First look at Francis Lawrence's film adaptation of Stephen King's The Long Walk

Stephen King (of Horror) was 19 when he finished his first slightly Hunger Games-like novel, The Long Walk. It wasn't even published with his name on it, as he chose to do it under the pseudonym Richard Bachman. Later, several attempts would be made to adapt it as a film, but all failed.

It was published in 1979, and now that text came to life when Vanity Fair presented us with the first stills of the film that stars Cooper Hoffman, Charlie Plummer, Mark Hamill, and more. Going by the story's plot, Stephen King's official website puts it like this:

"In the near future, where America has become a police state, one hundred boys are selected to enter an annual contest where the winner will be awarded whatever he wants for the rest of his life. The game is simple - maintain a steady walking pace of four miles per hour without stopping. Three warnings, and you're out - permanently."

This is going to be one deadly marathon for sure. As for its release, it is set to hit theaters on September 12, 2025, distributed by Lionsgate Films.

What did the first-look images reveal about The Long Walk?

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All in all, there are seven images in Vanity Fair's published interview with Stephen King. The first one is obviously the cover, where everyone looks distressed. It appears like they've just seen someone being shot dead during this deadly walk.

The next one is a front view of actors walking down the road with military vehicles behind them. That looks normal, but still terrifying, as looking back might get them shot too. But that's just speculation, as we still don't know what kind of rules are in the film.

Judy Greer and Mark Hamill are in the following two images as Mrs. Garraty and The Major, respectively. As the description reveals, Greer is looking for her son, who is a part of the long walk, and Hamill's antagonist, The Major, is giving a salute while standing on his jeep. The next one sees Hamill and The Long Walk director Francis Lawrence in a conversation beside a yellow wildflower field.

One of the final two The Long Walk images shows Cooper Hoffman’s Garraty and David Jonsson’s McVries bonding over this horrendous event in one night shot. The other one is again a shot of the participants from the front; this one has a bit less tension in it.

How does this Hunger Games-like theme play out differently?

Francis Lawrence is, in a way, the best choice for directing the film, for he has directed the Hunger Games films before. And given the similar themes, he might know how to execute it properly. Still, The Long Walk is going to be different, and Lawrence expands upon this by saying,

"In The Hunger Games, everybody’s competing in a very different kind of way. There are alliances and you are trying to kill one another. Here, you’re not actually trying to kill one another. It’s a very different dynamic, in terms of relationships."