Stephen King’s ‘The Long Walk’ Hits Theaters September 12 – Stars Walked Up to 15 Miles a Day Filming

The film adaptation of Stephen King’s The Long Walk has had an eventful journey to the big screen. Originally announced in 2019 with André Øvredal set to direct, the project later changed hands.

In November 2023, Francis Lawrence was confirmed as the new director, and the rights moved from New Line Cinema to Lionsgate. Casting discussions began in mid-2024, with Cooper Hoffman and David Jonsson first reported to be in talks. By July, a full cast was confirmed, including Hoffman, Jonsson, Garrett Wareing, Tut Nyuot, Charlie Plummer, Ben Wang, Jordan Gonzalez, Joshua Odjick, and Roman Griffin Davis.

The film is now set for a theatrical release on September 12, 2025, as was revealed during this year’s CinemaCon Lionsgate presentation.

David Jonsson revealed that while filming The Long Walk, the cast shot scenes in order, meaning they followed the story’s events as they happened in the script.

This is unusual in filmmaking, as movies are often shot out of sequence. Some days of filming were especially demanding, with actors walking up to 10-15 miles to capture the grueling journey of the story.

The Long Walk is a dystopian novel by Stephen King (written under the pseudonym Richard Bachman). It follows a brutal, government-run competition where 100 teenage boys must walk continuously without stopping. If they slow down too much or stop for too long, they are shot and killed.

The last person left walking wins a grand prize—anything they desire for the rest of their life. The book explores themes of endurance, psychological torment, and the oppressive nature of authoritarian rule.

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