How The Long Walk adaptation shifted gears from the OG Stephen King novel

Francis Lawrence's adaptation of Stephen King's story, The Long Walk, doesn't really do justice to the novel. But that makes it more beautiful and hard-hitting for the audiences watching it on the screen. For the ones who have read the novel, these changes are sure to catch them off guard.

The film that was made on a $20 million budget was released today and stars Cooper Hoffman, Mark Hamill, Judy Greer, and more in the film. The film's story is set in a dystopian US where an event that sees the participants walking a long walk is held annually. People need to maintain a certain pace, or they die. And they obviously die if they stop.

Although there are differences in the film and the novel, the endpoint is eventually the same. But know that despite these differences, there's still a sense of discomfort following some unnerving moments that'll keep the fans on their toes.

Major differences fans will find between The Long Walk film and the novel

Cooper Hoffman plays Raymond Garraty in The Long Walk. (Image via Lionsgate Movies)

Between the walk that spans 400 pages in the novel and 108 minutes (including credits rolls) in the film, there are a range of differences that drift the film away from the novel. The biggest change, of course, comes at the end, which we will discuss in a minute.

We won't be discussing every single detail, but major ones here, which of course includes the characters, so you'll eventually need to watch the film that almost stopped the viewers' hearts to see all of them for yourself. Of course, reading the novel will come in handy.

First, we want to begin with a character that's not so major but plays an important role in the life of one of the protagonists in the story, both in the novel and the film. Mr. Garraty, played by Josh Hamilton in the version of MT Jolner, wrote the screenplay. He is the father of Raymond Garraty, played by Cooper Hoffman.

He is a major motivation for the character, as it eventually gives Raymond a reason to keep walking the long walk. Though in the book, Mr. Garraty is taken away by the government, Mark Hamill's The Major sees to it himself that the man is executed. That is why Raymond is adamant about killing The Major.

There's also the fact that the film adaptation of The Long Walk focuses less on the government and more on the participants. This was included in the film's production notes, according to Vulture, which reads,

'We didn’t want to get too bogged down in details of the government because our focus is entirely these young men, their relationships, and their emotional journey."

But there's still the same tension in this regime as there was in the book. It's like an invisible force, but it's there.

The biggest (and the best) difference between the film and the novel

David Jonsson plays Peter McVries in The Long Walk. (Image via Lionsgate Movies)

It usually is not many people's cup of tea, especially when it is about a film adaptation of a novel, and the ending is changed. The ending was changed in Frances Lawrence's The Long Walk, and it's going just fine, at least for now.

You see, in the novel, it's Raymond who wins the event, and in the movie, it's his closest companion, Peter McVries. But there's more to it, so we will stop here and let you see how it advances.

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