“Pretty brutal movie” — Stephen King on wanting The Long Walk to show the reality of teens being killed

The upcoming dystopian horror thriller film The Long Walk has already generated intense discussion following its early preview at Comic-Con. Based on Stephen King’s 1979 novel of the same name, the footage from the film revealed a brutal story of survival in a dystopian America, one that refuses to soften the horrors he envisioned. 

As The Long Walk prepares to test audiences with its unflinching subject matter, it remains grounded in the one condition Stephen King himself set before allowing the adaptation to move forward.

Stephen King wanted The Long Walk to capture the brutal reality

As The Long Walk makes the trek from the page to the screen, Stephen King recently revealed the one condition he had for adapting his 1979 novel. The author explained that the characters in the book are “the same sort of kids that are pulled into the war machine of Vietnam", noting that he required screenwriter JT Mollner and director Francis Lawrence to show teens getting shot in their film. For King, this depiction was not about shock for its own sake, but about honesty. He believed the story needed to retain its sharp edge, confronting audiences with the vulnerability and expendability of youth under oppressive systems.

At Comic-Con, the first 20 minutes of the movie were screened, offering viewers a glimpse of the brutal contest in which 100 boys are forced to walk until only one remains. JT Mollner previously stated that he intended to preserve the core theme of King’s original novel in the film. He emphasized that the adaptation had to balance fleeting moments of humanity and friendship with overwhelming despair and fear. Lawrence explained that King’s story is still strikingly relevant, even decades after it was written, because its themes of survival, sacrifice, and systemic cruelty transcend generations.

Mollner made it clear that he and Francis Lawrence refused to deliver a diluted version of the narrative. He explained that if the rights had landed with the wrong creative team, the project could have easily been “neutered” to fit mainstream expectations. Instead, the filmmakers and studio embraced the unflinching brutality that King insisted upon. In Mollner’s words - 

“I knew that Stephen King wanted us to go all the way. I knew Lionsgate wanted us to go all the way,” underscoring the shared vision to present The Long Walk with the raw intensity that made the book so unforgettable.

What is The Long Walk all about?

The Long Walk is set in a dystopian United States ruled by a totalitarian government, where an annual walking contest determines who lives and who dies. One hundred teenage boys are forced to maintain a minimum speed of three miles per hour. Any failure to do so results in warnings and, ultimately, execution. The walk only ends when a single contestant remains alive. 

The dystopian horror thriller film was directed by Francis Lawrence and written by JT Mollner. Jeremiah Fraites composed the music, and Jo Willems is the credited cinematographer for the film. Lionsgate, About:Blank, Vertigo Entertainment, and Media Capital Technologies were the production companies involved. 

The film’s cast is led by Cooper Hoffman in the role of Raymond Garraty, the reluctant protagonist whose endurance is tested both physically and emotionally.  The cast list also includes Mark Hamill as The Major, Judy Greer as Mrs Garraty, and Josh Hamilton as Mr Garraty. David Jonsson as Peter McVries, Garrett Wareing as Stebbins, Joshua Odjick as Collie Parker, Tut Nyuot as Arthur Baker, Charlie Plummer as Gary Barkovitch, and Roman Griffin Davis as Thomas Curley are a few of the other notable cast members depicting different walkers who participate in the contest.

The Long Walk, scheduled to be released in theaters on September 12, 2025, promises not only to unsettle audiences but also to remind them of the deeper costs of power and control in a world that sacrifices youth for spectacle.