The Long Walk: Release date news, cast details and more about the upcoming Stephen King horror adaptation starring Mark Hamill

The Long Walk is another addition to the list of Stephen King adaptations announced in the last few months. It might be more special to him since it is the first novel he wrote under his then-pen name Richard Bachman.

The adaptation has been in development for many years, with directors like George Romero and Frank Darabont, to André Øvredal, slated to direct it. However, it finally came to life under the helm of Hunger Games director Francis Lawrence. The script is written by JT Mollner, the writer-director who made quite a splash with his indie hit, Strange Darling.

Lawrence might just be the perfect director for this dystopian horror film, considering his experience working in post-apocalyptic world-building, not only with Suzanne Collins' novel adaptations but with thrillers like I Am Legend. Vertigo Entertainment produced this film, which is being distributed by Lionsgate, which will release it in September 2025, in the United States.

The cast includes young actors like Cooper Hoffman, David Jonsson, and Charlie Plummer, along with seasoned professionals like Mark Hamill and Judy Greer. The young faces will be up for a terrifying adventure that will test their decency, patience, and endurance as they enter a Squid Game-like kill fest where the last one standing thrives.

What is the story of The Long Walk?

Expand Tweet

The Long Walk is a dystopian horror film that serves as a coming-of-age tale for a group of young men who enter the titular long walk with no destination in mind. Its plot synopsis, per IMDb, reads,

"A group of teenage boys compete in an annual contest known as "The Long Walk," where they must maintain a certain walking speed or get shot."

Over 100 boys will need to maintain their walking speed, or else they will be killed on the spot. That's a powerful premise, considering the toll this walk will take on their physical and mental health.

There is most likely a subliminal inspiration behind this story since Stephen King started writing the novel. Young men were sent to the Vietnam War with no way to ensure their safe return. When asked about this real-life parallel, King told Vanity Fair,

“You write from your times, so certainly, that was in my mind. But I never thought about it consciously. I was writing a kind of brutal thing. It was hopeless, and just what you write when you’re 19 years old, man. You’re full of beans and you’re full of cynicism, and that’s the way it was.”

When will The Long Walk be released? Everything we know so far

Expand Tweet

Francis Lawrence's The Long Walk is expected to be released on September 12, 2025, in the United States.

Who is in the cast of The Long Walk?

Shaboozey's Last of My Kind plays in the background of the official trailer for The Long Walk, which shows several young men walking through the American highway, in hopes of a big prize in the end.

The cast includes familiar faces like Licorice Pizza star Cooper Hoffman, Alien: Romulus star David Johnson, Jojo Rabbit star Roman Griffin Davis, Karate Kid: Legends star Ben Wang, and The Return star Charlie Plummer.

Here's who they play in the film, along with others in the ensemble: