As perfectly demonstrated by cinematic history, the vast majority of Stephen King novels make terrific fodder for big and small screen adaptations… but it’s not universally true. Some titles, like The Stand, IT, and the installments of the Dark Tower series, have been seen as too massive for Hollywood to comprehend, resulting in projects spending years in development hell, but there are others that create more practical issues (like the expansive timeline of events that transpire in Revival). The Long Walk, originally published under King’s pseudonym Richard Bachman, is a book that falls into the latter category, and while there has been reason to have hope for a live-action version in the last few years, it seems that hope has been dashed.
Director André Øvredal signed on to direct an adaptation of The Long Walk all the way back in 2019, and he provided an optimistic update about the project in late 2020, but the latest development isn’t anywhere near as positive. Speaking with the filmmaker last month during the virtual press day for his new movie, The Last Voyage Of The Demeter (in theaters August 18), I asked if there were any updates about his in-the-works Stephen King project, and he provided the sad news:
