Stephen King's The Long Walk Adds New Cast Members as Filming Begins

As a die-hard Stephen King fan who grew up reading his chilling tales, I’m beyond excited to see “The Long Walk,” one of his lesser-known but captivating novels, being brought to life on the big screen. This dystopian story, published under the pseudonym Richard Bachman in 1979, has always intrigued me with its unique premise and haunting commentary on society’s darker impulses.

The film adaptation of “The Long Walk” by Stephen King (pen name Richard Bachman), which is soon to be released, has started filming. During production, Lionsgate revealed several actors who will be in the movie, including Ben Wang from “American Born Chinese” and Roman Griffin Davis from “Jojo Rabbit.” Francis Lawrence, known for directing “The Hunger Games” series, will helm this dystopian story where American teenagers are compelled to take part in The Long Walk as amusement for the crowd.

“The Long Walk” is a story where fifty teenage boys are made to walk continuously without rest, getting eliminated when they exhaust or slow down below a pace of 3 mph. Published in 1979, this novel shares similarities with “The Hunger Games” and the subgenre of child abuse for entertainment.

Newly announced actors, according to Deadline’s report, include Garrett Wareing (from “Ransom Canyon”), Tut Nyuot (“The Witcher: Blood Origin”), Charlie Plummer (“National Anthem”), Ben Wang (“American Born Chinese”), Jordan Gonzalez (“Pretty Little Liars: Summer School”), Joshua Odjick (“Welcome to Derry”), and Roman Griffin Davis (“Jojo Rabbit”). At present, no information about the characters they will be portraying has been disclosed.

I’m excited to share that I, Lawrence, will be at the helm of a new project, with a script penned by JT Mollner titled “Strange Darling.” As the director, I’ll be bringing this vision to life through my production company, about:blank. I won’t be alone in this endeavor, as I’ll be joined by Roy Lee, Cameron MacConomy, and Steven Schneider as fellow producers. Lionsgate has given us their trust and support, with Meredith Wieck and Erin Jones-Wesley overseeing the project on their end. Our movie will come to life in the beautiful rural landscapes of Manitoba.

The Long Walk was one of four books King wrote early in his career under the Bachman pseudonym. Of the four — which include The Running Man, Rage, and Roadwork — only The Running Man has made it to the screen yet. There’s also a reinvention of that movie coming, from director Edgar Wright and star Glen Powell.

In 1997, King decided to withdraw “Rage,” a novel about a school shooting, from publication following the tragic occurrence of a mass shooting at Heath High School in West Paducah, Kentucky. Initially, it continued to be included in an anthology of Richard Bachman works, but eventually, it was eliminated from that collection as well. Later on in his writing journey, King penned two additional novels under the Bachman pen name: “The Regulators” (1996) and “Blaze” (2007).

In the not too distant future, the United States has transformed into a rigidly controlled society. Every year, one hundred boys are chosen to participate in an extraordinary competition. The goal is deceptively straightforward – keep walking at a consistent pace of 4 miles per hour without ever stopping. Receive three warnings and you’ll be disqualified – permanently.

2024-07-25 17:09

Stephen King’s The Long Walk Adds New Cast Members as Filming Begins

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