Hollywood’s been trying to get an adaptation of Stephen King’s The Long Walk off the ground for many, many years. Directors such as George A. Romero, André Øvredal, and King-adapter extraordinaire Frank Darabont have been attached to the project over the decades, but somehow none of them were ever able to make it across the finish line.
For the uninitiated: The Long Walk was published by King in 1979 under his Richard Bachman pseudonym, and takes place in an alternate version of near-future America where, every year, the government stages an event known as “The Long Walk,” which challenges 100 teenagers to march along one of its highways – always maintaining a specific pace and never stopping, under penalty of instant death. Last person left standing wins.
Most recently, André Øvredal (of The Autopsy of Jane Doe and The Last Voyage of the Demeter fame) was attached to the project, only to quietly step aside several years later. But now, in a recent interview with Business Insider, a new challenger has emerged: Francis Lawrence, the director behind the Hunger Games films, Constantine, and Netflix’s forthcoming Bioshock adaptation.
Lawrence confirms this himself and says he’s excited to tackle the adaptation, but provides no further details … and given that Lawrence already has Bioshock and Constantine 2 on his to-do list, it may well be a while before we hear anything further. In any event, Lawrence strikes us as a strong choice for this particular project, and we’re crossing our fingers that he turns out to be the person to finally get the job done.
Stay tuned for more on the always-gestating adaptation of The Long Walk as further updates roll in.
