For years now, various filmmakers and rights holders have been trying to get an adaptation of Stephen King’s The Long Walk off the ground. Talents like Frank Darabont, André Øvredal, and George A. Romero have all taken turns attempting to adapt King’s unforgettable, dystopian novel for the big screen, yet – for reasons that have never entirely been made clear (but which we can probably guess at, given how dark the source material is) – none of them have ever panned out.
Late last year, we learned that Hunger Games and Constantine director Francis Lawrence was the latest filmmaker to take a stab at getting it done, and while we certainly approve of the marriage between that particular director and this particular story (which, indeed, contains echoes of the Hunger Games franchise), we’ve been hurt before … and have been, admittedly, somewhat reluctant to get our hopes up again.
But y’know what? It’s starting to seem like this version of The Long Walk might actually come together! Per a new report over at ScreenDaily:
“Lionsgate International will launch sales in Cannes next week on Stephen King adaptation The Long Walk, which The Hunger Games franchise director Francis Lawrence will develop, direct, and produce. Genre maestro Roy Lee will produce with Lawrence and the latter’s producing partner Cameron MacConomy, and Steven Schneider.”
Does Lionsgate International launching sales of the project at Cannes guarantee that this version of The Long Walk will make it all the way to the finish line? Well, admittedly, not necessarily; many a project has been pitched at the Cannes marketplace only to never materialize, but this does indicate that Lionsgate is confident enough in the project to be out there making promises about it. After years and years of this adaptation never getting any further than the “So-and-so will direct The Long Walk” stage, we’re gonna count this as progress!
As we previously reported: 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.
Given the subject matter (this is a movie where a whole bunch of teenagers are going to be shot in the head in broad daylight by their own government, for entertainment), it’s easy to understand the difficulties some filmmakers and studios might have faced with while trying to adapt the film for theaters. Here’s hoping that Francis Lawrence and screenwriter JT Mollner have cracked it, and will be able to translate King’s novel as faithfully as possible. Someone had to do it eventually, and we’re hoping this team will be the one to finally pull it off!
Stay tuned for further updates on The Long Walk as they become available, folks.
