Francis Lawrence (The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes) is on board to direct an adaptation of Stephen King’s 1979 novel The Long Walk, and Deadline brings news of new cast additions now that production is underway.
Francis Lawrence directs from a script by JT Mollner (Strange Darling).
Stephen King penned The Long Walk under the pseudonym Richard Bachman. First published in 1979, the novel is set in future dystopian America ruled by an authoritarian.
In The Long Walk, “The country holds an annual walking contest in which 100 teens must journey, non-stop and under strict rules, until only one of them is still standing alive and receiving a prize. The story told of a 16-year old walker named Raymond Garraty and the teens, some good, some bad, some mysterious, in his orbit.”
The Long Walk will star Garrett Wareing (Ransom Canyon), Tut Nyout (The Witcher: Blood Origin), Charlie Plummer (Spontaneous), Ben Wang (American Born Chinese), Jordan Gonzalez (Pretty Little Liars: Summer School), Joshua Odjick (Welcome to Derry), and Roman Griffin Davis (Jojo Rabbit). The seven actors join previously announced stars Cooper Hoffman and David Jonsson.
Character details, however, remain under wraps at this time. The book’s title refers to a competition in which 50 teenage boys must walk without rest. Each competitor must keep walking faster than three miles per hour, or risk elimination. It’s a high stakes game.
Lawrence is also producing the project through his company, alongside Roy Lee, Cameron MacConomy, and Steven Schneider. Meredith Wieck and Erin Jones-Wesley are overseeing for Lionsgate, with Phil Strina negotiating the deals on behalf of the studio. Production will continue in rural locations throughout the province of Manitoba through the summer.
With filming now underway on the Stephen King adaptation, expect to hear more details and announcements on this one in the future. Stay tuned.
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