The rights to Stephen King’s 1979 novel, The Long Walk, have been acquired by Lionsgate, and according to new reports, the project is set to be adapted into a film directed by Francis Lawrence.
Previously, a movie based on The Long Walk was in development by New Line Cinema with André Øvredal attached to direct, but after the rights lapsed in the summer of 2022, work on the project was abandoned. Now, Lionsgate has picked up the dystopian story, and will bring it to life, with Lawrence directing and producing a script by JT Mollner (Outlaws and Angels). Roy Lee (2017’s It) will produce as well.
Lawrence is fresh on the heels of his latest release: the latest Hunger Games film, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, which debuted earlier this month and has grossed north of $200 million so far. In a statement, Joe Drake, chair of the Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, said that the company “couldn’t be more excited about reuniting” with Lawrence.
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“When you have enjoyed the strong creative collaboration and success that we have had working with Francis, you want to repeat that experience as much as possible,” Drake said, according to The Hollywood Reporter. “He is a truly unparalleled talent.”
The Long Walk is about a dark future where the United States enjoys a yearly entertainment event in which 100 teenage boys must walk along U.S. Route 1 under a strict set of rules. If any rules are broken, the violator is killed, with the final boy remaining winning a large prize. Considering the parallels with The Hunger Games, Lawrence will surely feel comfortable talking the topic.
Be sure to listen to Lawrence’s recent interview with Kyle Meredith about the music, rebellion, and extra footage of Hunger Games below.
Meanwhile, last month, King made a statement about the mass shooting that killed 22 people in Lewiston, Maine, saying “This is madness in the name of freedom. Stop electing apologists for murder.”
Earlier this year, King revealed that he once became so obsessed with listening to “Mambo No. 5” that his wife threatened to divorce him.
