adaptations are hotter than ever – Lawrence's latest joins other upcoming King adaptations including Mike Flanagan's The Life of Chuck, The Dark Tower and Carrie series, Edgar Wright's The Running Man, HBO's upcoming It prequel series Welcome to Derry, an upcoming Cujo series for Netflix that might be directed by Darren Aronofsky, not to mention Oz Perkins' The Monkey that a was another horror hit for NEON earlier this year.
Check out the new stills below and look out for more on The Long Walk as we get it.
